Teacup Poodle Rides Nursing Home Elevator With Touching Mission

Nov 15, 2020

For almost as long as mankind has been civilized, dogs have been known as “man’s best friend.” This is also true for Nala, a teacup poodle who has acquired many best friends over her time of reporting for duty at Lyngblomsten Care Center nursing home with her owner, Doug Dawson in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dogs seem to have a sixth sense about certain things—when someone is sad, when someone is happy, when someone is stressed, when someone is in danger, even when someone is sick. Nala is no different, and even possibly more so. Nala does not have formal training as a therapy dog, but her loved ones would never be able to tell.

Nala captured the hearts of many around the world with her empathy and compassion, seemingly coming naturally as she is not formally trained, toward the residents of the Lyngblomsten Care Center, a nursing home in St. Paul, Minnesota. Five years ago, a then 5-year-old Nala went viral for her shifts at the nursing home, capturing hearts with her sixth sense that led her right to those that seemed to need her the most. Five years later, in 2020, when the KARE 11 News station caught up with her and her owner Doug Dawson, as reported by USA Today, the ten-year-old pup was still making her rounds and giving much-needed love to the residents.

Due to her amazing ability to seek out the sick or dying residents, Nala has been referred to as an “angel.” Upon arriving to work with Doug, Nala wanders off to meet the residents and begin her mission of spreading love and joy. She has positively affected the lives of all the residents, with most of them gleefully looking forward to her and Doug’s arrival each day. She would travel to each resident’s room and sit on their lap, give and get cuddles, provide comfort, and just spread her joy and love any way she could. According to Doug, she is able to immediately pick out a resident who may suffer from Alzheimer’s. Her angelic presence has equipped her with the ability to pick out the sick.

While Nala’s trips to the nursing home were originally only every now and then, it wasn’t long before she began her regular shifts with Doug at the nursing home. Her daily schedule was for Doug to put her on the elevator—helping her with the buttons, of course—and the rest would be up to Nala. She would go and visit her friends all throughout the nursing home with other workers or residents helping her along the way to operate the elevator. She was a very independent intern, preferring to ride the elevator alone because she knew where she was going and wanted to independently choose her next patient.

According to Doug, if she were able to push the buttons herself, she wouldn’t need him or the other workers at all during her shifts. She and Doug were more like coworkers during the day than doggy and owner. She independently visited the residents all day until the end of her and Doug’s day in the evening. A 90-year-old resident named Ruth New is who dubbed Nala “an angel” due to the special relationships she was able to form with each resident.

The nursing home residents believed that Nala was able to sense when a resident was nearing death because of the extra attention and love she would give to these residents. This rounded out her angelic image, causing the residents to believe she really was a heaven-sent being. When KARE 11 caught up with Doug earlier this year, the world was comforted in knowing that sweet Nala was still a mini coworker, reporting to the center each day with Doug and exuding the energy the residents loved so much, continuously spreading her love and joy. Doug, unfortunately, had to scale back on her visits due to current conditions, causing the residents to miss her greatly.

After Nala’s viral internet run, Doug was overwhelmed with doggy toys and letters from admirers and dog lovers around the world—so much so that he had not had to buy a dog toy since 2015—back when the story first aired! Unfortunately, Doug passed away in July of 2020. Though Nala was no longer able to go to work with him, she was still providing love and comfort. This time, it is to Doug’s widow, Javon Allen. The grieving woman stated that Nala has been her rock through the whole tragedy.

Nala is an angel among us, sent to spread love and comfort to those in need. She did this and more during her time at the Lyngblomsten Care Center and left a lasting impact on its residents and staff. Nala is one of many animals in the world born with a beautiful soul, meant to bring happiness to the world.

Have you ever had an experience with an animal that led you to believe they were an angel among us? What about your friends or family? Let us know!