Remembering Rudy

Abused Children Lose a Friend

Story by Sally Treadwell

There are all kinds of heroes in this world.

There are the firefighters who pull people from collapsing buildings; human rights defenders who risk their lives to bring us truth; scientists who work long into the night to cure cancer.

And then there are the quiet heroes who lead by gentle example.

That was Rudy, who died on April 6. Rudy was a Great Dane who lived at Grandfather Home for Children. And if you think it’s sheer hyperbole to call a dog a hero, just ask the judges who gave him a Broadway Barks Hero Award. That’s a program that recognizes “an animal or individual who has made a significant contribution to the community and/or to animal welfare,” and even though the nomination papers from Grandfather Home’s children got lost and arrived too late, the judges were so moved by Rudy’s story that they gave him a special award.

Rudy’s story—the part we know—started when he was found howling in an abandoned house. His owner had been a drug user and had simply disappeared. Rudy, covered in sores, had been left shut up in the house for so long that he was almost at the point of starvation. Laura Hickey, director of the Residential Treatment Program at Codman Award-winning Grandfather Home for Children, happened to see his picture on the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League’s website and decided to adopt him.

She had a feeling that he might help to fill a void for the kids at the Home, all of whom have been badly abused, but she really had no idea how much this dog, who had himself been abused, would influence them.

“When you look into his eyes, you don’t see abuse, you just see all this love,” said one child. That’s a powerful example for children who are trying to get past all that they have suffered.

And he noticeably helped them to make connections, eventually leading to a larger animal therapy program. “We have a lot of children who have learned that it’s not a smart thing to trust adults. They make a connection with the dogs first, and, frankly, we ride on the dogs’ coattails,” Hickey said in an interview last year.

She hasn’t changed her mind. “Without a doubt, the seeds of trust came from their relationship with him,” she said. “We all feel that he was a really great lesson to us—he left us with new understanding.”

“Rudy was the reason that Grandfather Academy was able to pilot a service dog program,” said Doug Herman, the director of Grandfather Academy, the charter school that serves children from Grandfather Home. “His amazing natural ability to connect with children in an academic setting set the bar for what is now a very successful program,” One of the students had personal experience of Rudy’s value in the classroom. “I always liked schoolwork, but now I like it even better because Rudy helps me focus.”

Rudy would help to calm the children when they were having a rough time, just by instinctively seeking them out. “If you’re having a hard day, Rudy senses it and he just comes and stands by your desk,” another child told me.

Renée Rogers, the Exceptional Children coordinator, wrote that “Rudy was more than ‘king’ of our service dogs. He was an incredible role model regarding patience, unconditional love and genuine ‘wisdom.’ The movie Stepmom has a line that I find befitting regarding out beloved Rudy. The dying mother tells her daughter, ‘You can take me with you…’ This line applies to our situation, as well. Although Rudy may have passed away, he is not gone. We at Grandfather Home and Academy will take him with us.”

“The children are sad that he’s gone, sad that they’ve lost someone who listened to them in a very different way, but they’re not sad that he’s out of pain now,” said Hickey. She has received lots of little sympathy notes from the kids, and most mention that anything that was hurting him no longer hurts. Rudy had been getting arthritic towards the end, and the kids had pooled their allowances to buy him a special bed. They’d helped him up, too, when he slipped a couple of times this last winter.

But he had a great last day, “running around and talking to everyone. Then he just lay down peacefully and boom, had a sudden heart attack.” That was Rudy’s last gift to her, she feels, sparing her that hardest of all decisions that many dog owners have to make.

The children are busy planning Rudy’s memorial service, and past students will come back to say goodbye.

But none of them will ever forget Rudy, or what their gentle hero taught them.

If you’d like to help out with the animal therapy program at Grandfather, consider donating dog treats or other supplies. The office maintains a wish list. Long-term reading volunteers are welcome, or if you’re unsure of how much time you can consistently commit to the program, help in the office is gratefully accepted. Call 828-898-5465.

Help Prevent Child Abuse

It’s ironic that Rudy, who helped to heal children scarred by child abuse, died during Child Abuse Prevention Month. Here are a few suggestions you can use to protect a child.

• Listen to kids. Pay attention to them.

• Make that call to social services if you’re truly concerned. Jim Swinkola of Grandfather • Home feels that if any mistakes are to be made, it’s preferable to err in favor of protecting a child.

• Give overloaded parents a break. Take their kids to a movie or park for an afternoon.

• Volunteer with your county’s guardian ad litem program, advocating for children caught in the court system. Call 800-982-4041 for information.