When Bodie the bulldog was a baby, Curtis Berntsen recalls the puppy being a handful.
“But I will take all the handfuls of this guy that I can get,” Curtis smiles.
Curtis had known Bodie since his buddy first adopted him.
“He did a wonderful job with him,” Curtis says.
But then—after being unable to find his friend for a few days —Curtis discovered that his friend had died in the van that he and his dog called home. Curtis went searching for Bodie and found he’d been rescued by animal control.
“The Bodie I found was a completely disturbed and lost puppy,” Curtis says, fighting back tears.
So, Curtis committed to visit Bodie every day.
“Because I felt it was import that he knew that someone was going to be there for him,” Curtis says.
While it took a while for Bodie to realize that he could count on Curtis, by the time he did, the dog was transformed. And so was Curtis.
“We found the one we could depend on,” Curtis says.
So, Curtis adopted Bodie. And Bodie has helped Curtis—despite enduring medical, financial, and personal challenges—become the happiest he’s ever been.
“Real love is unconditional and comes in all different shapes and sizes,” Curtis smiles.
Which is why Curtis is sharing the joy they experience together on Bodie’s social media, and planning for his bulldog to be certified as a therapy dog, so they can pay their healing forward.
“Giving, I’ve found, is the biggest part of receiving,” Curtis says.
And the biggest part of navigating life after loss, they’ve both found, is being grateful for the unexpected gifts it can bring.
“He just brings me so much joy,” Curtis smiles as Bodie jumps on the park bench to cuddle close.
“He’s my rock. Truly.”
