Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Joyce Manyak, left, and Claudette Landry share Sparky stories during a memorial service for the resident dog at St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion in Lewiston on Wednesday. Sparky lived amongst the staff and residents of the fourth floor for eight years before he died on Dec. 4 at the age of 13. “He was a big part of my day,” Manyak said of the collie-shepherd mix. “It was always Sparky first and then you did what you needed to do,” said Manyak, a support partner who made the original phone call to bring Sparky to the nursing home. Landry said Sparky followed her to each patient as she made her rounds to distribute medications the night before he died. “Such a sweet dog,” Landry said.