Keesha
Golden Retriever
Inducted October 2001
Owners Brooke and Rob Annis
Nominated by Dr. Jan Treybig
Sometimes we don’t need to say a word in order to communicate with each other. One look can convey how you feel, and a simple touch can show you understand. Or, in the case of Keesha, a wag of the tail and huge grin can warm your heart more than any conversation ever would.
Keesha, a 5-year-old Golden Retriever, was inducted into the Texas Animal Hall of Fame to honor her work as a therapy dog. Keesha entered her owner Brooke Annis’s life in 1996, shortly after Brooke’s husband, Rob, was diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological disorder. At age 2, Keesha earned certification as a therapy dog, and, as a result, she was allowed to remain with Brooke in Rob’s hospital room. She greeted Rob by jumping on his bed and licking his face until she elicited his laughing protestations. She slept on his bed with her head on his stomach. The staff at the hospital noticed the way she cheered up Rob and soon requested that she visit and entertain other patients. After Rob died in March 2000, Keesha’s loving spirit gave Brooke the emotional support and comfort she needed at that difficult time. Keesha also contributed to Brooke's physical well-being, as the two of them stayed active by competing successfully in dog obedience events. Keesha obtained one of the highest titles available, Utility Dog Excellent (UDX), and captured many blue ribbons along the way.
Keesha shares her love with family and strangers alike. In her official therapy dog visits, Keesha’s compassion has taken many forms. In an early childhood program for the mentally challenged, Keesha helped the children learn right from left, up from down and in from out. As Keesha responded to their commands, the children would happily copy her movements, learning in the process. In a classroom for emotionally challenged students, Keesha taught forgiveness by approaching a boy while grinning and wagging her tail after the boy had hurled a ball directly into Keesha’s face, striking her between the eyes. At a nursing home, Keesha was able to reach an elderly woman who had not responded to anyone for quite awhile. When the woman’s listless hand was placed on Keesha’s soft fur, the fingers began to move as she stroked Keesha’s back.
Keesha gains friends even when she’s not on duty. At local pet stores, she spontaneously begins to perform her bag of tricks to con the counter clerks out of more than one free cookie. She brought comfort to an elderly couple in a park in Colorado who had recently lost their pet. She even greets her veterinarian with a thump of the tail and a trick or two for the staff.
In May 2001, Keesha developed a neurological disease secondary to a brain tumor. She has undergone radiation therapy in an effort to shrink her tumor and improve her quality of life. Although the treatments put her hearing at risk, the tumor is now only one-tenth the size it was in May. Thanks to many concerned veterinarians, Keesha now enjoys many of her former activities. These include swimming, retrieving, carrying three balls in her mouth at the same time, and performing over 300 commands. And of course, she is still providing comfort to the humans around her.
Dr. Jan Treybig of Arlington, who nominated Keesha for the Texas Animal Hall of Fame and is currently providing her with alternative treatment therapy, feels a connection with Keesha. “Keesha looks you in the eye when greeting in a deep and concerned way,” she says. “It is a look that penetrates, inquires, touches your soul and lets you know someone cares.”
