Owner/Handler: Pam Baggett-Wallis

Annie is a 3-yr-old standard poodle. She and her three siblings were dropped off at Town Lake Animal Shelter as months-old puppies with mange so bad they couldn't eat or sleep for scratching. We think they probably were products of a puppy mill because we can't imagine allowing expensive pups like this to become so terribly ill.

I already had two rescue dogs--7 lb shih tzu/poodle mix and 50+ pound border collie/chow mix. And I certainly was not looking for another one! But my dear friend Lisa, who fosters for Blue Dog, sent me a photo and said she had my Annie. You see, a venerated older friend of ours, who died five years ago, believed in reincarnation. Like many women of her age, she had curly white hair. Well, Annie it was!

The pup bonded with me right away as I work out of my house. When I would leave for any period of time, she was very destructive, including digging up the carpet at the seams and eating it! Trust me, carpet is NOT biodegradable. Yes, we tried crating her, but even though intellectually I know it's OK to used the crate to keep a dog safe [and the carpet], is just doesn't sit well for me to do that. So at the suggestion of another friend, Annie and I took a training class at Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior.

She became an entirely different dog! The folks at LMCCB said Annie would make a good therapy dog, so we took that training, too. And here we are!

My avocation is to help persons with brain disorders such as TBI, bipolar, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder. Being able to go to ASH every other Sunday has been a great privilege!