Easter Beagle Pays It Forward

The residents at the Shiawassee Medical Care Facility got a surprise visit from two furry friends this Easter morning. As The Easter Bunny, (AKA Melissa Rosenberger) and the Easter Beagle, (AKA Snickers—a rescued, retired, Award Winning Therapy Dog) hopped through the facility, faces lit up, smiles brightened, and laughter erupted throughout each corridor.

A dog with bunny ears is quite a sight. Although waddling like a duck, more than walking like a dog, or hopping like a bunny, Snickers, now 13, is still glad to make the rounds. Covered in painful lumps and a stiff arthritic tailbone, you’d never know he is suffering though. With a wagging tail he approaches each and every person with kisses and affection.

Snickers, in his bunny get up, has been bringing therapy to children and adults for nearly a decade!

“For years we did an Easter fundraiser to raise money for needy and abused families,” Lisa Freeman says, who is also the dog’s owner. “Thanks to everyone’s amazing support, we were able to give hundreds of filled Easter Baskets and gift certificates to hurting families. Even more, we were able to show them that someone loves and cares for them. I had no idea when I rescued Snickers, that he would be rescuing so many others.”

Over the years, Snickers has helped raised over $20,000 for the local community. “A portion of that money, nearly $6,000 was raised for the Shiawassee County Humane Society,” Freeman says. “Snickers was elected Mayor for getting the most votes and raising the most funds.” Freeman and Snickers founded the first 5K9 Walk in 2009 for the Shiawassee Humane Society, as part his Mayoral campaign. The walk, now called the 5K9 Day, is still being held annually.

But this dog’s paws have made tracks to stop bullying too. Snicker’s is the mascot for the Abuse Bites Program that has held fun, educational, interactive anti-bullying workshops all over Michigan. “Snickers always steals the show with his Harley Davidson hat and his Bully Buster Leather Jacket,” Freeman says, “and of course his amazing trick presentation.”

Snickers learned all the tricks for the program in just ten days. And he also passed the pet therapy test and became certified through Therapy Dogs International with just ten days of training. In a matter of months he began winning awards too, such as TDIA (for 50 therapy visits) and TDIAO (for more than 150 therapy visits). “From there, Snickers started helping me train other dogs and handlers for pet therapy,” Freeman says. “Snickers has definitely been paying it forward his entire life. He’s an example for all of us, at Easter, and all year through.”

*For more information about Dog & Pup Obedience, Canine Good Citizen Testing, and Pet Therapy Classes and Certification, contact Lisa Freeman @ abusebites@gmail.com.