The Joy Patrol: A Dog Inspires Joy on the Journey of Healing Grief & Trauma

Every day for 16 years, Craig Cooley walked with his dog Dino in the park around Lake Lily, nestled in the heart of Maitland, Florida. Lake Lily is a magical place.  People of all walks of life are drawn to the peace and beauty of this park, which hosts a local farmer’s market, with a garden club, historical society, and art center nearby.

Visitors walk their dogs around the lake, slowing down to appreciate the ducks quacking, turtles sunbathing, and the smell of Italian food wafting from nearby Antonio’s Market and Café. 

Lake Lily is a place where people go to experience moments of joy and that’s where Craig and his dog Dino come in. Rain or shine, these best friends traipsed through their neighborhood and down to the park, so that Dino, an Italian greyhound with an undeniable presence, could greet his loyal fan club.

You couldn’t help but notice Dino because he radiated joy, and with his elegant, high stepping gait and affectionate, outgoing nature, he drew a crowd of admirers wherever he went.

Craig, a former athlete who played college football at North Carolina State University, has his own compelling presence. With his towering 6-foot-3inch frame, Dino’s agility and athleticism, and their obvious zest for life, these two made quite an impression as they walked around Lake Lily.

That’s how Jeff Nancarvis first noticed this dynamic duo on his morning walk around the lake. He stopped to admire Dino, who greeted him warmly, and when he jumped up to offer Jeff his legendary high-five, the seeds of friendship were planted.

They’d greet each other in the park on their daily walks and then one rainy day, Jeff and Craig ran into each other in the gazebo that overlooked the lake. While they waited for the rain to stop and got to know each other better, they discovered a shared love of music, dogs, and the importance of cherishing the moments you have with those you love (either the two-legged or four-legged variety). Jeff also learned how Dino learned to high-five. Craig taught him to do this when they watched NC state play football on TV, and Dino jumped up to cheer for the Wolfpack with Craig.

The days passed, and Jeff began to care for his aging mother, so he frequently took Pauline for a walk around Lake Lily. They’d stop to sit on a bench so she could feed the ducks, and her eyes would sparkle when Dino bounded over to give her a high-five. These are the moments you treasure in life, when you see a smile on the face of someone you love, and your heart is filled with joy.

Dino had a gift for reminding people of the importance of this. He sensed when someone was in pain or discomfort and sidled up like the Mayor of Lake Lily, eager to greet everyone and make sure they received their daily dose of joy.

Sadly, both Pauline and Dino experienced some health challenges, so these friends saw each less frequently in the park. One day Craig noticed a lump on Dino’s rear leg when he jumped up on the bed, but since he’d weathered other health challenges and always bounced back, Craig and his wife Jeanne were optimistic they’d have this growth removed and Dino would be fine.

Only this time they received the devastating news that the growth on Dino’s leg was cancer. Their vet said it was the most difficult kind to treat, and while he did his best to remove it, he couldn’t get the clear margins he wanted. Dino went home with 15 staples, but when his wound didn’t heal, Craig and Jeanne brought him back to the vet, only to learn that the cancer returned and now it had spread.

Since he was still so full of life and energy, Craig and Jeanne made the painful decision to have Dino’s leg removed. Craig researched K9 carts and had Dino fitted for one, so he could use his three remaining legs to walk and have the support of a cart that rolled behind him, where his fourth leg used to be. Craig spent hours teaching Dino how to walk so the two never missed a beat and the joy patrol carried on.

Even though Dino couldn’t high-five anymore, he continued to radiate joy wherever he went. That’s something our animal friends do far more easily than we humans, once we experience a setback or loss. Experiencing joy requires us to stay connected to the light, regardless of the painful circumstances we face in life, and this was something Dino did naturally. He continued to inspire new and old friends, and his fandom only grew bigger. Craig and Jeanne were in awe of his ability to rise to the occasion and Dino’s presence was a daily reminder to savor the joy in life.

