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Some Westminster champion show dogs have a day job as ‘therapists’
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Kitty Lewis (left) and her dog, Nick, visit the residents at a Brookdale Senior Living centre in Vancouver, Washington. Nick's job there is essentially to be himself, a bundle of furry empathy.
PHOTO: RUTH FREMSON/NYTIMES
Sarah Lyall
WASHINGTON – In his professional life as a champion show dog, Nick the Tibetan spaniel is meant to embody the particular handsomeness of his breed: the cunning little face, the silken fur, the tail of Seussian floofiness that curls up and cascades down his back.
But Nick, who recently competed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, is not just another egotistical overachiever with a fancy tail.
