By PATRICIA BELT
Grand Junction, Tennessee

In our regular visits to the VA Hospital in Memphis, Lottie and I help the men in wheelchairs. The physical therapist puts weights on the men’s arms and they throw a ball to Lottie who retrieves it and puts it gently back in their lap. The Vets forget their pain and have fun. They don’t realize they are strengthening their upper bodies for wheelchair mobility.  The time passes quickly for them and when the session is over they can’t wait for us to come again.   We feel the same way; we know that we are a valuable part of the rehabilitation process, a member of the physical therapy team helping some very special people. 

Lottie Dot and I were recently invited by the Veterans Administration to a Welcome Home Event for the soldiers returning from Iraq.
At the Memphis VA Hospital, Lottie and I have been visiting vets for two years but they aren’t in uniform.  At this event, to see this many young men (300-400) that have been through so much, so freshly back from Iraq in their camo uniforms made me realize why we were there. I had a sudden realization of what my goal was and who I was dealing with.  With the discipline and organization of the military, it was not hectic or chaotic but quiet and controlled.
So many stories and special moments shared with them.  Lottie was great and stood in line with them as they were getting processed out or waiting to get their vision and hearing tested.  She met everyone one by one as the day progressed.  Some of them would come up to her and greet her and walk on, come back for a pet and walk on, turn around come back for more pets and walk on, then finally come back sit and stay for a while. 
Lottie walked around the armory picking out certain vets to approach who ended up being the ones that would bend down and hold on to her as if she was their long lost friend. I don’t know if it’s their body language or an inner sense Lottie has but just like at the grief camps she knows who need her the most. 
Sometimes she would just sit with a vet who was having trouble communicating and quietly accept petting.  She would be so still and motionless looking at them straight in the eyes like she was giving them her strength and understanding.
 My revelation.....it’s the eye contact that bonds the dog and the client......the soldiers that had difficulty making eye contact with people were the ones that I led Lottie to. They responded better to the dog than people ... ... Lottie enjoyed every minute and greeted them all.  Some greetings were just a ‘hi’ and some were much more involved. 
No matter what rank the soldiers were, the mutual need to touch Lottie and pet her was there. The Officers with all sorts of ribbons and badges on their uniforms sat next to soldiers who looked 18-19 yrs old sharing that special human/animal bond.
Several soldiers would look over their shoulder back and forth over and over obsessively like they were afraid.  These were some of Lottie’s very, very special friends.  They had no trouble petting her and appeared to relax probably for the first time in a very long time. 
Soldiers shared stories of their pets and how hard it was to leave them behind. They smiled proudly as they told how smart and pretty their dogs are.  One man told me about how he bought his two little girls a puppy before he left for Iraq so they would have something from him in case he didn’t come back.
The questions they would ask about Lottie were different than what I’m used to.  “How fast can she run?”, “Has she ever attacked anyone?”, “Is she scared of gunfire?” They would check her teeth out and comment on how clean they were.  These are all firsts for me.     
When we were getting ready to leave, the soldiers lined up in formation and Lottie wanted to walk over to be in line with them.  I sure wish I could teach her how to salute!!  We have more of these to go to and it would be so awesome!
This was truly an unforgettable experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. 
I thank God for allowing me to be owned by this very special, very spotted dog that gives a true, genuine, unprejudiced kind of love.