Murphy – With her sweet personality and tongue-lolling smile, Cruella DeVille the therapy dog’s looks are the only characteristics contributing to her Walt Disney villain name.
Don’t be fooled by her small stature; Cruella loves to work. Since becoming a therapy dog, she has logged in more than 400 hours of visitations with Carteret Health Care in Morehead City, two cancer centers and Wounded Warriors.
“Everybody just loves her, and she loves everybody,” said her owner, Sarah Gould.
Gould met Cruella five years ago on Christmas Eve, when she was driving around Virginia Beach, Va., with her daughter. She didn’t know where her daughter was taking her until they stopped at the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“I said, ‘I don’t need another dog,’ ” Gould recalled. “We went in and there were five runs, with 10 cages on each side. I was walking out of there, and she was the last dog in the last run. I saw her curled up in a ball, and that was it.”
Since then, Cruella has lived most of her life with Gould in Morehead City before moving to Murphy two months ago. Despite her extensive reputation as a therapy dog, Cruella has yet to fi nd work at any of the area hospitals or nursing homes.
As members of the therapy dog nonprofit Love on a Leash, Gould and Cruella have undergone training to become certifi ed with American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen.
Before receiving the title of an official therapy dog, Cruella had to complete 10 hours of visitations in different environments. She also went through obedience training and passed a final test that incorporated different therapy dog scenarios.
Gould said she fi rst discovered the role of therapy dogs when she visited two of her husband’s National Guard troop members, who both lost a leg after accidentally driving over an improvised explosive device in Iraq. As she was leaving the facility, she noticed two therapy dogs.
“That’s when I first heard of therapy dogs,” she said. “And I said, ‘That’s what I want my dog to do, be more than just a dog.’ ”
Gould said one of the most memorable encounters Cruella has experienced while on the job involved working with the veterans of Wounded Warriors.
Located at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, Cruella was free to interact with the veterans on campus. While many of the veterans had permanent physical injuries, Gould said a majority suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
When she arrived to the campus, Cruella would sit on a platform, patiently waiting to greet the marines. Gould said she would regularly hear Marines shouting, “Look, it’s Cruella!”
“It’s just awesome what she would do for them,” she said. “The impact a good dog can have on somebody is amazing.”
Despite making a huge impression on the marines of Wounded Warriors, Gould said Cruella is most in her element when she’s visiting the hospital in Moorehead City.
When working at the hospital, Cruella had free reign of every location except for the cafeteria, operating room and baby delivery wing. Gould said Cruella fi lled the missing gap for patients who missed their pets, as people often allowed Cruella to sit in bed with them.
She not only developed a relationship with the patients, but also the hospital staff. “Rosemary who was in charge of the clinic at the cancer center would get on the fl oor face to face with her,”
Gould said. “Therapy dogs are just as much for the staff as they are for the patients.” Actively seeking work for Cruella in Cherokee County, Gould is open to helping out any nonprofi ts, nursing homes or health-care centers in need of a therapy dog. She hopes to eventually start a therapy dog group with local residents.
“It’s my way of giving back, and I love the interaction of people and Cruella,” Gould said. Those interested in ruella’s therapy services should call Sarah Gould at 252-808-7059 or email onewhalelover@gmail.com.