Boardman businesses take time to ‘paws’ for special guest

By ASHLEY LUTHERN

aluthern@vindy.com

On a crisp Monday morning, a regular visitor to the D.D. & Velma Davis Family YMCA chowed down on steak and eggs.

Josephine, as she’s called by members and staff at the Boardman YMCA, is well-known on McClurg Road for her spirit, gentleness and beautiful fur markings. The four-legged friend is a mixed breed of dog with the face of a beagle and a body of a German shepherd, said Joe Campati, a lifelong YMCA member.

“She has beautiful eyes. She could make Scrooge be a nice guy on Christmas,” Campati said.

The dog has become a fixture at the YMCA and St. Elizabeth’s Boardman Health Center, first gaining notice 10 years ago when St. Elizabeth’s only had a modular emergency room on the location.

Workers began feeding her, but it was Campati who took a special interest in her after the Boardman YMCA opened six years ago. He and other YMCA members fed her a steady diet of dinner leftovers and watched over her during her time near the fitness center.

“After giving birth to a few litters of pups, a kind lady arranged for Josephine to be tranquilized and had her spade and her shots updated,” Campati said.

He added that the woman took the dog home, but at the first chance, Josephine took off and returned to the YMCA and hospital complex. The dog still wears the collar from that owner.

Josephine is also known as Trooper by the staff and patients at St. Elizabeth.

“I’m sure many have claimed her as their own,” said Carol Dota, receptionist at the hospital and part-time worker at the Boardman YMCA.

The dog has lifted the spirits of patients, Dota added.

“Everyone cares about her,” she said. “One day we heard a dog had been hit by a car. It made me sick when I thought it was her, but thankfully it was just misinformation and she was fine.”

Although Josephine is gentle and comes near humans for food, she rarely let’s anyone touch her, possibly because of past abuse, Campati said, who has pet the dog four times in six years.

However, the lack of outward affection from the dog doesn’t bother Campati a bit.

“They named her Josephine after me,” he said with a smile.