Lyden

This is Lyden, the official hospice canine companion at the inpatient unit where I work. I say that he is official in all sincerity; as you can see, he has his own photo ID.
Yesterday was an overcast, rainy Sunday in Columbus, the perfect day to stay home with a good book. Lyden, however, reported for duty, although he did manage to find some snooze time in between seeing patients. His primary role is to visit the patients in their rooms. He walks up to the bed and allows himself to be petted. For those of us who love animals, I can't imagine better therapy. He can bring a smile to the face (and the heart!) of very sick people, not to mention the staff. It's always more fun to work with Lyden either roaming around or lying on his dog bed under the desk in the nursing station.
In my view of heaven, all animals get a free pass. Lyden gets a "go to the front of the line".