Best friends at Broen Home

Published Thursday, March 20, 2008

The newest member of the Broen Home family is an 11-year-old who’s starting to go gray.

“I get a lot of residents to chuckle because I say, ‘Look at his ears — he’s aging just like I am,’” said Jean Anderson, Broen’s marketing and volunteer director.

Doc is a brown and white springer spaniel who’s spent his days at the Broen Home for the past two weeks. Adopted from the Otter Tail County Humane Society by certified nursing assistant Ashton Christenson, Doc comes to work with his owner every morning and stays by her side as she visits residents throughout the day.

“He usually follows me around on whatever floor I’m on,” Christenson said. “He’s like my shadow.”

“The first time he came with her, he was right behind her,” Anderson said. “I asked her, ‘Did you train him to do that?’”

Residents at the Broen Home are accustomed to visits from animals. The facility has housed an aviary since 2002, and activities staff regularly bring humane society animals in for pet therapy sessions. At one point, Doc was one of those pet therapy participants.

“I think we’re really lucky because he’s so docile,” Anderson said. “Some of the younger ones were more rambunctious than we needed here. And then this one came along and was so gentle.”

“We have a cat at home and he didn’t even get upset when he first came,” Christenson said. “I’ve never even seen him growl.”

Christenson said she believed Doc’s previous owner gave him to the humane society before moving to an assisted living facility.

Doc, it seems, has charmed Broen Home residents, staff and visitors alike.

“I don’t think anybody has a problem with (him),” Anderson said. “Families who come to visit love (him).”

So does Gertrude Strauts, 98, who let Doc rest on her bed during a visit from Christenson Wednesday afternoon.

“He’s my best friend,” she said.