Frankie and Andy's Place

Causes: Animal Protection & Welfare, Animals

Mission: Frankie and Andy’s Place is a unique combination of senior dog shelter and emotional healing center for troubled humans. A beautiful log cabin, nestled in a picturesque Barrow County woodland setting, Frankie and Andy’s Place is home to a small number of gentle, loving senior dogs who have been cast aside by their humans and yet who still have many valuable gifts to share ..... These gifts of sympathy, time, reassurance and unconditional love are then shared with troubled humans in an atmosphere of calm and acceptance to help them mend. Frankie and Andy’s Place ....... a healing collaboration between man and his best friend.

Results: Long before the cabin had even been delivered, Connie Woofford contacted me to ask about our plans for Frankie and Andys Place as she had read about it on our Facebook page. She wanted to know if we would be interested in taking senior dogs to the Adult Day center in Winder, where adults of all ages but requiring supervision, could go to give their carers a respite for the day. I told her then that we would need to wait until we were up and running to check this out; last Thursday, due to her dogged persistence, she and I went to meet the folks there and introduce them to our mission and the tour de force that is...ERROL FLYNN! When we got there, it was after lunch, and we toured the facility, met the staff, and were able to meet some of the visitors. One older gentleman, who introduced himself as Chuck Norris, ( you can only imagine how long he and I traded pretend ninja kicks....it was too much fun, honestly) wanted to hold Errol Flynn because he reminded him of his childhood dog, Trixie. Of course, we heard him say this a few times, but both Connie and I were struck by the emotion it evoked in him....how simply touching this four pound ball of love seemed to happily transport him back to halcyon days. Another fan of Errol was a sweet lady who isn't allowed to have dogs at her care facility, but missed having the touch and love of one in her life. But for both Connie and I, the most unbelievable moment came when a young lady, who was quadriplegic and sitting in a wheel chair with her head tilted back, unable to speak or move her hands, was asked if she would like to meet Errol. She looked at him, their eyes met, we lifted her hand to gently stroke Errol, and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She started to laugh with such genuine glee, her whole face shone like a golden light, her mouth was so far open in a smile, the carers were floored! You see, she had not been feeling well when she arrived that day, and they had been concerned for her. We lifted Errol to her neck and allowed him to nuzzle her gently, and she purred with delight. She cannot make a coherent sound, but she laughed! She truly laughed! Folks, if these dogs do nothing useful ever again, what we saw on that day, with that young lady, made every single thing worth it. Errol Flynn, this little four pound dynamo, walked into a room, owned it and made everyone feel better. He spread the love like Gandhi, touching hearts everywhere he went, allowing himself to be passed from one person to the next, hugging and snuggling his way into their hearts. 15 people became balls of mush at his very presence. Because of confidentiality guidelines, we are not allowed to post pictures yet, or give names; we are hoping that will come soon. We will be visiting, at this our second adult day center location, there every week starting on Monday, and I cannot even begin to thank Connie for the work that she has done to get this going. (November 19 2016)

Target demographics: Rescue senior dogs

Geographic areas served: Winder GA and surrounding environs

Programs: We have long believed that dogs come into our lives, not just to provide friendship and comfort, but to teach us, to open our eyes to what is really important in life, and to help us cope with the stresses of everyday living. The beauty and serenity of this environment combined with the wisdom and empathy of some of our working dogs has brought comfort and relief to a number of humans dealing with anxiety, fear, self-harming issues and bipolar disorders. All under the watchful eye and guidance of an experienced mental health professional. This shelter provides a home like environment, furnished comfortably, with sleeping quarters for the dogs, but also a main living area where they can come together and mingle with their carers and work with whoever needs them.