November 09, 2024
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After 6 years of faithful service, Ryker the therapy dog is retiring

Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville expecting a new therapy dog this summer

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
After six years of faithful service, Ryker the therapy dog is retiring from his role at Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville. A new therapy dog, currently in training, will come to this memory care and assisted living facility in the summer of 2022.

After six years of faithful service, Ryker the therapy dog is retiring from his role at Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville. A new therapy dog, currently in training, will come to this memory care and assisted living facility in the summer of 2022. (Photo provided)

Changes are coming in March for Ryker, the therapy dog at Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville.

Not only is Ryker, a golden retriever, retiring after six years of faithful service, he will soon have a new home.

Nia Dickerson, program director at the memory care and assisted living facility, said he will most likely be adopted by staff member of one of the Senior Star families. She feels he will transition easily to just being a dog, even though he’s always lived at Senior Star.

“He likes being around people and he gets along with other dogs,” Dickerson said. “He’s very playful and he’s very calm and even-tempered.”

Dickerson said even she’s close to Ryker.

“He’s my favorite co-worker,” Dickerson said. “He’s attached to me and I’m attached to him.”

After six years of faithful service, Ryker the therapy dog is retiring from his role at Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville. A new therapy dog, currently in training, will come to this memory care and assisted living facility in the summer of 2022.

After six years of faithful service, Ryker the therapy dog is retiring from his role at Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville. A new therapy dog, currently in training, will come to this memory care and assisted living facility in the summer of 2022. (Photo provided)

Ryker’s man job is to comfort people in memory care and assisted living, especially when they are anxious, Dickerson said.

“He is just like a companion, someone they can look for,” Dickerson said. “If someone is agitated, he can calm them.”

According to a 2019 study “Considerations for the Retirement of Therapy Animals,” health and behavior changes in animals provide clues as to the best time to retire the animals.

Dickerson said Ryker is forgetting some of his training and “starting to act like a real dog.” For instance, Ryker used to understand not to accept treats. Now he happily accepts them all.

“And he know which residents to go up to and nudge them with his nose,” Dickerson said. “Usually it’s dog treats or leftovers from lunch.”

That, coupled with reduced exercise during the pandemic, contributed to Ryker’s weight gain, Dickerson said

“When we had coronavirus in memory care, he just stayed in assisted living,” Dickerson said. “But memory care is where he gets most of his exercise.”

A new therapy dog – Kona, a goldendoodle – will join Senior Star this summer, Dickerson said. Kona is in training, Dickerson said.

Still, Dickerson said she’s sad to see Ryker leave.

“But he’s definitely ready to retire,” Dickerson said. “He’s tired. He used to be able to sit and let people pet him, and now he lies down.”

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