Henry, a fetching golden retriever and service dog, is only 2 years old, but he’s already a six-time visitor to Florida’s Walt Disney World.
This month, on his most recent trip, Henry wagged his tail at the crowds and giant cuddlies, enjoyed a sip of foam from a Starbucks cup — and showed his Dumbo love.
Henry’s handler (who also refers to herself as his “mom”) is Jessica Paulsen of Nashville, Tennessee. She sees the jaunts as great learning opportunities for Henry to become comfortable in crowds, varied activities and unusual situations.
The trips are also a way to inject a little joy into Henry’s workaday life. “Your relationship can become stagnant and you can begin to miss the personality of the animal that is right by your side,” Paulsen wrote recently on Instagram. “This is when I know I need to invigorate our relationship and our training.”
Plus, the trips make for great photos. Paulsen began posting pictures from their exploits on her “King Henry of Nashville” Instagram page in early 2017, and now has 64,000 followers.
Even when he’s having a blast, Henry is on the job. Paulsen has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a condition that affects circulation and can lead to an increased heart rate and fainting. Henry warns Paulsen when her blood pressure is dropping — and alerts people around her if she’s going to faint.
