It was a Sunday morning like so many before it. The residents of the long-term care facility for adults living with HIV and AIDS had just spent two hours with their beloved therapy dog.

Coco made her rounds of bed-bound friends and then went to the community room to play scrabble with other friends. She would sit on her owner’s lap and help shuffle the tiles round. Everyone thought Coco really knew what she was spelling!

She was getting ready to leave when a familiar announcement could be heard. “Chapel services in five minutes.”

Usually that was the signal to end the visit and say goodbye to everyone until next week.

But this day Coco’s favorite person in the whole world asked if she had to go. “Why can’t Coco come to services with us? This has been a very sad week for all of us and we need her there,” said Louie.

It was Christmas time and a resident everyone loved had passed away.

Louie just did not want to let go of Coco.

We asked the Chaplain if a dog could come into the Chapel and she said “Of course, animals are angels on earth and Coco is the dearest of them all.”

So on that very special Sunday Coco went to services and every Sunday thereafter.

She would sit quietly at first, and then be passed around lap to lap and everyone would give her and her “mom” their blessings for the week.

Coco the Love Dog continued to extend her weekly visits to include church services and earned her angel wings many times over.