In April of 2012 my husband and I decided to foster a 3 year old basset hound named Mater that had come from a shelter in Missouri. He was heartworm positive, emaciated, and had worn his front teeth down to nubs trying to chew his way out of the barn stall he had been kept in. Having recently just suffered my second miscarriage this was unknowingly just what I needed to help get me out of my dark hole of depression. I was devoted to taking him to vet appointments, putting some meat on his bones, introducing him to green grass and people. It took several months to get Mater well and by that time we had all fallen in love and decided to adopt him. Mater had something about him that just drew people in, he could make anyone smile! Seeing how much love that he had to give and knowing what he had done to help me I wanted to find a way to be able to share his love with others. I learned of a local program that was training pets to become therapy dogs so I took Mater down for an evaluation and he passed with flying colors. We signed up for the training and he flew through both courses like a pro. Within three months he had passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen test and we had started mentored visits. Two months after that he officially became Mater the therapy dog. He was always so excited to put his vest on and go to work! Each visit we made to a nursing home, a library or a school he knew just what to do. He would lay his head in an elderly person's lap and it was like their dementia faded away. They would smile and talk about a dog they had when they were younger, and recall stories of their youth. Children that struggled to read were excited to read with Mater, and he happily laid his head beside them while they read for an hour! People started emailing me wondering when Mater the Therapy Dog was coming to visit! They were always asking if he had a page they could follow so I decided to start a Facebook page for Mater. I would write about his adventures as if he were the one that got on the "puter." Within a month he had over 300 followers. People were always saying to me "thank you for bringing Mater to visit, you have no idea how happy he makes me!" All the while my family was so thankful that Mater had given me purpose again, given me a reason to get out of the house and made me smile each day. I too was so thankful for this sweet long eared pup that had saved me. I was determined to do everything I could to help the therapy dog program that we were volunteering with grow and flourish so he could continue to share his special love with others. I worked hard to raise money for the organization and to add new visits, and new members. In 2017 I was named vice president of the organization and assistant trainer. At that time we had a little more than 20 members. Mater and I continued to make many visits throughout our community and I continued to draw in new members so that they could share the love of their pups as well. In 2018 I was named president and head trainer of the organization. We now have over 60 members and our calendar is always full of events, usually booked six months in advance. Each time we attend an event and I see how much Mater and the rest of our therapy dogs make a difference in the lives of others I am humbled, because I know none of this would have been possible without Mater. He has a fan club that follows him to libraries and community events, and I'm still in awe of it all. Mater is older now, and a little slower but he's still excited for each and every visit. I look back to the dark dismal place I was 7 years ago and I could not be more thankful for this sweet dog that gave me purpose. I think of all the lives Mater has touched over the years, the difference he has made in our community, and in my life as well and I am so very grateful that we decided to foster/rescue him. When people tell me that Mater is so lucky that we saved him, I always say no, Mater is the one who saved me.

Angie Hall
MOLINE, IL