Comfort Canines For Christ
"It's Not About The Dogs"
Canine Ambassador
Eve
Canine Ambassador Eve is Comfort Canines for Christ’s first comfort dog. She was fittingly named in recognition of the first female human, Eve. The name “Eve” is derived from Hebrew word “chawah” meaning "to breathe" and is related to the word “chayah” meaning "to live."
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Eve’s rescue and subsequent use in ministry is truly, truly a remarkable story. Throughout the Bible, God routinely utilized people that the world did not view as impressive. In 1 Corinthians 1:27 we read "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong." Eve’s journey is eerily similar. In August of 2014 representatives from Dixie Humane Society found Eve living in the forest severely malnourished near Jefferson, TX, a small town a short distance northwest of Shreveport, LA. Sadly, she had recently given birth, but her puppies were never found. Eve was severely malnourished weighing only about 25 pounds; she had also been shot in the legs and hip. Dixie Humane Society began nursing Eve back to health with their limited resources.
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In January 2015 the founders of Comfort Canines for Christ began searching for a suitable dog – not an easy task. Therapy dogs require a calm nonaggressive temperament, must innately craves interaction
with people, and of course be trainable. Only a small percentage of dogs meet the criteria. In fact, even dogs specifically bred for service dog duties and trained by professionals typically experience only a 40% success rate, so we anticipated acquiring a shelter animal for comfort dog ministry would be a long and frustrating process. We were wrong.
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Former Board Chairman of Comfort Canines for Christ, Ben Koonts, contacted multiple shelters in the southeast United States and made tentative appointments to evaluate dogs in Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee that shelter managers recommended in light of our criteria. The multiple trips were going to be a financial strain and time intensive. A few minutes after these appointments had been scheduled, Ben’s wife, Pam, searched Pet Finders online and saw a picture of scraggly, underweight “Twiggy” (Eve) lying on a blanket at Dixie Humane Society - “That’s our dog. It’s her.” The brief Pet Finder description said “not being one who wants to play sports or run with you.” We called Dixie Humane Society and told a representative about our ministry. Before we could even ask about Twiggy (Eve), she said, “We have a dog for you.” Three days later Eve was home.
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Two days after arriving home initial veterinary care at Hickory Small Animal Clinic revealed a serious problem; Eve had a life threatening heartworm infestation which also caused an enlarged heart. Months of extensive medical treatment, along with lots of love and pampering, provided a full recovery. Eve was heartworm free and her enlarged heart had returned to normal size and function. Even the veterinarian cried tears of joy.
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Eve began comfort dog service in July 2015. Her calm demeanor, natural eye to eye contact, and great desire to be petted and interact with people promotes spirited therapy visits. People who do not consider themselves “dog people” have been drawn to Ambassador Eve. Frankly, who can resist those eyes? Eve has overcome being lost/abandoned in the forest, being shot, starved & malnourished, losing her puppies, and life threatening heartworms. God found a noble use for a discarded, scraggly, weak, neglected, and sick dog. God has a noble plan for discarded, scraggly, weak, neglected, and sick people too.
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