If a Labrador Can Do It…

Holly Schultz and her dog, Sugar, are On Fire For Good

As an empty nester, Holly Schultz revisited a calling she had first heard as a busy mom to young kids. Although she didn’t have time as a young mom, years later with her children grown, she finally had the opportunity to volunteer at a local service dog nonprofit.

Dabbling first in fostering service puppies for the organization, Holly found the separation anxiety when the dogs went to their forever homes too much to bear. But caring for the mother dogs who delivered those puppies? That became Holly’s sweet spot and eventually led to one specific mother dog who is helping to change lives in ways that Holly could never have imagined.

Sugar, an adorable yellow lab, came into Holly’s life in 2015 and has been a permanent fixture ever since. Sugar’s puppies have become certified seeing-eye dogs, have started puppy-raising ministries inside of prisons and have even gone overseas to start the very first service-dog programs in Japan. And while her progeny lives out their best lives around the world, Sugar and Holly are quietly spreading joy in their hometown of Fridley, Minnesota.

After her puppies were dispatched to their respective missions, Sugar received training as a therapy dog. And she now walks into some of life’s hardest moments—at hospitals, in memory care centers, within courtrooms, and in special needs classrooms. Regardless the location or situation, she does so with unconditional love and non-judgmental interest, seeking only to connect with the person in front of her.

Unable to hold a grudge and unwilling to cower in situations that make most of us uncomfortable, Sugar is free to connect with others in the truest form. This authentic connection positively changes lives.

One such interaction brought her into a memory care unit and into the life of patient who was non-verbal and hadn’t spoken in years. Sugar sweetly approached the woman, nestled up against her and provided a little love. The seated woman perked up, petted the dog’s face and responded aloud that she had a dog like that growing up. The caregivers, having not heard her voice in years, were astonished.

Similarly, after months of visiting the same special needs classroom, Sugar broke the ice with a student with Autism, eliciting a spoken response from the non-verbal child. His teachers visibly moved, his parents in awe, the video clip of that morning has become a cherished possession.

Holly and Sugar have countless stories like these resulting from their visits to police stations, hospitals, schools and prisons. Able to sense individuals who may feel isolated or hurt, sweet Sugar meets them where they are and loves them as they need. These moments of comfort may not change a person’s life permanently, but they give them the spark to continue boldly the journey.

My friends, in these divided, anxious days, let’s follow Holly and Sugar’s lead. Let’s meet people where they are. Let’s change lives and spread joy in every room we stroll into. Let’s strive to light the world on fire with a heart to help, the hope to make a difference and the willingness to put in the time.

If a labrador can do it, so can we.

Today is your day. Live Inspired.