The Villages - November 2021 - 5

At 13 years old, Charley is
A former paramedic,
an experienced therapy dog,
doing charity work in various
capacities.
" He started out in California,
and he worked in a specialty care
children's school for disabled children, "
Olson said. " I worked with a
woman who had a standard poodle, and
so we would read stories to (the children) or
the teacher would read stories to them and we would
work out little plays, " she said.
The two dogs even gave visual lessons, as Charley
jumped over the larger poodle and then scampered beneath
him to show the meaning of " over " and " under. "
Although Charley is a bundle of energy, he also can
be calm and compassionate.
" It didn't matter if they grabbed at Charley, or whatever, "
Olson said. " Kids who were initially afraid of dogs
loved him because he's such a peanut - a little squirrel. "
Olson
suffered a near-fatal accident
nearly 44 years ago when a car
struck her ambulance as she
raced through traffic while out on
a call. She notes that Charley also
is a service dog for her.
" He's extremely valuable to me, because
I never used a service dog before,
and he's like this little bitty thing but he's my
crutch, " she said. " He will come when I'm in pain, just
lay down in the crook of my knees when I'm in the fetal
position. He is always watching out for me. "
In emergency situations, Charley is trained to retrieve
Olson's keys, cellphone and other necessities.
She says after countless surgeries and treatments to no
avail, Charley has been her godsend.
" He's been the most dedicated, you know attached to
my hip, my little guy, " she said. " You couldn't ask for a
better friend, so amazingly aware. It's incredible. "
MAGAZINE
5

The Villages - November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - November 2021

Contents
The Villages - November 2021 - Cover1
The Villages - November 2021 - Contents
The Villages - November 2021 - 1
The Villages - November 2021 - 2
The Villages - November 2021 - 3
The Villages - November 2021 - 4
The Villages - November 2021 - 5
The Villages - November 2021 - 6
The Villages - November 2021 - 7
The Villages - November 2021 - 8
The Villages - November 2021 - 9
The Villages - November 2021 - 10
The Villages - November 2021 - 11
The Villages - November 2021 - 12
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The Villages - November 2021 - 16
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The Villages - November 2021 - 18
The Villages - November 2021 - 19
The Villages - November 2021 - 20
The Villages - November 2021 - 21
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The Villages - November 2021 - 28
The Villages - November 2021 - 29
The Villages - November 2021 - 30
The Villages - November 2021 - 31
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The Villages - November 2021 - 33
The Villages - November 2021 - 34
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The Villages - November 2021 - 36
The Villages - November 2021 - 37
The Villages - November 2021 - 38
The Villages - November 2021 - 39
The Villages - November 2021 - 40
The Villages - November 2021 - 41
The Villages - November 2021 - 42
The Villages - November 2021 - 43
The Villages - November 2021 - 44
The Villages - November 2021 - 45
The Villages - November 2021 - 46
The Villages - November 2021 - 47
The Villages - November 2021 - 48
The Villages - November 2021 - 49
The Villages - November 2021 - 50
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The Villages - November 2021 - 53
The Villages - November 2021 - 54
The Villages - November 2021 - 55
The Villages - November 2021 - 56
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The Villages - November 2021 - 58
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The Villages - November 2021 - 63
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The Villages - November 2021 - Cover3
The Villages - November 2021 - Cover4
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