Best Friends is a weekly feature designed to highlight a local resident and his or her pets. To suggest
someone for the series, contact Marissa Weiher, photographer, at photo@themonroetimes.com.
Cathy Maurer, who works at Land Sales Bulletin in Monroe, talks about her best friend Toodles, a 1-year-old beagle.
Maurer decided she wanted a beagle because of their sweet temperament and her last beagle had just died. She got Toodles from a private breeder near Middleton. Toodles is a registered therapy dog and makes frequent rounds to Monroe Clinic and nursing homes.
Maurer decided she wanted a beagle because of their sweet temperament and her last beagle had just died. She got Toodles from a private breeder near Middleton. Toodles is a registered therapy dog and makes frequent rounds to Monroe Clinic and nursing homes.
Describe Toodles'
personality.
She is kind, loving and gentle. She's just an absolutely great dog.
I had always wanted to have a therapy dog and was just waiting for the right match. I saw her temperament, and she's just such a loving, gentle dog I thought I would put the time in and go through the classes. She's been through about 21 weeks of school.
She also loves Oliver, our cat.
What do you and Toodles do together?
We do a lot really. We go to Monroe Clinic and visit patients, and we've gone to the Brodhead Public Library and the Monroe Public Library where kids read to her. She adores kids. We've also been to Concerts on the Square and Cheese Days. We've been to numerous nursing homes. For one of our classes, we went to the Rock County Juvenile Detention Center in Janesville and she visited with the children. Dogs can go in there with no predetermined notions. She doesn't judge, she just greets everyone with love. That's what these therapy dogs do that is so great - they're nonjudgmental.
What has it been like having Toodles in your life?
It's been wonderful. Having her in my life has taken me to places that I might not have otherwise seen. It's great to watch her interact with the nursing home residents and seeing what a little dog can do to make their day better. It's the same thing with the kids who read to her. It's so heartwarming to see how it brightens their day.
personality.
She is kind, loving and gentle. She's just an absolutely great dog.
I had always wanted to have a therapy dog and was just waiting for the right match. I saw her temperament, and she's just such a loving, gentle dog I thought I would put the time in and go through the classes. She's been through about 21 weeks of school.
She also loves Oliver, our cat.
What do you and Toodles do together?
We do a lot really. We go to Monroe Clinic and visit patients, and we've gone to the Brodhead Public Library and the Monroe Public Library where kids read to her. She adores kids. We've also been to Concerts on the Square and Cheese Days. We've been to numerous nursing homes. For one of our classes, we went to the Rock County Juvenile Detention Center in Janesville and she visited with the children. Dogs can go in there with no predetermined notions. She doesn't judge, she just greets everyone with love. That's what these therapy dogs do that is so great - they're nonjudgmental.
What has it been like having Toodles in your life?
It's been wonderful. Having her in my life has taken me to places that I might not have otherwise seen. It's great to watch her interact with the nursing home residents and seeing what a little dog can do to make their day better. It's the same thing with the kids who read to her. It's so heartwarming to see how it brightens their day.