Roodle the Labradoodle Has Lots of Love to Share at The Barclay Senior Living Community
December 18, 2023
He goes home each night with his mom, Blake, but the truth is he belongs to the entire senior living community. And there’s plenty of mutual love to go around.
Roodle the Labradoodle is the dog who was adopted by Blake Leggett. She is a sales associate at The Barclay at SouthPark senior living community. Now 12 years old, Roodle had previously been part of a big puppy mill bust in South Carolina 10 years ago. When Blake and her son met Roodle, it was immediate infatuation.
About a year ago, Blake had her home on the market to sell. She would occasionally bring Roodle with her to work to be out of the way during showings. ”Residents and staff fell in love with him. Of course, quickly he became everyone’s dog. He continues to come with me even though I no longer need to bring him,” she said. His presence provides great joy. People love to give him treats and shower him with love and attention.
It’s not unusual, she said, to overhear people whispering to him that they hadn’t been having a great day. However he had made it better. “People will come to my office to see him. I’m not joking when I say this. They’ll be petting him and then look over at me, almost as a p.s., and say, ‘Oh, hey Blake.’ And that is totally fine with me. I tell people he’s cuter and sweeter than I am and has better hair.”
Blake continued, “I know everyone says their pets are the best, but I do think I am looking at Roodle and this situation objectively. I continue to see examples of him touching people in really special ways.” These include comforting people who have lost a pet, promoting reminiscence about childhood pets, sharing unconditional love and affection, and more. She said she knows that some people don’t care for dogs or are afraid of them. She respects that and will steer clear of these people when with Roodle, but she said they eventually tend to fall in love with him on their own schedule.
Blake said she makes sure to add time getting to the office in the morning and leaving at night so everyone has time to visit Roodle. “People see him and want to visit and love on him,” she said. “I can’t explain exactly what it is, but he seems to have created a unique and special bond.”
The Barclay at SouthPark
The Barclay at SouthPark is a Life Plan Community located on a picturesque campus in Charlotte, North Carolina—named as one of “America’s 100 Best Places to Live” by ideal-LIVING Magazine and ranked as one of the “best places to retire in North Carolina” by U.S. News & World Report. The Barclay is conveniently located in the heart of the SouthPark neighborhood, on a campus where urban meets suburban. The Barclay offers independent living that supports a vibrant lifestyle for active seniors. Briar Creek Health Center, located onsite, offers assisted living, memory support, respite care, Medicare-certified short-term rehabilitation, and skilled nursing, thus providing a complete continuum of care.
The Barclay at SouthPark is owned and operated by Liberty Senior Living, LLC, a division of Liberty Healthcare Management that specializes in senior living and retirement communities. To learn more about The Barclay at SouthPark, visit www.BarclayAtSouthPark.com To learn more about Liberty Senior Living and the communities they offer, please visit www.LibertySeniorLiving.com.