A New Snoopy for Grandma Agnes
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Dogs
By Annie Lisenby

You know, a dog can snap you out of any kind of bad mood that you're in faster than you can think of.
~Jill Abramson

Grandma Agnes is ninety-nine years old and still lives in the same house she's lived in for more than sixty years. She was one of thirteen children raised on a farm. And now, she is rather set in her ways.

For twelve years, Grandma Agnes enjoyed the company of her dog, Snoopy. The black-and-white spotted mutt was a constant presence in her home and her yard. During the time that she had Snoopy, Grandma Agnes started showing signs of dementia. My family worked together to keep her living independently but safe. It was difficult for my dad the day he pulled the battery from her car to keep her from using her still-valid driver's license. Every visit after that day, Grandma Agnes would insist that he buy her a new car battery because hers was dead again. Dad nodded and agreed to do it, knowing that the conversation would soon be forgotten. (Keep reading)