Poppy the Puppy brings joy to Sunrise Terrace

WINFIELD — “She brings joy and smiles,” answered Sunrise Terrace Activity Director Rhonda Connop when asked what Poppy the mini-Berne doodle brings to their residents and staff.

Poppy is celebrating her one-year anniversary as a goodwill ambassador at Sunrise Terrace. She was only two months old when she left her mama and made her debut at Sunrise.

“She could fit in my purse,” Connop said.

Now, Poppy is a full grown, lap size ball of fur having reached her full size.

For her first three months with Sunrise Terrace Poppy was only a daytime visitor.

While she belongs to all residents and staff, Connop is her main caretaker.

So, Before Poppy became a full-time resident Connop took her home after work and brought her back in the morning.

During that time Poppy learned some social skills both under Connop’s care and at a dog training class.

She graduated from her basic obedience training classes under Barbra DeAngelis in August 2022.

At five months old, she was ready to become a full-time Sunrise Terrace resident and is there 24 hours a day.

She has a large kennel in the activity office where she spends the night, and in the morning one of the staff lets her into her outside pen where she does her bathroom duties before coming in for breakfast.

Following breakfast for the residents Poppy makes her way down the halls looking for her favorite residents, usually the ones with snacks for her, though she will visit anyone who offers her a friendly greeting.

Connop added that many times visitors will ask to take Poppy to the room they are visiting.

While everyone enjoys her company, she excels at entertaining children when they are present.

Poppy also sits in on some activities, sharing her toys and looking for love among those in attendance.

According to Connop, even the residents who don’t want a close encounter with Poppy enjoy watching her “zoomies,” which are when she bounces down the halls checking out rooms and residents with the energy only a happy puppy can exhibit.

Connop told of one resident who did not come out for activities but did enjoy spending time with Poppy in her room, adding that sometimes they even napped together.

A lot of thought and planning went into inviting Poppy to become a resident at Sunrise. Both residents and staff had to vote as to whether a puppy would be welcome or not.

Connop said the response was overwhelmingly in favor with only one “No” vote and a couple voters who didn’t care if they had a puppy or not.

Finding a puppy that was suitable for a care center was next on the agenda. Temperament and size were major considerations.

Fortunately, Jason and Christina Collier, who own and operate Doodle Blessings where they raise poodle mixes learned about the search for the perfect puppy (well, as perfect as puppies can be) and offered to donate Poppy to Sunrise.

It is apparent that Poppy is a perfect match for Sunrise both in size and temperament.

Even though Poppy was donated to Sunrise, she still comes with all the same expenses of any other pet like food, veterinary costs, and grooming.

Poppy’s expenses are not funded by the facility but rely on donations. If needed, Connop said they could sponsor a fundraising event, but so far that has not been needed.

“It’s just the joy and smiles she brings to our days because she’s everybody’s dog,” Connop repeated when asked the pros of having a puppy in residence.

She feels it would be good for other care centers to consider having a resident puppy but advises them to do research as to what it involves and what they need to investigate before committing to acquiring one.

When asked about the challenges of having a puppy presents Connop explained that with all the people taking care of Poppy sometimes it leads to inconsistencies as to who does what, and what has been done.

Good communication among staff eliminates any major problems and is obvious that Poppy receives good care.

Poppy is not the first pet to roam the halls of Sunrise passing out goodwill.

There have been five cats that have been pets throughout the year with mostly positive success.

This time a change was in order and the idea of having a dog came to fruition.

Connop added that cats are more independent whereas dogs are more people orientated.

Several years ago, one of their cats had made two trips to Germany with her human family before retiring to Sunrise Terrace. The furry feline came to Sunrise when a member of her human family became a resident at Sunrise.

There is no doubt about Poppy’s people skills, as she jumps into the lap of a willing resident, bringing a smile to their face.

It certainly looks as if Poppy has acquired a large fan club.