It is with great sadness that we inform the RAGOM community of Marco's passing on 10/10/2020 after a short bout with cancer. He would have been 12 in January, too young to leave us yet, but we are very grateful for the 9+ years he touched our lives.
He was a very kind, patient boy who loved his walks and romps in the woods, loved to play and roll in the snow, loved to swim, and loved to eat, anything and everything. More than anything he loved people and loved to be petted. He spent 6 1/2 years as a therapy dog bringing great joy to many at Three Links Retirement Home, the Long-Term Care Center at Northfield Hospital, and Laura Baker Services which serves mentally disabled adults, all in Northfield MN.
We visited these venues weekly, visiting residents in their rooms or communal areas or taking afternoon strolls with them. Marco got very excited when the vest and short leash came out and he knew he was going to work. People used to ask me how I trained him to be a therapy dog. My response was that I didn't really do anything. He was just a natural. He was calm and patient and knew exactly how to make people feel good.
The last year of Marco's life was spent living up north near Park Rapids where we built our retirement home. At this point, he was a retired therapy dog who spent his days roaming in the woods, swimming in our lake, and basking in the sun.
We want to thank Kelly B, his RAGOM foster dad, for selecting us to care for this gentle giant. Marco was in Kelly's care only 2 weeks and saw him only once a year at Goldzilla, but he never forgot Kelly and the love and care given him during those 2 weeks. He wagged his tail and squealed with delight those few times he saw Kelly.
Rest comfortably, fuzzy bear. We miss you already. You will be in our hearts forever.
