The dogs arrived, and he felt like himself again

Jeffrey Weiss, a professor at Texas Chiropractic College, has fostered seven golden retrievers in the past year while managing Parkinson's disease. He runs the operation from his Houston home with Yvonne, his wife of 38 years, through Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue. Weiss noticed his first symptoms seven years ago, partly through bowling. His average dropped by more than 30 pins, and he began dragging his right leg. A diagnosis came only after a second opinion, and his first treatment plan failed before he found a medication that worked. The dogs arrived once his mindset shifted. He describes them as goofballs weighing 65 to 95 pounds who, despite the size, want to be lap dogs. "They make me smile when I don't feel like smiling, and they make me feel needed," he said. Caring for them, he added, lets him feel most like himself: a teacher, a bowler, a husband.