PORTAGE | Patches Fountain has a repertoire of tricks much like any dog. She can sit on command, roll over and catch treats. She also can steal your heart.

 "That's another trick of hers," said Stuart Kanowitz, executive director of Golden LivingCenter-Fountainview Place in Portage.

With her tail wagging and eyes shining, the 3-year-old border collie and Dalmatian mix was officially adopted by the Golden LivingCenter nursing home Thursday, welcoming her new family along with the new year.

"She's our first official pet. We're very excited to have her," Kanowitz said.

Patches came to Golden LivingCenter after spending eight weeks going through rigorous obedience training through Prison Tails, a rehabilitation program that matches abused and abandoned dogs with qualified inmates at Westville Prison.

The canine graduates are then found suitable homes by the LaPorte-based rescue group Mixed Up Mutts.

 "We were contacted by Fountainview about the possibility of having a dog there, and we were totally open to it," said Cris Stevens, behavior specialist and founder of Mixed Up Mutts. "We thought it would be good for the dog, and it's good for the people there. Everyone wins."

Kanowitz said the center decided to bring in a dog in order to improve the quality of life for residents. Patches was an immediate hit.

"The first day they brought her by she went right up to all the residents," Golden LivingCenter volunteer Irline Holley said. "She knows she belongs here. The reaction has been very, very positive. It's very heartwarming to watch."

While at the center, Patches will be free to interact with residents, leaving each night with an employee and returning the following morning.

"She just has the run of the building," Kanowitz said. "She's a good fit, you can just tell. She fits right into our program."

Holley said: "She knows what her job is. She greets every person that comes by her."