National Love Your Pet Day

Two Extraordinary Pups Offering Hope to Those Struggling Mental Health Issues

Stevie the Wonderdog has no idea he’s an international celebrity with over 200K followers on Instagram. He’s unaware that he has a Cerebellar Hypoplasia condition, which doesn’t cause him pain but makes him move much differently from most dogs. Stevie doesn’t know that his hashtag, #spreadsteviejoy, became one of the most popular hashtags of the pandemic. What he does know is that he loves puddles, his duck toy, and his life.

What is it about this wobbly yellow lab that has captured the hearts of so many? We think it’s Stevie’s love of the ordinary. A puddle, toy, or snowy morning can send Stevie over the moon, and his joy reminds us that perhaps our happiness is not too far off. Maybe it’s not that next trip or unattained dream that will make us happy. Perhaps it’s not those things on our bucket list -- but the things that are right here -- that matter the most: the puddles, toys, and snow.

Stevie and his mom, Jane, joined Eating Recovery’s Instagram for “virtual pet therapy” on Friday, February 18th. Stevie reminded us all that it’s okay to be different in being his adorable self. He reminded small things matter in big ways. Connection with a friend. A moment of play or quiet. A good view of the sunset. Stevie encourages us all to lean into the simple joys of life, one day at a time.

Similar to Stevie, Mork Skywalker isn’t aware of his fame. He doesn’t boast about his fan large fanbase or how it felt to star on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Mork spends his days with his mom, Nikki, and the other adorable pups at Road Dogs & Rescue, spreading a message of hope and resilience.

In honor of National Love Your Pet Day, we are excited to share with you the incredible story of how Mork was rescued from the China meat trade and went on to become a global symbol of light and love.

Like Stevie, Mork has left a dark past behind and uses his story for good. Today he visited with ERC and Pathlight patients to offer his love and support. Our clinicians began each virtual pet therapy visit with a prompt, and we invite you, our readers, to consider the same:

While animals live in the moment and don’t engage in internal dialogues about the past or future, they are still very intelligent and emotional creatures who, like humans, feel the impact of life events and experiences. Mork had to let go of and recover from some significant challenges to embrace a new, happy life in California. What part of your story are you working through and hoping to let go of? How might you feel or how your life might be if you were to work towards letting go?

On National Love Your Pet Day, ERC Pathlight is grateful for these canine heroes and their rescuers for their dedication to spreading kindness and mental health awareness. Follow them on Instagram at @steviethewonderdog and @morkskywalker.

Happy National Love Your Pet Day!