Sick dog excites children at Beach library
For three years now, part-time Beach residents Jim and Candy Grueff have entertained children with their dog Duffy during a story-time program at the Fort Myers Beach Library. The program, which is for preschool children and is each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., is run by Marsha Gardner, a neighbor of the Grueffs on Estero Island.
Two weeks ago, Duffy was back at the library as Gardner’s live visual aid.
An invitation to bring Duffy into the library for the program began three years ago when Gardner saw Jim Grueff walking his Duffy, a West Highland terrier, down the street. Ironically, Gardner had been doing her readings about the same breed of dog.
“Marsha lives at the end of the street where we are, and she saw me walking Duffy one day,” said Jim Grueff. “She said that she’d been reading these books and asked if I could bring him over. That’s how we got started.”
Grueff said Gardner’s readings include small children looking at pictures of a distinctive-looking dog. While the children are viewing the pictures, The Grueffs walk into the room with Duffy.
“We walk in with a live dog which essentially looks like the dog they are looking at in the book,” said Grueff. “On this particular day she was reading two stories about West Highland Terriers.”
Gardener, who reads from a series of books about a dog called McDuff,
loves having Duffy around during her readings.
“Duffy looks exactly like McDuff,” she said. “The kids think he walked right out of the story book. A big gasp goes up from the parents and the kids.”
Unfortunately, Duffy, age 8 in dog years, has been diagnosed with cancer.
The Grueffs, who make their full-time home in Rockville, Md., outside Washington D.C., recently took him over to the east coast of Florida for treatment.
“Duffy has bladder cancer, and he’s being treated,” said Jim Grueff. “We were over in Fort Lauderdale a few days ago where he received chemotherapy treatment. He’s doing wonderfully well for now.”
Grueff said if the chemo treatments are effective, Duffy is expected to have another year or more of “normal living” but a shorter time if the treatments do not go well.
“He’s just very excited to see the kids,” said Grueff. “He gets along with everybody, but he especially likes children who are generally excited to see him. I bring in these little treats and give them to the kids who put them down in front of Duffy. The children tell Duffy to stay, and then say OK and he eats the treats. They get a big kick out of that.”
Dr. Leroy Hommerding believes Duffy is a special local pet.
“Having Duffy and his owners was wonderful as children and dogs are a natural,” said the Beach Library director. “In the context of the stories shared, it also gave an opportunity to model for the children responsibility, patience, empathy and compassion, though as in real life with parents who bring a pet into the home for their children, the owners and Marsha took full responsibility for the pet.”
Gardener hopes Duffy is back next year for another reading program.
“I really wanted to show our appreciation,” said Gardner. “This is the third year in a row that Duffy has come to visit us. We will dearly miss him if he doesn’t return.”