An array of things – smells, sounds, objects – can elicit our memories, take us back to a place that completely slipped our minds. For some, such as those at Stonebridge Alzheimer’s Unit, it grows harder and harder to sort out the past from the present.

Fortunately, they are not alone. They are surrounded by staff, family members and visitors who care about them. And once a month, a group of four-legged volunteers trot in and try to make a difference.

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“One guy told me when I walked in, he and his brother were holding their mom’s hand; he said when we walked in, it was the first time she had smiled all day,” says Janie Hughes, a neighborhood resident.

Hughes and her daughter, Maggie, are members of Paw to Care, an outreach program, through their church, Northwest Bible. The group takes dogs to Stonebridge and allows the patients to interact with them.

“They love to pet their ears,” Hughes says. “It triggers things, and sometimes they start talking about their pets.”

Bobbie McKinney, a member of the church, founded the group five years ago. For 20 years McKinney has worked in pet therapy programs. She trained her dogs to visit hospitals and nursing homes, then took this knowledge and developed the church program.

“Bobbie started this to be able to make other people smile,” Hughes says.

Every dog that participates goes through a form of Delta Society’s pet therapy training, which McKinney’s dogs underwent. But Hughes points out that other dogs participating in the program don’t have to be as well-trained as McKinney’s pooches.

The Hughes family owns four golden retrievers, but only three travel to the Alzheimer’s unit. Jeb, the oldest, is the steady visitor of the group.

“He is one of the very best,” Hughes says. “He loves to go. He’ll just put his head in their lap. It’s incredible.”

Hughes puppy, Mack, isn’t allowed to go yet. He’s still a little too immature and likes to lick too much. The rest of the canines are on a rotation, and the patients notice.

“There is one lady, Mrs. Walker, who I’ve become attached to,” Hughes says. “I talk to her quite a bit. She knows the dogs. She’ll say, ‘Oh, you didn’t bring Kelsey?’”

Remembering a face or name of a dog is an important accomplishment. The patients relax around the animals and forgotten moments venture to the forefront of their memory.

“They can reminisce about the past,” Hughes says. “I talked to one lady who had actually been over (in Europe) prior to World War II. She came over right before the Nazis hit. We talked about that, her history.”

This from a woman who lives in a home where the residents struggle to remember what they had for lunch. The patients no doubt benefit from these visits, but they’re not the only ones.

“I think I enjoy it more than they do,” Hughes says. “It’s truly a blessing for us.”