Canines bring cheer to Britthaven of Ayden residents

AYDEN — Dolly Mills and Lucille Britton couldn’t stop smiling Friday.

The two Britthaven of Ayden residents were enjoying a visit from the dynamic duo — Foxy and Ebony.

Kinston’s Evelyn Jones has been transporting the pair of diminutive dogs to the assisted living facility about once a week for the past six months.

“Knowing how much these people light up when I bring (the dogs) to visit is great,” she said. “I tell my friends that it’s a good thing to take your animals to visit these people.”

Jones began taking Foxy, a Pomeranian, and Ebony, a Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix, to Britthaven after her mother, Mills, requested visits from her “granddaughters.”

“They bring a lot of joy, so I bring them whenever I can,” Jones said Friday as the dogs scampered through the lobby, tails wagging as they took the time to acknowledge every resident in sight.

Britthaven activity director June Turner said she usually tries to schedule some type of pet visit every month.

“You can see it really brings smiles to their faces,” she said. “(The residents) get excited when we bring animals into the facility.

“I think sometimes it makes them think of a time when they were younger and had dogs.”

Jones said she’s owned dogs her entire life, but the way she came about finding Foxy was truly unique. She said she was heading to the grocery store on Cunningham Road when she saw Foxy chasing cars.

After approaching Foxy’s owner to express her fear that the canine would soon be road kill, the owner offered to let Jones purchase her.

“I asked her how much she wanted and she said she would take whatever I would give her,” Jones said. “I gave her $20 of my grocery money on the spot.”

Fate’s intervention brought Foxy to Jones, leading Jones the cheer the dogs bring her to the Britthaven residents.

“The residents enjoy them,” Turner said. “They bring a lot of smiles.”

Sarah Campbell can be reached at 252-559-1076 or scampbell@freedomenc.com.