By Melissa Moore-Randall
Students and staff at the Hill School welcomed Therapy Dog Toby celebrating his 1,000th visit and his retirement. Toby, accompanied by his Mom Diane Murano, was greeted at the Hill School to a thunderous applause which proved to be an emotional moment for everyone.
Toby, a 12 year old Goldendoodle, traveled around the state visiting nursing homes, hospitals, schools, colleges and universities including the Shriners Burn Institute. Northeastern, Harvard, Tufts, Merrimac, Salem Hospital and Union Hospital. Toby and Mom Diane had been traveling five days a week for the first 8 years until Covid hit and shut down the world. In 2023 kids started going back to school and Toby again began visiting RHS and the Hill School.
Hill School Principal Melissa Lomas has seen the positive impact of Toby’s visits. “When I first arrived at the Hill School Nurse Connie approached me about the possibility of having a therapy dog visit. I jumped at the idea as I knew the impact the calming nature of dogs like Toby can have. As soon as we met Dianne and Toby we knew they were a perfect match for our school. Both Toby and Dianne became members of the Hill School family immediately. While I know that Toby visited to support our students and teachers, I too benefited greatly from his kindness and love. He knows where my office is and will often just come back to visit before starting his rounds of the school. We are so proud of the work that Toby and Dianne have done supporting members of our community with love and compassion.”
K9 Charlie wished Toby well. “Toby, I want to wish you a happy and restful retirement. My Dad (Officer Brenes) was inspired seeing your work and putting smiles on the faces of so many children and adults. It’s because of you my Dad worked hard to get me here to serve the community of Revere and continue your legacy. Toby, thank you for all you did. I’ll take it from here!”
Toby’s Mom Diane was so thankful for her years being able to visit the Hill School. “The Hill School has been amazing. I received a beautiful gift which was a silver heart locket. The outside had a girl hugging a dog and the inside had pictures of my Mom and Toby.”
Toby’s journey began in April of 2012. Diane first met Toby in April of 2012 at the tender age of two weeks old. She had just lost her mother, uncle and 15½ year old Shih Tzu Emma all in the same week the month prior.
“I was lost without them and I was searching for comfort and love. I chose the name Toby for this sweet little dog because its meaning translated in Hebrew and Greek meant ‘God is Good’. Toby was 10 puppies all rolled into one! I needed help and I needed results fast. A friend had suggested that I try GoodFellas Doggie Day Care and Training in Saugus.”
Shortly before Toby graduated intermediate training, the horrific tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut occurred. “I was having a hard time, as was everyone else, trying to wrap my mind around this terrible and tragic loss of children and their teachers. I had read in the newspaper an article on ‘Comfort Dogs’ that had been brought to Newtown from Chicago and wondered ‘what’s this all about’? These beautiful golden retrievers were there to soothe and heal the pain of that small sleepy town. One knows the calming effect that just petting and looking into the eyes of a dog can have. A particular piece of televised coverage focused on the children and the comfort dogs there in Newtown. The children affected were having a difficult time conveying to their parents and officials the horror they had seen at their young and fragile age. The comfort dogs however helped the children open up. The children would only speak to the dogs of their horrible experience. This affected me and my outlook for Toby. At this point I wanted to share Toby with those who needed comfort and love as he had been giving me the same.”
One year had passed and it was April 2013 in the City of Boston. Toby had just turned a year old (he was now a whopping 85 pounds and gigantic according to his Mom) Marathon Monday had arrived in which a day of celebration turned into tragedy when bombs went off at the finish line. “I stood shocked at what was unfolding in front of me on the television. A bomb? At the finish line? Wait, another bomb seconds later? Was I really seeing this? What’s going on in my city?! I watched the endless televised coverage. I saw the Comfort Dogs again at the Memorial for the victims one week later. I had to get into town as soon as possible! I wanted to be there with everyone and I wanted Toby with me. I had to meet these therapy dogs and talk with their handlers. Weaving our way through and around the memorial, stopping to say our prayers for the victims, I stopped and spoke with one of the handlers and he had told me about Therapy Dogs International (TDI) That’s when I made up my mind and is what Toby and I are meant to do.”
“Toby was enrolled in Advanced training, which consists of hand commands only, (his third and final training course) at GoodFellas. On July 12, 2013, Toby turned 15 months old (and he’s a whopping 100 pounds now) and we both passed the Therapy Dogs International Test that day! I was thrilled! I was proud! Toby and I worked so hard the first year of his life to get him to this stage. Toby graduated his advanced class two weeks after he passed his TDI test. He now holds Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Certificates in Training from GoodFellas Doggy Day Care and Training in Saugus, Massachusetts and is a certified member of Therapy Dogs International. You could almost say that Toby has a PhD.”
As Toby settles into retirement, he will look to continue to enjoy traveling with his Mom and Dad and providing comfort if needed.
