This month’s Hot Dog is Penny. Penny is a really special lady who lives in Lyon, France.

Penny is a unique pup; she is a mix between a dachshund terrier and a long hair. She is now 2 years old and she was born and raised in the South-East of France. When you meet Penny for the first time, she might seem like your ‘average’ dachshund: she loves cuddling, killing her plush toys, chasing the cat and playing with other dogs (who are mostly bigger than her!). But there is something really special about this Penny: she volunteers as a therapy dog in a retirement home. She visits old people who are alone all day, miss their own pets and/or are bored. She is especially good with people who suffer from Alzheimer, because she behaves so socially and is very patient.
Besides helping other people, Penny has also played a very important role in her mum’s recovery from depression. As soon as her mum, Clarice, took Penny home she stopped taking medication and started feeling better immediately. Penny now continues to brighten up Clarice’s day.

At first Clarice was not such a big fan of dachshunds. Like many others, when she thought of a dachshund, she always had the cliché of a sausage dog in mind. But when she started volunteering at a local animal shelter, she met Penny. Penny was brought to the animal shelter by an older man, who had just bought her at a breeder. Unfortunately he had a series of strokes and had to stay at the hospital, so he could not keep the puppy. Luckily for Penny, Clarice fell in love with her sweet face and now she lives with Clarice.

Thank you Clarice for sharing this wonderful story with us! We love that Penny plays such an important role in so many people’s lives. You can follow Penny and Clarice on their Instagram account: @yothisisclarice.

Do you think your pup should be the next Hot Dog of the Month? Nominate your dachshund by filling in the form below:

You will receive an email when your dachshund is selected in which we will ask for some more information and/or some photos. Keep your paws crossed!