Theme: "Howlin' Howloween"
Name: Noble Comtessa vom Hellenstein aka Tessa
Owner: Sabine Arndt, Photographer: Siegi Belz
"Dog mom, Sabine, writes: Don't let Tessa's picture fool you ! When she is not out howling with the werewolves, she is the sweetest dog you'll ever meet. Her daytime job is mostly at the nursing home, where she sees alzheimer's and dementia patients, or just visiting with the elderly in the assisted living facility. Recently she's also been visiting patients at Virginia Hospital Center's oncology ward and the emergency room. Everyone there just loved her ! Last year she put in over 125 hours of volunteer time at local nursing home facilities and she is a dog you can trust 100 % when it comes to friendly personality.
"Noble Comtessa vom Hellenstein" a.k.a. "Tessa" is from the 2005 Skye/Elvis litter and when it came to pick out our puppy, she was the one who picked us and we never looked back. I hope she doesn't regret her choice, because we certainly do not regret ours. She loves to go for long walks in the woods with her dachshund buddies Bica and Rodney, and she loves to swim. Her usually perfectly centered "shiloh halo" slips a bit off to the side when it comes to harrassing deer. Her idea of the perfect deer herd is having them all graze peacefully on one little organized pile while she is watching over them. Her herding instinct is tremendous and I wish I had more time to dedicate ourselves to that discipline. In the meantime, herding deer and her dachshund roomates will have to do.
Animal assisted therapy is definitely her calling and besides having successfully passed the CGC and TDI evaluation, she is also "neutral dog" for Fairfax Pets on Wheels, which means that she tests other dog for dog-on-dog aggression. Her communication skills are great and most dogs just love her. Our next goal: The Delta Society's Pet Partner test.
It is an honor to be voted ISSDC's scariest Halloween therapy dog ! The folks at the nursing home are going to love this one. :) Special thanks to Elvis' mom Siegi Belz for providing the winning picture of Tessa. Since Tessa absolutely hates wearing costumes, I had to improvise a little via Photoshop."