Hailey's Letter to Ellen DeGeneres - Hailey Profenna (1/31/06 - 10/17/16)

Editor's Note: I met Karen Profenna through the agility community on Facebook. Karen and I immediately hit it off for our love of all things dog (but it was a discussion of agility and trick training that first got us talking). We bonded even more over what has become a passion of mine since losing Dylan and Buffy: curing canine cancer. In October, Karen lost her precious Hailey to lymphoma, and after talking, we decided we wanted to do something about it together. We thought a letter to Ellen DeGeneres about an extraordinarily selfless multi-talented therapy dog might bring awareness to our cause. In this letter, Hailey tells her amazing story:

Dear Ellen,

My mom says that certain dogs only come along once in a lifetime. Well, I am THAT dog. And, I’m not just saying that, either. I might have been a small twenty-three pound Boggle (50% Beagle/50% Boston terrier), but I had the biggest heart of anyone I know. That’s why I’m writing this letter.

I know it must be strange and unusual for you to receive a letter from a dog (ok, so my mom is typing this for me but as you’ll read, although I can’t type I had lots of talents), but I lived a great life and did some pretty incredible things. My FAVORITE thing in the world was helping people. And, now, as my last request, I would love if you please would help me help other dogs so that maybe someday, no family will have to experience the heartbreak of losing a furry loved one to cancer. My Mom is devastated.

You see, I was diagnosed with lymphoma in October, 2015. But I didn’t let that stop me. I was one of the most conscientious therapy dogs ever, having been a certified therapy dog for nine of my ten years on this earth. I’ve done no less than 200 therapy visits a year.

I wasn’t just any therapy dog. I knew over 177 tricks and was on the National All-Star Trick Performance team. Like you, I was a celebrity of sorts, and I even had my own agent! I’ve done television commercials and print advertisements. My most recent advertisement was for Seresto Flea & Tick collars. I’ve been in books and training videos. I co-starred with Jessie J, was on the Jimmy Fallon show, and I played piano for Purina for the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day. My real passion, though, was therapy.

When Sandy Hook happened, the people there set up an entire room so that I could bring all of my props, so that I could play interactive baseball and basketball for people whose hearts needed a little lift. I also did a variety of other tricks and things there. I’m also very patriotic, and I performed for over 200 United States’ soldiers after they returned from Afghanistan and were debriefing (whatever that means…I just knew they needed to laugh). I have performed for 600 senior citizens at the request of Senator Carlucci, and I was the entertainment for the closing ceremony for the International Macabee games. My friends and I helped raise in excess of $35,000 for hospice by doing tunnel relay races. When Hurricanes Sandy and Irene happened, my mom called police stations to find out where we could help. People were sleeping on cots and were sad, so I wanted to help the only way I knew how. You wouldn’t believe just how happy it made me to help make people smile, even as they were going through some really dark times. Mom brought all my props (and believe me, Mom looked like a traveling circus with all my props and toys) and they had a blast watching me.

Hailey doing what she loved best: therapy.

I was also an accomplished agility dog. Even though I was going through chemotherapy for my lymphoma from the time of my diagnosis in October, 2015 through May, 2016, I never had a bad day. At the Westminster Kennel Club Master’s Agility competition in February, 2016, I managed to be the highest scoring mixed breed dog at those trials and placed third in my height category of all dogs in the finals. I also entertained during the lunch breaks performing tricks for the audience. Not only was I an agility champion, I also loved to participate in other events such as sheep herding, lure coursing, fly ball, Frisbee, obedience, rally, free shaping, tricks and free-style dance. I held many titles in Agility, Rally, Obedience, Therapy and tricks, and I had in excess of 9 National Championships. I competed in AKC, USDAA, CPE, NADAC, CDSP, DOCNA and Cynosports events, where I earned the following titles: MACH 3 C-ATE 2 Hailey C-ATCH 3, MXG,MJC,MFB,TQX,T2B, THDD,CGCA,NATCH-JUM,NATCH-TUNN,HP-E,TG-E,WV-E,ECC-EAC,EJC, NATCH VERSATILITY, TDCH,RL3,CDX-H,UD,TDIG,SSA,SR,SG,AD,SJ,ASA,AG,AAD,C-BSL,C-BT, AKC Silver Therapy Award, AKC Gold Therapy Award, TDI Gold Award. I was even recognized by the President and board of directors of Nyack Hospital and was the Grand Marshall of the Cancer Walk at Bear Mountain.

