Chester the Doberman lifts spirits at group home for developmentally disabled adults

Chester nuzzled his Doberman nose under the hands of dog lovers in a group home for developmentally disabled adults in North Bellmore.

The award-winning show dog has visited the six residents of the home every two or three weeks since 2018.

“I just love him,” Auburn Barkman, 68, said Thursday night during a visit as she rubbed her fingers  on his short black fuzz. “He gives me better spirits.”

Barkman, who has lived for eight years in the home run by AHRC Nassau, an organization that provides residential services for people with developmental disorders, wanted a dog but the home couldn’t accommodate a full-time pet.

Chester’s owner, Steven Garcia, 60, a retired director of a special needs program in the New York City public schools, from Massapequa, had gotten his dog registered with Therapy Dogs International, a New Jersey-based organization that tests dogs to certify that they have the temperament to offer comfort in nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions. He and Chester volunteered with AHRC Nassau, which brought them into Barkman’s home.

“Chester is an extension of the community, bringing people together,” combating some isolation that can happen, Mary McNamara, director of community resources at AHRC Nassau, said. “These are friends now. These are real relationships and a smile and improved outlook on life, looking forward to something, that's something everybody wants to have in their lives.”

McNamara said AHRC worked to match volunteers like Garcia with the right homes. The decision to bring in a dog must be unanimous among the residents, she said.

As Chester calmly took turns getting petted, Brenda Kaplan, 64, entered the room.

“Are you waiting for me?” Kaplan said as she reached out to the dog’s ears and moved her face in closer.

“That's the kiss,” Garcia said.

At 27 inches tall at his shoulders and weighing 89 pounds, Chester looks intimidating, but he’s as calm as Garcia is exuberant.

“He'll do this for half an hour,” Garcia said as Chester went from chair to chair to “make sure everyone gets a chance.”

When Barkman was in the hospital last year for a few months following hernia surgery, Chester visited her in the hospital. Garcia said he was a hit as he walked down the hallways.

“Everybody wanted him to come and visit,” Garcia said.