The two have been partners for many years now after the two-legged one bailed the four-legged one out of danger in 2002.

They’re rarely apart, spending their daytimes working together and enjoying quality time at night at home.

Together they travel to children’s hospitals, nursing homes, camps for terminally ill children, grammar schools and anywhere else they’re invited to show people how it can be when you’re partners with your best friend and that together the best job you have is helping others in an animal therapy setting.

The two-legged partner is Dr. E.J. Finocchio, director of the Rhode Island SPCA. His four-legged sidekick is Marvin, a disabled black Labrabor retriever who found himself incarcerated at the RISPCA not once but three times when the kind-hearted Finocchio saw something in the Lab’s brown eyes that convinced him to take the dog home for himself.

Since that time, Finocchio and Marvin have been working as therapy partners under the auspices of the Delta Society, a national non-profit organization that certifies service and therapy animals.

Each year, Delta runs the Beyond Limits Awards sponsored by Purina. This competition draws the top therapy partners from all over the country.

This year, Finocchio and Marvin were nominated and made the initial cut and advanced to the finals in the Pet Partners rescue category. Finalists in that category must have a minimum of two years experience as a Pet Partners team and their animal partner must have been adopted from a shelter or rescue organization.

After several weeks of voting by the public and their peers, it was announced last week that Finocchio and Marvin are the national winners in their category.

After teaming up with Finocchio, Marvin now has a children’s book called Marvelous Marvin, written about him. Through his book and paintings, Marvin has raised more than $95,000 for education programs, including the RISPCA Marvin Fund, which benefits all animals in need of food, shelter and medical attention.

As a team, they work with pediatric oncology patients at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.

Marvin also brings out gentleness and kindness in some of the most emotionally disturbed students at the Providence Interim Middle School.

Through the Delta Society, Sandra A. MacDonald, the family case manager at the school, praises Marvin and Finocchio and says, “The story you tell about Marvin’s life and how his attitude never changed even through adversity, is a great fit for our kids and their problems.”

Marvin has proven to be a great role model for people of all ages whose lives he has touched. And together this dynamic duo continues every day to improve and inspire all of those around them. Job well done.

Recent winner

Am./Can. Ch. DiBar’s Kiss of Death JC, TT, Borzoi, Winnie Kelly of Fall River, BOB, Elm City and First Company Governor’s Foot GuardS Athletic Association dog shows.

jgregory@projo.com