Last summer Darrell James realized a dream that he’d had for many years, though the realization was bittersweet. Darrell, an ex-Navy man and a long-time supporter (over ten years!) of Best Friends, had always wanted to visit the Sanctuary with the love of his life, Hazel. However, the impact of Alzheimer’s has faded Hazel’s recognition and memory, preventing them from making the trip together.

So Darrell ultimately decided to make the trip with the second love of his life – his dog, Lady! Lady is an 11-year-old very beautiful, sweet, gentle & fluffy dog. Darrell and Lady headed for an extended road trip, traveling from Florida to San Diego to visit one of his daughters, then on to Lake Tahoe to spend time with a childhood friend. From Lake Tahoe they came to Kanab and took the tour of Best Friends. They both enjoyed the tour immensely and were very appreciative of everything that we do here. From Kanab they stopped in Texas to see an “old Navy buddy” and then headed back home to Florida and Hazel.

Although Lady was a great traveling companion, Darrell truly wanted to Hazel, his wife of sixty years, to accompany him. I’m sure that when Darrell got back from his trip he immediately visited Hazel in the nursing home to tell her all about his and Lady’s adventures, in particular about Best Friends – the beauty of the Sanctuary, the serenity of the canyon, and the wonderful life that the animals have here. I like to think that his wonderful descriptions of Best Friends were able to enter her mind and bring a smile to her lips.

Written by Marcia Frankel & Jennifer Johnson

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