10/01/2026
Here is a very sweet story about one of our patients who recently passed away and the love and care that was provided to her pet dog by a very special volunteer.
Three years ago, I lost my mom to cancer.
Since then, I’ve tried to honor her memory by helping cancer patients and survivors whenever I can.
So when a friend from high school posted that a woman who had recently moved to our town, Jamie, was battling cancer and needed someone to help walk her dog, Layla, I immediately volunteered.
The next day, my kids and I went to meet Jamie and Layla.
What started as helping with a dog quickly became so much more. I got to know Jamie, became her friend, and found myself helping take care of her in whatever ways I could. Layla was there through all of it.
Unfortunately, Layla had become very dog-reactive after being attacked several times in a short period of time. Before Jamie passed away, I promised her that we would make sure Layla stayed with someone who loved her and that she would always be taken care of.
When Jamie passed a few months later, my friend Ally and I shared the responsibility of caring for Layla. We loved her, but we were still trying to figure out how we could make everything work with our own dogs.
Then one weekend, I brought Layla home for a few days. My husband and I spent so much time patiently working with her and one of our dogs, which we had done many times before. And then something just clicked.
They didn’t become best friends overnight. They simply learned to tolerate each other—and that was enough.
The next day, we introduced our other dog, and somehow, we had the same success.
Now, about a month and a half later, I look out in the yard and see something I never could have imagined back then: Layla playing with our dogs, snuggling with them, and chasing “their” kids around the yard.
Somehow, this sweet girl who came into our lives because her mom needed help has become part of our family.
Layla will be six in December (she even shares her birthday with Jamie), and today we officially get to call her ours.
We love her more than I can put into words, and we feel incredibly blessed to honor Jamie by giving Layla a loving home and keeping the promise we made to her.
I truly believe some things in life are meant to find their way to us. How lucky are we that Layla was one of them?
volunteer
adoption
