Therapy dog brings joy to Vancouver homeless shelter on Christmas Eve

Perhaps it was only a moment that the residents of Share Homestead forgot the troubles that landed them in the homeless shelter — a wrenching story of domestic violence, a previous eviction that continues to make renting difficult — but it was a welcome moment.

Limon, a 3-year-old Labrador retriever, showed up at the family shelter on Christmas Eve to deliver a sense of normalcy, a break from life’s troubles. Adults and children alike hit the ground to snuggle and pet Limon, whose career as a guide dog for the blind was derailed when cataracts were discovered in the dog’s eyes.

Four-year-old Paige Quinn and the pup didn’t waste time getting to know one another. With one long lick, straight up the face from Limon, the two were friends.

“She gave me a kiss on my nose,” Paige said. “She likes me.”

Animal lover Lexi Marshall and her family had to leave their dog, Shadow, behind when they ended up in the shelter.

“She used to make us so happy,” the 11-year-old said.

Shadow seemed to know if Lexi or her sister, Mylee, 7, were hurt.

“I scraped my knee, and she started licking it,” Mylee said.

Brandy Marshall, the mother of the two girls, said living in the shelter has been hard. Everyone in the family “has processed it differently,” but the dog “brings some joy and puts a smile on our faces.”

DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital and Guide Dogs for the Blind work together through the Portland Area Canine Therapy Teams program to take the therapy dogs into the community.

Cindy Bean, who speaks on behalf of Limon, said she believes the dog knows whether she’s in a room full of children or with the elderly. With children, she’s a “bit more excited.”

“She just makes people feel good,” Bean said, “and I think she knows it.”