“And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

DJ’s eyes darted back and forth and whined as his family drove along in the car. “It’s okay, DJ. We’re not leaving you. You’re coming with us for a very special trip,” said one of the children who lived with him. He closed his eyes as he was scratched behind his ears. It was hard to worry when he received this special attention. But why did he have to wear an uncomfortable vest?

“DJ’s been such a good boy at obedience school, lately, even his teacher said he may be ready for his first trip to the nursing home to interact with the residents,” said Mom. She turned her attention to him. “Are you ready, boy? I bet you are! Oh, wait! Did we forget his treats?”

DJ’s head lifted at the word, “treats.” If he was getting treats, this might not be such a bad place to go, afterall.

“Yes, Mom – I have them right here,” the child returned to the task of scratching behind DJ’s ears after patting the treat bag.

“Welp, here we are,” Mom said as they pulled into a parking space. She grabbed her guitar. “Honey, you take DJ.”

DJ stopped. He trembled. The building reminded him of the veterinarian’s office. Even though he couldn’t talk to his human, the child seemed to know what DJ was thinking. “Oh, it’s okay, boy. It’s not the vet’s office. This is a place where some elderly humans live. We come here once a month to talk about Jesus, sing, and let them know they’re not alone. They’re sure gonna love you!” DJ smiled at the idea of being loved by a lot of people.

The big door slid open by itself. He jerked his head a little. “C’mon, DJ,” said Mom, “It’s okay.” He lifted his head and sniffed. He sniffed some more. It smelled like humans lived here, but it didn’t smell like home. He tried to figure out who all lived there, when he saw a woman in an outfit that was unlike what his family wore. She wore a tag, too.

“Aw, this must be DJ! Oh, he’s so pretty!” she smiled broadly at him. He panted as he smiled back. She looked at Mom and said, “It’s good to see you, again. We’ve got you all set up in the fellowship hall.”

Every room they passed brought a different sight and scent. The sun shone through some windows, flooding the rooms with sunshine, while curtains were drawn in other rooms, barely showing any figures in those darkened rooms. DJ saw older humans laying in beds, or sitting in chairs with wheels. He was confused. He looked up at his child, but he walked down the hall, with a smile on his face.

They finally made it to a room with windows that let in the sun’s rays. The room was warm. Some people sat there, not saying a word, while one person shuffled over and patted DJ’s head. “What a sweet doggo.”

Mom motioned to a man who sat in a chair with big wheels and said to the lady who met them at the door, “So, Charles is here. Do you think he’ll interact with us, this time?” Mom’s voice was low.

The lady’s voice matched Mom’s as she said, “He comes to these events, but then places himself in the corner away from everyone, every time. He always says, ‘Well, God hasn’t given me the sign, yet, so I’m not ready to talk to Him, yet.’ It’s as if he’s had this anger all of his life. I hope he gets whatever sign he’s after – and soon.”

DJ’s humans sang; he thought they sounded pretty. He walked around, getting pet by the elderly humans who sat in the room. Some sang along. He stood near the man who faced the wall. That’s when the urge to sing along hit DJ. He thought he was singing along with his humans: “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb. Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever, Amen!” However, to the humans in the room, he sounded like this: “Rowr, rowr, woof-woof-ruff-rowrrrrr.”

Some of the residents chuckled. “Oh, my! He’s trying to sing, too!”

Charles turned to stare at DJ. DJ stopped singing. There was something about the elderly gentleman that made DJ want to gaze into his eyes, and place his paw on his leg. Then, he nuzzled the man’s hand so that it rested upon the top of his head. A tear softly made its way down the elderly man’s cheek.

“Aw… you remind me of a very, very special dog,” his voice was almost a whisper. “He used to sing with us when Momma and Daddy sang those Gospel songs of old.” More tears flowed as he said, “One day, my best friend got hit by a car. I begged God to make him well, again. But He didn’t. I was so mad at God, and told Him I would never talk to Him again, unless I’d meet another dog like my Sparky. And today, He let me meet you. You know what? I’m sorry I wasted all of that time being mad at God. But I’m sure glad He let me meet you, today.”

Charles reached over and gave DJ a big hug as he heard Mom and the lady tearfully say, “Thank You, God. Salvation has come to Charles, today.”

Click the image to download this month's coloring page! DJ is happy to color with you - take a photo and send it to us by email or text at 855-887-8870

What would YOU do if your father, standing in the front hall next to the grandfather clock, suddenly vanishes? Your buddy's mom helps you file a police report—but everyone is too puzzled to be helpful. Then you take a walk in your down-and-out neighborhood and find a clock shop where there had only been an empty building the day before. You walk in, and...

You can adopt DJ The Dog if you promise to take care of your new pet! The Bridge will send you a plush Golden Retriever with a DJ dog tag, an Official Adoption Certificate, and a DJ Coloring Sheet to enjoy.

Click the photo to adopt DJ today!