Location : Bala scan back side, V K S Mahal, 6/9, Co-operative Colony Rd, opposite Dindigul, New Agraharam, Begambur, Tamil Nadu 624001.

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For the first time in 80 years my mother Leatrice found herself living alone after her 15-year-old dog Gus died. Starting about then, we noticed that she seemed to be walking less, and didn’t have her usual spark. For a half a century she was the calm and gentle, caring spirit at the center of a whirlwind of a household. But now being by herself in her home left her feeling lonely and a little blue. Despite my repeated pleas, Leatrice refused to consider adopting a new dog, insisting that she was too old to put up with all the inconveniences of a pet, especially the house training. So, I took matters into my own hands. With the help of my friends at Wayside Waifs, I found Henri—a frisky, six-pound, affectionate three-year-old Yorkie/Poodle mix who is the cutest little dog I have ever seen. I packed him in a little carrier, boarded a plane with my sister Kerry, and a few hours later the three of us arrived, without any advance warning, on my mother’s doorstep. Leatrice was outraged that I had so brazenly ignored her wishes. She told us how this animal would be, “a terrible inconvenience that is completely out of the question.” I apologized as I firmly explained that Henri’s ticket was for a one-way flight; he wasn’t there to visit—this was his new home. Admittedly, the first few months were a bit rocky. It took Leatrice awhile to adjust to her new roomie; and sometimes I wasn’t sure Henri was going to win over his new best friend. Slowly but surely, however, the tenor of our daily phone conversations changed. At first it was non-stop complaints about accidents on the rug, night-time awakenings for bathroom breaks, having to go outside walking with him, sometimes in rain, or sleet, or snow. But as time passed, she began to express how endearing it was to have Henri curl up by her feet when she snuggled into her bed at night, and how he was enthusiastically wagging his tail whenever she returned home from an errand. Or how he would give her affectionate doggy kisses when she picked him up, and how at “happy hour,” Leatrice relaxed with one beer before dinner, while Henri sat on her lap and enjoyed a carrot or a little cheese. When she discovered how much he loved to ride in the car, she brought him with her when she was out and about. Soon, Henri was welcome everywhere Leatrice went—the post office, the coffee shop, the grocery store, and the homes of her friends and neighbors. I spoke with her local physician, Dr. Tony Kotnick, who spontaneously remarked, “That little dog has been very good for your mother; I see the two of them out walking every day.” Now every Sunday afternoon, Leatrice and Henri visit the nursing home in our little hometown of Grafton, N.D., where the two of them brighten up the day for many of the residents there. John, an 81-year-old man who has been unable to hear or speak since birth, may be Henri’s biggest fan, as I witnessed during one of their visits recently. Henri scampered into John’s room, spontaneously hopped up on the wheelchair and into his lap and excitedly licked his face. As he petted the little white dog, a tear rolled down John’s cheek. He looked up and smiled at Leatrice, and in that quiet scene, in the language of the heart, an unmistakable message of joy and gratitude came through loud and clear. Leatrice is a very social person with a nurturing soul who needs a housemate with whom she can grace with her love and attention. Henri gets her out for a walk about four to six times a day. She has become friends with other dog walkers in the neighborhood, and the local kids love to run over and pet Henri when they see the two of them out walking. I must admit, it killed me when early on my mother would say things like, “My friends tell me that they can’t believe my son would be so inconsiderate as to burden me with a new dog at my age.” Although in the beginning both she and I had doubts that this little experiment would work out for the best, in fact it is has exceeded our hopes. The saga of Leatrice and Henri has confirmed my convictions that pets, especially dogs or cats, can provide unique and powerful benefits for both mental and physical health. From improved fitness and weight loss, to a happier mood, better sleep, and lower blood pressure, pet ownership has been scientifically proven to be one of the best things a person can do for his or her health and sense of well-being. For my mother, Henri was just what “the doctor ordered.” It is amazing to me how sometimes the littlest thing, in this case, a tiny dog named Henri, can make such a big difference in someone’s life.