Houston Professor Fosters 7 Golden Retrievers Amid Parkinson's

When Jeffrey Weiss noticed his bowling average dropping 30 pins and struggled to walk without dragging his right leg, he knew something was wrong. Seven years later, the Texas Chiropractic College professor has found an unexpected path to healing: fostering golden retrievers.

Weiss's journey to a Parkinson's diagnosis wasn't easy. After one neurologist put him through multiple MRIs, nerve conduction studies, and a spinal tap without answers, he sought a second opinion and finally got his diagnosis.

But the first treatment plan didn't work. "The mental drain of these ongoing symptoms took a heavy toll on my energy and mood," Weiss shared. "I went through the classic stages of grief, experiencing denial and anger, constantly asking myself, 'Why me?'"

Everything changed when he found the right medication and physical therapy routine. But Weiss realized he needed more than medical treatment. He needed a mindset shift.

That's when he and his wife Yvonne, married 38 years, turned to Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue in Houston. After their previous dogs lived full 14-year lives, the couple opened their hearts and home again. In just one year, they've fostered seven golden retrievers.

"They are sweet, loving goofballs ranging from 65 to 95 pounds who, despite their size, just want to be lap dogs," Weiss said. The daily care these dogs need gave him something he'd been missing: purpose.

Sunny's Take

There's something powerful about the simplicity of what brings Weiss joy now. The dogs don't care about his tremors or coordination issues. They just want his love and attention.

"They make me smile when I don't feel like smiling, and they make me feel needed," he explained. "Knowing they just want to love and be loved gives me another sense of purpose."

His experience as a teacher helps too. Weiss stayed connected to his students throughout his health challenges, and that human connection matters deeply to him.

"Parkinson's disease is not a path I would ever choose, but like any obstacle in life, what matters most is how you choose to respond to it," Weiss said. His deep desire to live, love, and interact with others keeps him grounded as a teacher, bowler, father, grandfather, and husband.

For anyone facing Parkinson's or other life challenges, Weiss proves that healing isn't just about medication: it's about finding what makes you feel most like yourself.