“Thank You, Taylor”: Chewy Claus Gives a Therapy Dog an Epic Retirement Sendoff

On the day of Taylor’s retirement party, her friends from Soul Harbour Ranch came out in force to give her the sendoff she deserved. 

Chewy Claus decorated the barn at Soul Harbour with streamers, garlands, and hand-painted banners that read “Happy Retirement, Taylor!” Festive foods, including cakes for both humans and animals, were laid out for all to enjoy.  

One by one, Taylor’s therapy animal colleagues arrived. Buddy and Cuddles, fellow therapy dogs who are following in Taylor’s footsteps, excitedly wagged their tails. Mini horse Buttercup and donkey Bugsy made the rounds with their handlers. Even Peaches and Pickles, the pigs in the sty at the far end of the barn, oinked their approval. 

But the best part of the day was Taylor’s grand entrance. Looking proud and excited, she strutted through the barn doors alongside Laura and Ken as the whole room cheered. The dog who’s shared her love with so many others was finally on the receiving end. 

“When an animal has brought so much joy, and shared her soul with so many, it’s about time that we get to share our joy and soul with her,” said Jodi Diegel, Soul Harbour Ranch president and founder. 

Wagging her tail and making the rounds to visit all of her guests, Taylor seemed both excited and right at home all at once.  

“Taylor likes her people,” Laura said with a smile. “I’m not sure she understands the significance of the moment right now—but I’ll remind her.” 

Taylor didn’t start her life as a therapy dog.  When she was 6 years old, her family at the time was looking to rehome her. That’s when Laura Mandell and her husband Ken entered the story. 

“We went to meet her, and she was so sweet and loving,” Laura recalls. “I could tell right then and there that she would be a great therapy dog. I thought, ‘We have to share her with others.’” 

From the start, Taylor was an old soul: calm, patient, and endlessly affectionate. “She has such a sweet demeanor,” Laura says. “When she looks up at you with those big brown eyes, you really feel like she’s giving you her unconditional love.” 

After training to become a therapy dog team, Taylor and Laura began visiting a local hospice center, where Taylor’s gift for connection became undeniable.  

“We visited mostly with families of the patients,” Laura remembers. “Sometimes people wanted to talk about memories of their dogs; sometimes there was very little conversation. 

“One girl just sat with Taylor, petting her, tears streaming down her face. She never said a word to me, but clearly there was a sense of calm and unconditional love that Taylor was bringing to her.”  

Through it all, Taylor simply stayed and supported, often resting her head on a knee or a bedside to offer comfort.  

“That’s when I realized how powerful simply being present can be,” Laura recalls. “I learned how to be with people and take my cue from them.” 

Taylor was a natural, so Laura began looking for other opportunities for her to share her skills. This search led her to Soul Harbour Ranch, a nonprofit therapy-animal organization in nearby Barrington, Illinois, she and Taylor joined their ranks.  

There, they became part of a joyful team that includes miniature horses, pigs, and other dogs, all united by one mission: to share love, peace, and a little wonder wherever they went. 

Throughout her career as a therapy dog, Taylor touched hundreds of lives. She sat with children learning to read, giving them the confidence to sound out each word. She comforted teachers and classmates after the loss of a student, quietly nestling beside them when words fell short. And she supported hospital staff in their hardest hours. 

“One time we visited a hospital after a mass-casualty event,” Laura remembers. The patients had been cared for, but the emergency staff were still processing their trauma. Incredibly, Taylor helped them power through.  

“One nurse came out, knelt beside Taylor, gave her a hug, and said, ‘Serotonin restored,’” Laura recalls. 

Laura estimates Taylor has logged hundreds of hours and visited well over a thousand people over the years. “Sometimes it’s 20 kids reading to her in a day,” she says. “Sometimes it’s a hundred people at an event.” 

One visit stands out vividly: A family in hospice care, where a young girl pressed a small paper heart into Laura’s hand after visiting with Taylor.  

“I still carry that heart in my pocket,” Laura says. It reminds her of what Taylor gives people—comfort when they need it most. 

Now, at 14, Taylor’s gray fur is frosted with white, and her steps have grown slower.  

“I started to notice she wasn’t hearing me quite as well,” Laura says. “She wasn’t as comfortable in unfamiliar places.”  

So Laura and Taylor have slowly begun to pull back, opting to visit familiar environments like the reading program at a local school—one of Taylor’s favorite places, where she already knows and loves walking the hallways and greeting the students. 

Retiring Taylor is bittersweet, Laura says, but she knows it’s time. 

“It’s like an athlete; you want them to retire when they’re still comfortable and happy,” she says. “Taylor still has her fans who visit her here [at home]. I have a friend named Gloria who’s 97 who comes over to visit. She still has opportunities to share her unconditional love.” 

In the meantime, Laura hopes Taylor’s legacy continues—not just in the impact she’s made on her community, but in the way her story can motivate other pets and their parents to share their own healing gifts. 

“I would love this wish to inspire other people to seek out animal therapy dog teams, either to become a team or call on them when needed,” she says. “If the police or the schools or the libraries have a special need—whether it’s a happy occasion or a sad one—calling on animal teams to share joy is a wonderful opportunity. 

“Because of Chewy Claus granting this wish and sharing what we can do, hopefully many other people can take advantage of that.”