There are a lot of things in this world that can be forgotten, but feelings are harder to abandon. When one can feel a connection with someone, sometimes, it never goes away. Tony has Alzheimer’s disease and has been living in a retirement home.
Cake and Tony spend Sunday together, it’s something that both look forward to. Tony helped rescue Cake when she was just eight weeks old. They found Cake on the side of the road and knew they would be bringing her home.
Cake had quite a number of behavioral issues such as separation anxiety and obsession. This is when Cake’s mom, Michelle Karpaitis, really dove into learning dog psychology and dog behavior. All the effort and exhausting days were worth it when Cake passed his psychology test so she was cleared to visit the retirement home.
Michelle knows that her grandfather loves Cake and when he holds her leash and takes her for a walk, it gives him a sense of purpose. Even with his Alzheimers, he knows that Cake is his dog and would also tell the nurses about her. Sometimes, he would surprise Michelle and remember Cake’s name.
Though he mostly forgets that Cake is a girl, that does not really matter. Tony does not need words to communicate with Cake. The bond that they had before the Alzheimer’s has always been very deep.
Tony served in the military for over twenty years and is the most hardworking person that Michelle knows. When he started showing signs of dementia, Michelle knew that Cake could help him feel safe. Familiarity does that.
Cake has also inspired Michelle so much that she has gone to be a dog trainer and behavioral specialist. She is advising pet owners everywhere to not give up on their dogs. Working on them patiently will be worth it for the results.
Source The Dodo via YouTube
