Youngwood Top Dog founder remembers pup who was 'co-owner’ of business

When Army veteran Rodney Little was fighting for his life in a hospital bed in 2016, his dog Sarge was at home, anxiously awaiting his owner’s return.

Sarge wouldn’t eat or sleep. After a few days, Little’s family brought the shepherd-Labrador mix to Forbes Hospital for a visit, hoping it would lift his spirits. Little was in a hospital bed, paralyzed from the waist down — the result of a motorcycle accident.

“The only happiness I got (in the hospital) was Sarge,” said Little, of Unity Township. “I didn’t realize at the time, but a lot of other people … looked to (Sarge) to make them smile.”

The accident changed the duo’s lives forever. The pup stayed at his owner’s side for months as Little learned how to walk again, and Sarge learned how to become a therapy dog.

Fast forward six years, and it was Little’s turn to provide comfort as Sarge neared the end of his life. having been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. The dog was given four months to live, but managed to hold on for seven months.

“I didn’t leave his side, just returning the favor that he didn’t leave my side,” Little said. “He was always so strong. Remembering how strong he was for me makes me always want to be strong for my family.”

Sarge died two weeks ago, having impacted over 10,000 lives as a therapy dog, Little said.

“We took the idea of tragedy, and we turned it to triumph,” Little said. “We took the idea of pain and being in the worst stage and offered some sort of love and affection and attention that human words just can’t offer.”

Bright beginnings

Little adopted Sarge for $20 at a now-closed kill shelter in 2012. Around two years later, Little founded Youngwood Top Dog Services, which initially focused on training dogs for protection, search and rescue and missing persons cases.

Prior to Little’s accident, Little and Sarge worked on missing persons cases in Westmoreland, Allegheny and Fayette counties.

When Little could no longer work on these cases, Sarge “lost his working purpose.”

However, the pup soon found a new purpose — therapy.

Sarge’s foray into becoming a therapy dog began with Little. Before he relearned how to walk, Little trained Sarge to help him move from his bed to his wheelchair, open doors and retrieve items.

Sarge’s eagerness to help Little sparked a new purpose for Top Dog. The business added therapy services to its portfolio, and Sarge became the first Top Dog therapy dog.

“I really believe God spoke to me and gave me a new purpose and new direction in life,” Little said. “He had me take the idea of the comfort that Sarge gave me when I was at my worst and use that to give other people comfort.”

Top Dog now has about 60 canines serving as therapy dogs, providing puppy love and comfort in four branches: medicine, education, recovery and bereavement. The business’ reach extends to Westmoreland, Allegheny, Fayette and Washington counties.

Garrity Bungard, who is training an 8-month-old puppy to work with Top Dog, grew close with Sarge after her dog was hit by a car last year. She said Sarge was a “natural” therapy dog.

“That’s how I got through this, with Sarge,” Bungard said.

Sarge had an excellent nose, and Little said he could smell the chemical changes in someone’s body when their mood changed. When the pup would meet groups of people, Little described how Sarge would scan the room and comfort the person with the “worst pain and suffering” first.

Sarge enjoyed visits to countless schools and nursing homes, including Hempfield Manor. Little preaches a short sermon there every other Wednesday, and he would bring Sarge with him.

A portrait of Sarge is displayed in the nursing home.

“He loved going there,” Little said. “It’s been really, really wonderful hearing how many lives (Sarge) has touched and impacted.”

Lasting gift

Sarge spent the last days of his life visiting friends at the nursing home, participating in the Top Dog Easter egg hunt and enjoying a long weekend with his family. He died the morning after Easter, with Little at his side.

Little said he will miss many things about Sarge: his floppy ear, his “Scooby talk” and his love for walks, car rides and swimming.

In describing Sarge as the “co-owner and mascot” of Top Dog, Little credited his faithful companion for encouraging him to start the business and create its therapy team.

“God put him in here to start something bigger than him, bigger than myself, so that we can leave a pawprint impression on this county forever,” Little said.