What helps make a house a home? For many it is the love of a canine companion. At Crossnore this rings true for so many of our kids and staff. Crossnore’s rescue of local Furry Friends is healing, not just for the dogs, but for the kids too.
When children come into our care they are often nervous, unsure, and afraid, especially when they arrive at the cottage late at night. So it helps when the first thing that greets them has a wagging tail and is eager for snuggles. The dog accepts the child for who they are, no questions asked – here to provide support from day one and welcome kids to their for-now home.
Each cottage at Crossnore has a dog for the kids to love on, cuddle, and help take care of.
Bella
Bella is a three-year-old lab mix. She loves playing with dog best friend Meatball, bones, and listening to Pastor Jim’s weekly Chapel sermon. She is a mother, a friend, and a support system.
Marcy
Marcy is a golden lab. She loves going on walks around campus with the little kids in her cottage and cuddling with everyone. Her Residential Supervisor, Ms. Kathy, loves to stop in, give her treats, and show the kids her cool tricks. She has been an amazing companion and has a place in many people’s hearts.
Hank
Hank is a brown and black beagle around the age of seven. He followed his Cottage Parents from Atwell over to Grace and now lives there. Hankloves to sleep in the safety of his cage, take walks around his side of campus, and getting pets from the kids. He loves his family and all the chaos being part of it brings.
Rosie
Rosie is a one-year-old Labrador retriever mix and the daughter of Yandle Cottage’s dog Bella. Sheattended a Family Dog Manners class and learned a lot – though she spent much of the time lying around. Rosie loves bones, pets, and “Houdini-ing” out of her collar.
Bonnie
Bonnie is new to the team but loves going for walks, sniffing all the things, and playing with her humans in the cottage. She is a small golden retriever mix.
Cookie
It is very hard to get a still picture of Cookie, as she loves to be free and preferably cloaked in nature. Cookie is a husky-terrier mix with a heart of gold. She is a great listener and friend, but her favorite thing is returning home muddy, stinky, and very happy.
Oreo
Oreo is a blur of fur with an excited personality and love of exercise. She is a year and a half old Dalmatian. Oreo enjoys playing with the other dogs on campus, and her vet says she is very well exercised. She won’t sleep without her blanket and will remind the house if she doesn’t have it.
Sweet
Sweet is such a good girl! She likes to lay around a lot but also enjoys playing with her blankets and toys as well as going to the farm. Although she enjoys it, she has gained respect for our llama, Tootie Fruiti, since Tootie spit on her! She is really smart and has learned many tricks. Her newest is to “bow.” She loves to ride in cars, especially if she can sit in the front and look out.
If she doesn’t gets pets when she wants them she will paw you until she does or nose her way under your arm or hand. She loves to lay with the cottage kids in the living room or on the couch.
Sugar, Benny, Rudy, & Dakota
Other cottage dogs include a small chihuahua named Sugar who has been with Crossnore for many years. She loves following her kids down to tennis lessons. Benny who, like Sugar has been with Crossnore for a while, has helped both kids and staff. Rudy is a bit shy at first, but, once he gets to know you, is a big cuddle bug. Dakota loves the teen boys he cares for so much, he would sit outside the Dining Hall during virtual learning last year just waiting for them to come outside and give him pets.
Henry
Crossore’s Winston Campus also has an office dog named Henry. Henry was a rescue Labradoodle who came to us in January of 2020 after our sweet Lucy passed away at the end of 2019. Henry loves treats and visiting all the admin offices. He loves pets from the residential children on campus and meeting campus visitors. His favorite thing is a W-A-L-K. (Don’t say the word or he’ll be jumping up and down in front of you ready to go O-U-T-S-I-D-E.)
We love all of our dogs on our campuses. They bring so much joy to our hearts and peace to our souls. There are MANY elements and roads to healing, and we truly believe unconditional love from man’s best friend is one of the greatest.
