GAINESVILLE — Molly is a well-known face around the Hall County Fire Department and Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where she serves to comfort others during times of stress.
She's a Golden Doodle (half Golden Retriever, half Poodle), and serves as a therapy dog.
"(Molly), she'd come to the fire station with me, and she grew up there with all the guys," said Hall County Firefighter Derrick McCollum, Molly's owner and trainer.
McCollum knew he wanted to make Molly a therapy dog early on, but it's no easy task and requires a lot of training.
"I can't even count how many hours I put in," said McCollum.
Dogs have to be tested when they're one year old, and once they get approval to become therapy dogs, they can be registered at various hospitals.
Molly is registered at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, but also finds time to visit people within the Fire Department, and around the community.
"Chad Black (Deputy Fire Chief) ... him and her are really good buddies. She goes and spends the night with him on the weekends, and when he was on shift, she would go ride with him in the Battalion Chief car and just go visit people," said McCollum.
Sometimes those visits would take her all over the town--to the dry cleaners, the bank or the hardware store, but sometimes it's all over the hospital, too. McCollum said his favorite "Molly story" involved a cancer patient they visited.
"It's funny how she has a kind of 'sixth sense' where she can tell if people are hurting ... There was a man (at NGMC), and he had cancer. He was in really bad shape, and I usually won't let her get in bed with anybody. His wife said he was really a dog person. (Molly) just kinda knew, and she jumped up in bed with him and just layed there. We probably stayed there 30, 40 minutes. She just layed there with him and he petted her," said McCollum.
Molly, who is three years old, also goes around to the doctors and nurses if they need a moment to pet the long, lanky, curly-haired dog.
"She just kinda cheers you up 'cause she's so fluffy," said McCollum.
The Golden Doodle--a hypo-allergenic dog--is a breed that combines two intelligent species, which makes Molly an exceptionally smart animal.
"It's almost like she understands English. We have just started a program with the Fire Department going to elementary schools ... (Molly's) a great teaching prop, and a lot kids get a kick out of it. We'll be out at the (fire) truck, and I can tell her 'Go get in the truck!' We could be all the way across the parking lot, and she runs and hops in the truck," said McCollum.
When asked for comment, Molly sniffed this reporter's hand, then rolled on her back, waiting for belly rubs.