Hailey took Highest Scoring Mixed Breed Dog and took third place overall at Westminster, 2016.

Most of all, I loved people. I loved making people happy. I constantly challenged my mother to teach me new tricks, so that the families who might need me to make them smile wouldn’t be bored. When I made people happy, they requested that I come visit them again. Even the staff at hospitals loved to see me!

Karen Profenna and her dogs performing at AKC Masters Dog Agility Championship. Hailey makes an appearance at the end.

I didn’t start thinking about how I could help other dogs until one of my best friends (and the first dog to make the USA World Agility team this year); Cruzer Patterson was in a horrible, freak accident. He was doing what we dogs love to do: playing in the yard with his brother, when his agility career came crashing down after he collided. I almost wrote you then because, even though I was dealing with my own cancer, I so wanted to help his family with his medical bills. His human mother, Diane Patterson, didn’t want the help because she didn’t want to give people the false hope that Cruzer would recover from his injuries, and she politely declined my efforts.

I was in remission from May, 2016 through August, 2016. Unfortunately, the cancer came back. I tried to stay strong, even performing therapy visits a few days before I died on October 17, 2016. Please don’t be sad. My mom got to hold me, and I’m still with her in spirit. She might use some comforting though.

My mom says that I was the “puppy from hell,” but when I grew up a tad bit I’d like to think that I made a difference in people’s lives. These are a few examples of how I helped people:

• A patient at the hospital wouldn’t eat for anyone and hospice was to be called as a result. I kept performing trick after trick to get this nice lady to eat. Every time I’d do a trick, my new friend would take a mouthful of food. Every time I did another trick, this nice lady would take a drink of her ginger ale. All it took was a little patience on my part, but it made me feel good to know I helped her just a little bit. She ate all of her salmon and all of her ginger ale and her nurse and aide said I was a miracle worker.

• I was able to get a stroke patient to move when physical therapy couldn’t.

• I helped a patient to stand at a nursing home when he hadn’t in the past.

• I made a really sad man smile like a lit-up Christmas tree even though he had been diagnosed with a fatal diagnosis.

• I helped a dying patient’s family think of happy times and memories because they were sad. They really responded to me, telling me how I’d “lightened the room” and they spoke of me at the family’s Shiva saying how happy I made them all.

• After something called “Sandy Hook,” I went to Newtown, Ct. because something really bad happened, some people set up a room for me so that I could entertain the children. Although I’ve only played baseball and basketball with my Mom, I actually played interactive baseball and basketball with the children who needed me to brighten their day. I did tons of other tricks too and they were really amazed.

• Another time, I helped a little boy forget about his pain. We were in a hospital, and the mother of the boy originally didn’t think we should see him. I did a few tricks outside of the boys’ room, and then my mom and I moved on. However, the boy’s mother came out into the hallway to find us, because my tricks were helping to get the boy’s mind off of his pain. His medication didn’t seem to be working but I managed to get his mind off of his pain. He actually smiled and laughed.

• I prayed with people in the hospital. I could kneel by a bedside and we’d send healing prayers to the big guy upstairs. Even if there was no medical reason for these peoples’ pain to disappear, my being there helped them with something called “mind over matter.”

• I performed on stage at a hotel for 200 soldiers who just returned from Afghanistan. I don’t know what war is, but I’m told I brought these soldiers more joy than they’d seen in a long time. It felt good to see so many happy and smiling faces.

• People would request me by name in various nursing homes, convents and senior centers. See? I was a celebrity like you, Ellen!

• I once received a request from a man in New Jersey. He was in his 40’s and dying of cancer. So, I visited him in the hospital, even bringing a lot of my toys so that he and I could play, and so that I could entertain him. I brought my basketball set, baseball set with bases, and bowling equipment (because I didn’t know which sport was his favorite) right into his hospital room so that we could have fun. Believe me; it made me happy to be there for him! As I said, my Mom was like a traveling circus.

As you can see, Ellen, I was just one dog, but I unselfishly did so much for so many people. All I wanted was to help people and to see them smile. Even though I was a special dog, I’m sure you know that any family with a dog knows just how meaningful a simple wag of the tail at the end of a bad day can be. All we want is to see our people happy. This is why I’m writing you. Too many dogs are being diagnosed with cancer, and that’s something that makes lots of families sad. If you could possibly think to make a donation to the National Canine Cancer Foundation or the Animal Cancer Foundation on my behalf, it would really mean a lot to me and my mom.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

Hailey Profenna (and Mom Karen Profenna).