We like to imagine that we choose the animals that join our family, but maybe it’s the other way around. What if these creatures who teach us about the power of joy are the ones who choose us instead? Wouldn’t that mean we are remarkably fortunate when fate smiles on us in this way?

That’s how Craig and Jeanne like to think about Dino and the almost 17 years they shared together. Even though they were animal lovers and Jeanne worked at Canine Companions for years, they had no plans to invite a pet into their lives. But when Jeanne’s father experienced some health problems, his doctor suggested he get a dog to help with companionship and exercise, so that’s how Dino was first introduced to their family.

Back then he was called Luigi, and as a puppy, he lived with a single mother and her young son who were gone most of the time. Since Italian Greyhounds are social creatures and are born to run, they decided to rehome Luigi, so he didn’t sit alone and cooped up in a crate all day. Jeanne’s father loved Dino’s sweet nature, but he realized he wanted a beagle like he had in his youth, so Luigi went to stay with Craig and Jeanne for a few days.

The first thing he did was pee on the floor, so it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. But as soon as Dino jumped into his lap and Craig felt the the JOY this four legged being radiated, the two became fast friends. Craig wasn’t a fan of the name Luigi, but he was a big fan of the Italian actor and singer Dean Martin and since Luigi shared his good looks, charm, and charisma he decided to rename him Dino.

That’s how Dino became the center of Craig and Jeanne’s life and when he was diagnosed with cancer, they wanted to spend every second together they could. As fate would have it, this coincided with the global pandemic, so Craig and Jeanne were able to work from home and care for Dino for the next 10 months.

Up until his last days, Dino ate well, soaked in the sun while Jeanne lovingly bathed him, and maintained his birds eye seat by the window, looking over his beloved Lake Lily,  continuing to radiate joy. Craig managed his pain, but as the months passed, Dino began to slowly fade. On June 3, 2020, Craig held Dino in his arms when he took his final breath and he and Jeanne were heartbroken to say goodbye.

When you’re in the fog of grief, it’s hard to see the way forward, and some days all you can do is breathe and keep walking. That’s what Craig did, but now, he walked around Lake Lily all alone. What he didn’t know was that just a few blocks away, his friend Jeff was caring for his mother in the final days of her life. When Pauline left this world on July 20^, 2020, Jeff too was heartbroken and walked alone in his grief.

The two ran into each other walking around Lake Lily, and neither one had to say a word. They instantly sensed the heartbreak you feel when you’ve lost a loved one whose memory you cherish. If you’re deep in grief, not everyone understands the depth of your pain, so it helps to have a friend who can walk with you. That’s what Craig and Jeff did. They walked together in the park until eventually, new life emerged, calling them to open their hearts and invite joy back into their lives.

As Christmas approached, Dino’s toys became the ornaments that hung on Craig and Jeanne’s tree, and they felt ready to commemorate Dino’s life. They wanted to celebrate the joy he taught them to appreciate and thought about commissioning a sculpture of Dino that everyone at Lake Lily could enjoy. But neither Craig or Jeanne knew any sculptors and weren’t even sure how to find one.

Craig mentioned this to Jeff one day when they ran into each while walking around Lake Lily. Life was busy again for Craig who is an attorney, and he realized that in all their walks and talks, he’d never asked Jeff what he did for a living. He had chills when Jeff told him that he is a sculptor and they figured this probably wasn’t a coincidence.  Maybe Dino’s joy drew them together long before they’d walk with each other in their grief and discover that even in your deepest sadness, you are never truly alone.

Jeff made a Marquette of Dino, (which is a rough draft of a sculpture for a patron to see) and what happens next is another story to tell. This story is about Dino and the simple truth he taught us about the power of joy. Life is a series of moments, and we can reach for the light, love, and beauty in all of them, no matter how painful or uncertain our circumstances may be. Savoring these moments is how we experience joy and Dino would give you a high-five for that!

If you are grieving, I’d be honored to walk with you in your grief.  I offer holistic counseling for individuals, couples and groups so click here if you’d like to learn more about me, healing grief or trauma.  And if you’d like to continuing reading other posts click here for the rest of my Blog

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