Darla Gardner is the Director of Therapy at Trinity Mission. She has been at Trinity Mission for about eight months, but she did not come alone. She brought Lisa Marie, the cutest little chihauhua you ever saw. She sports designer fashions and is a dog with a mission.

Gardner purchased Lisa Marie strictly as a therapy dog, “I was working for the Ennis School district as a speech therapist before I came to work for Trinity Mission. Lisa Marie was the therapy dog there for kids with autism and mental retardation. After she was there for a little while they concluded that she helped increase the student’s verbal skills.”

The residents just love having Lisa Marie around, “More of the residents know Lisa Marie’s name than mine and I have been here since June. She goes up and down the hall, she visits them in their room and they call her from the hallway to come in and see them in their bed. Some of the residents save her pieces of bacon from their breakfast,” explained Gardner.

George Lowe (resident) gives Lisa Marie a dog biscuit everyday at noon. Gardner said, “Mr. Lowe went out to the hospital one night and before he would leave he brought the dog biscuits to the nurses station to make sure Lisa Marie would get her biscuit the next day when he wasn’t here. They are big buddies.” She went on to say, “Lisa Marie is here Monday through Friday and she is just lifting everyone’s spirits, she brightens everybody’s day.”

Life worth living at Trinity Mission!