For Clarence, an Old English Bulldog who is five years old, and his owner, Teddy Gavrielidis, dishing out some K-9 love for those who are in assisted living homes is just “par for the course,” and part of their daily routines.

“Clarence loves, and I mean, loves people,” said Gavrielidis. “He is especially fond of older people and young kids.”

For Gavrielidis, meeting Clarence was love at first sight or lick.

“He was about two years old, and he had 30 or more kidney stones when we adopted him,” he said. “From that moment on he’s been part of our family, the unofficial mascot of Lakewood’s GameStop, professional visitor for those in assisted living homes and makes celebrity appearances at various community events dressed in appropriate attire.”

Clarence, an Old English Bulldog stops to give some love to Mala Reichard, a human resources specialist at Tanglewood Manor, native of South Africa and resident of Jamestown, during his visit to Tanglewood Manor and Memory Gardens, recently. P-J Photos by Christopher Blakeslee

During Jamestown’s Turn the River Green event at the Chadakoin River, he was dressed as a leprechaun.

However, these one-off appearances are something Gavrielidis and Clarence are hoping to expand upon and make more permanent.

“We’d really like to find some kids camps, other assisted living homes, schools, churches or where we can be of service to the community,” said Gavrielidis. “As much as we love to give, for Clarence to receive his head scratches and loving, means the world to me, and he just soaks up all the love. When we were at the Turn the River Green event, he had to stop, greet and meet every child that walked by.”

Additionally, these appearances and visits are a remedy for K-9 “winter blues,” that affect this four-legged Clarence “bear.”

“He gets really sad and upset during the winter months, because there’s no kids outside playing,” said Gavrielidis. “Our 10-minute walks turn into 25- or 30-minute walks because he does not want to go back home until he has seen -and played with- a few kids; he knows kids are outside and when they are not, he gets stubborn and refuses to walk. There have been a few times he just plops his butt on the ground and gives me those sad “puppy dog eyes” and then we are off for another 10 or so minutes… hoping to run into somebody for him to greet.”