I love movies! Everything about them really – seeing a preview of a movie I know I am going to need to see, the anticipation of it hitting the theatre, going to the movies, the smell of the popcorn, finding the perfect seat, the lights dimming, the previews coming on & then of course the show. I’ve even been known to put together my own little double feature.

I also love watching movies at home – whether it is watching it from one of my movie channels, which of course I feel the need to have ALL of them, or renting a movie, I am in heaven. The Red Box is one of my new favorite things. Come on, $1 per night – you can’t beat it!

So when we asked our Facebook fans and some of our readers for their favorite selections they thought our readers should have in their movie collection, I loved seeing the responses. I would think, “Oh, I loved that movie!” or “No Way, that wouldn’t make my list!” But either way I learned my movie collection definitely needs some new movies! Maybe yours does to?!

The Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Berks County is always looking for the perfect family to adopt the animals they take in. In some cases, a dog or cat will adopt a family for themselves – this is exactly what happened with board president Barrie Pease and his dog, Lillie Marlene.
Lillie’s mother was originally brought into the shelter by a breeder who believed she was sterile. Six days later, she gave birth to a litter of eight puppies at the home of her adoptive family. The puppies were brought back to the shelter until they could be adopted and Lillie immediately attached herself to Pease.
The story of their meeting starts with a visit by Congressman Jim Gerlach to the ARL. The congressman was receiving a tour of the shelter from Pease, and when the two walked into the boarding area where the puppies are kept until they are ready for adoption, Lillie walked right up and made her presence known. “Lillie came over and started chewing on the tassels of my loafers,” Pease says. The two have been together since Lillie was two weeks old and she will turn three on March 10. Puppy kindergarten began when Lillie was ten weeks; and their bonding and training grew from there.
Similar to the history of their first meeting, Lillie Marlene’s name comes with an interesting background. In college, Pease discovered his love for history and especially the World War II era. It is from this love that Lillie earned her name. “Lily Marlane” is the name of a German love song that became popular during the war, originally with the European soldiers and then with the Americans. It was also recorded by Marlene Dietrich in 1945. Lillie’s breed, the Great Pyrenees, originally comes from Europe and she is also white like an Easter lily. It was for these reasons that Barrie decided to name his dog Lillie Marlene.
Lillie and Pease have become well known in the area because of their work as a therapy team. After completing kindergarten and levels one through four of obedience training, Lillie passed her American Kennel Club (AKC) Good Citizenship certification and then moved on to receive certification from Therapy Dogs International at Awesome Dawgs Dog Training. Testing for Therapy Dogs International is offered at ARL and is administered by Awesome Dawgs co-owner, Mary Jo Carabello.
Barrie and Lillie Marlene visit hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living homes and even elementary schools. Dog lovers who are ill or institutionalized love spending quality time with Lillie Marlene. “She also does reading therapy,” Pease says. During reading therapy, Lillie sits and lets children who are struggling with their reading skills read stories to her. It has been found that children can improve their reading skills and gain confidence by reading to a dog, because the dog simply listens without criticizing.

Pease jokes that he has lost his identity to Lillie. His wife has patients come into the doctor’s office where she works and they recognize the pictures of Lillie on her desk. Their reaction, according to Pease, is always the same – “It’s Lillie and the guy who takes her around.” Together with other pairs from their training group, Pease and Lillie travel all around Berks providing therapy and therapy training. They travel to locations including stores, restaurants, and recreational areas to train therapy dogs to deal with crowds and noise. Pease told one story about a time they were in a restaurant sitting down while the dogs rested beneath the table. “People come up to talk to us and don’t even realize the dogs are there because they are so well behaved,” he says.
Great Pyrenees are known for being very loyal and protective animals. From the moment the interview began, Lillie was quick to greet me and find out who I was and what I was doing. Like all dogs, she sniffed me and showed some interest in the notebook on my lap. After deciding that there was no threat to herself or Pease, she settled herself on the floor of the office and remained there for the rest of the interview.
It is easy to see the love shared between Lillie and Pease. “From the time she was a puppy, I started taking her everywhere,” Pease says. “When I say she goes everywhere with me, I really mean she goes everywhere with me.”
Pease became involved with the ARL after he and his wife Barbara began rescuing golden retrievers. He held a position on the board for four years and after the passing of the previous president he moved into the position that he has held for the past six years. The board works on the strategic plans for the shelter and oversees all fundraising projects. They also organize projects with local cat and dog rescues and with Crime Alert Berks County.
When Lillie is not out in the community doing therapy work or spending time visiting at ARL, she spends her time at Pease’s home with Bubba, a golden retriever who will be 11 in March, and two cats who were adopted from ARL. She loves to play with the cats and Bubba and loves snow. Every now and then, Lillie and Bubba spend some quality time boarding at ARL when Pease and his wife go on vacation.
Pease hopes he and Lillie will continue their therapy work in the years to come, and that they will continue to make new friends in the community. If you see the pair out and about, don’t hesitate to wander over and say hi. You are sure to receive a warm greeting. Or maybe you will see them when you come to visit the ARL.

For more information on adoption opportunities or therapy dog training, contact:
Animal Rescue League of Berks County Inc.
Kennel Road (off Route 724 near Route 176), Cumru Township
P.O. Box 69, Mohnton, Pa, 19450
610.373.8830
www.berksarl.org

By Amanda Cain
Photos by Barrie Pease