Rescue dog a favourite employee

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This article was published 23/04/2018 (2193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cade the husky cross is known at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre for his gentle demeanour and calming presence.

The Manitoba Mutts rescue comes to work every day with Cindy Greenlay, the manager of therapeutic recreation and support. The two have lived in Wolseley for five years, ever since Cade arrived from a reserve on Cross Lake, Man.

“I started bringing him (to work) because this is the perfect environment to have a dog,” Greenlay said. “He’s part of the tour, so when families come to see if they want to move into the place, they come along and see him.

“We have an adult day program where people come for the day, so he goes down and visits them and they feed him peanut butter.”

The Simkin Centre is a long-term care facility, and Cade’s services are often needed in calming anxious residents. Greenlay says that some residents come out of their rooms solely to see Cade, and in the process are able to get more interaction than they normally would.

“We’ve actually had families stop in once their loved one has passed away just because they want to say bye to him, and ‘Oh, you were such a big part of coming here,’” Greenlay said.

When Cade isn’t napping on Greenlay’s office floor, he’s busy volunteering through Manitoba Mutts and St. John’s Ambulance. He’s a certified therapy dog and will sometimes visit schools or attend mental health care events, where Greenlay said he has a way of comforting others. It’s not something he’s been trained to do — Cade has always been very laid back.

“Even when he was a puppy, he was very calm,” Greenlay said. “He’s never chewed a shoe; he’s like the perfect dog. And people say, oh you’ve trained him so well… and I really haven’t, he’s just a great dog. He’s definitely been socialized really well, and I will take credit for that.”

Greenlay volunteers at Manitoba Mutts as well, where she talks about the importance of rescuing dogs that need homes rather than going to a breeder. She says the organization is run 100 per cent by volunteers, which a plus in her books.

“If there weren’t rescues, a dog like him, who’s made an impact on so many people, wouldn’t be here, so I feel really good about having rescued him,” Greenlay said. “I know lots of people will say the dog rescues them too, they’ll come at a time when you need a dog. It works both ways.”

Greenlay joked that when she’s away, Cade is missed more than she is.

“We put a sign on the door that says Cade will be back on April 14,” she said with a laugh.
For more information, visit manitobamutts.org