Unity Manor’s BFF (Best Furry Friend)
Unity Manor staff and residents were grieving a series of losses earlier this year when another loss hit especially hard. A resident with a pet passed. Now—what to do about Bo who, with his owner, has been part of Unity Manor for almost two years?
Bo was a larger dog. He’d lived on the street for almost 5 years with his owner and had learned to be very protective. After years of sleeping rough in abandoned vehicles, it seemed risky to try place Bo with a family where young children or other pets might be involved. After exploring all the services available for sheltering animals, Nicole Webber, Program Manager, felt out of options.
A welcome solution came from an unexpected source. Dawn-Marie Diab, our CEO, knew that Unity Manor was dealing with the grief of multiple clients passing. On learning about Bo and Nicole’s efforts to find him a new home, Dawn-Marie came up with the ideal solution: “Let’s just keep him.” Finally, something positive and comforting for the site!
So, Bo’s new home base is a comfy bed in the front office area. His owner had registered Bo as a service dog, and he certainly continues to be of service at the site. Nicole describes how Bo is contributing to staff mental health: “He joins us at lunch, he’s gone on afternoon rounds with staff, and he loves being outside to welcome us to work in the mornings.”
The change from living with one person in a private space to being in a fairly open area with different people has, as Nicole puts it, led to Bo ‘growing as a people dog.’ He gets along with two other dogs on site and is engaging with more and more participants and staff.
His GSS connections are growing too. Recently, Bo was part of the Unity Manor team that joined other GSS staff for the Water Ceremony at the Indigenous Summer Cultural camp. Isn’t that part of what GSS is all about? Connecting someone who has experienced homelessness to an extended family. Welcome home, Bo!
This summer Bo went on his first camping trip. Check out a few of his camping photos along with others in Unity Manor’s ‘Bo Gallery’.
Bo surveys his camping territory on the left, then rests up for the next day’s camping adventures on the right.
On the left, Unity Manor protocol when meeting or greeting Bo. On the right, Bo wearing a purple bandana honoring his dad for Overdose Awareness Day
Bo at the GSS Water Ceremony…”I’m tired that was a lot of people!”