Dog's presence at funeral home a surprise to some and a comfort to most

Terry Palmer remembers it well -- the moment that validated his decision to allow, of all things, a dog into his funeral home.

Palmer was making funeral arrangements for a family, and when one of the family members started to cry, the dog walked over to the woman and gently laid its head in her lap.

In that moment, Wilson, a therapy dog in training, offered the sort of solace only an animal could provide, Palmer said.

That's why the yellow Labrador retriever has been a fixture at Fawcett, Oliver, Glass and Palmer Funeral Home since his arrival this past September.

"He adds an extra dimension to what we do," Palmer said. "We notice that families are more relaxed with him around."

Palmer said it's important for a funeral home to feel like a home, not a mortuary, and Wilson helps accomplish that.

During visitations, he joins Palmer at the door where mourners appreciate his understated greetings.

"He doesn't rush to approach people, and I think they like that," Palmer said.

And yet, it's not uncommon to find kids tugging on Wilson's fur or grown men, dressed in suits, sitting on the floor and petting him.

"We tell them (families) we have a therapy dog in training and ask if it's alright. We have not had a single family say 'no,'" said Kim Palmer, Terry's daughter-in-law and Wilson's main handler.

"We've received several 'thank you' letters that specifically mentioned him," said Jon Palmer, Kim's husband.

Terry Palmer said the three of them first discussed the idea of introducing a dog into the funeral home environment a couple years ago.

"The kids took it and really ran with it," he said.

Jon and Kim Palmer were recent mortuary school graduates last fall when they first saw Wilson at the Ross County Humane Society and Animal Shelter.

"It was by chance that we ran across him, and he just had that look," Kim said.

"He came to work the very next day," Jon said. "He's been here pretty much every day since."

Like so many rescue dogs, Wilson was underweight and skittish when the Palmers adopted him. A previous owner had neglected him and left him to fend for himself in the outdoors, they said.

Thanks to a steady diet, liberal doses of affection and some obedience training, Wilson still is a little skittish, "but he's coming out of his shell," Kim said.

Wilson is docile when he needs to be, but he hasn't abandoned his canine tendencies. He occasionally chases his tail and likes to get wound up before crashing for a nap.

"He has a job, but it's very important for him to be a dog," Kim said.