If you’re visiting a library, nursing home or medical center in Jefferson County, you just might run into Winnie, a Wheaten Terrier-Shar Pei-mix therapy dog.
Bryan and Kay Hayes opened their hearts and Festus-area home to Winnie, a stray who was rescued by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Then, the Hayeses turned the shy, sick dog into a therapy dog to provide comfort to local residents.
Winnie is one of the dogs who take part in Comtrea’s Tails with Tales program, which was founded in 2016 and has local residents and their trained and certified therapy dogs visit with people at nursing homes, hospitals, schools and other facilities in an effort to brighten their lives.
“Winnie is so special, her and Kay both. It’s like they’ve never met a stranger,” said Laura Casey, program director for the Tails with Tales program. “They’re a really friendly, outgoing team, and we’re really proud of them.”
On Aug. 7, Winnie visited with residents at My Place in Festus, a residential care facility for adults with disabilities.
“It went over well,” said Kayla Behling, officer manager at My Place. “They come regularly. We love when they come. The residents love it.”
When the Hayeses first got Winnie, she was very skittish, said Kay, 63.
“She was scared to death. There was no catching her,” Kay said. “She had to go to training.”
After more than 22 weeks of therapy dog training, Winnie now visits the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center twice a month, as well as the Pony Bird Home in De Soto, the Park Hills Library children’s reading program and other facilities.
In May, Winnie visited Hillsboro High School and comforted students who were mourning the death of a fellow student.
“Winnie handled it like a champ,” Kay said. “She can be a crazy dog at home, but she is able to sit there and be petted by students.”
The Hayeses say it’s rewarding to see Winnie help others. “Seeing the enjoyment that others get out of meeting her is my favorite part,” Kay said. “Everybody likes to get to see her.”
After Labor Day, Winnie will return to the Park Hills Library, where children will get to pet her and read to her during story time. Winnie also visits the residents at Mercy Cancer Center and Mercy Rehab Center in Festus.
Before the Hayeses adopted Winnie, she caught the eye of Bryan, 58, the warehouse and transport fleet manager for ASPCA, while he was moving 54 animals from the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to shelters across the states.
While Bryan was on the road, one of the Hayeses’ dogs, Trey, had kidney failure and had to be euthanized. The Hayeses were not looking for another dog, but when Bryan spotted Winnie, he knew he wanted to adopt her.
“I saw (Winnie’s) face, and there was something about her I really liked,” Bryan said. “She never barked. She was cuddly and shy. I fell in love.”
After Kay heard the way Bryan talked about Winnie on the phone, she told him to bring her home to be a playmate for their dog, Petey, who has since died.
On the ride home, Winnie took a seat up front in Bryan’s vehicle and the two stopped along the way to visit the Hayeses’ daughter, Cami, and her husband in Warrensburg. One of the Hayeses’ grandsons came up with the name Winnie, naming her after the famous bear, Winnie the Pooh.
When Winnie and Bryan arrived home, she was spayed and treated for heartworms before starting obedience training.
After Winnie received her Canine Good Citizen with a perfect score, Kay saw a potential that Winnie could do more and signed her up for advanced obedience classes. That advanced training wasn’t always easy for Winnie, and she failed an obedience test.
But, Kay said she couldn’t give up on her. “She had so much to give and I had more to get out of her,” Kay said. “She was the smartest dog we have ever had.” After completing advanced obedience, they reached out to Comtrea’s Tails with Tales for therapy dog training.
“The program is so phenomenal,” Kay said. “We are so grateful and cannot say enough about it.”
To get Winnie accustomed to different environments, Kay took Winnie to more than 50 businesses, including several stores.
“I see dogs in bad situations a lot,” Bryan said. “Seeing (Winnie) when I took her off the plane to what Kay has done to make her a therapy dog, it’s amazing.”
Kay works in accounting and their son, Travis, also works for the ASPCA.