<P> One day , Melvin 's apartment neighbor , a gay artist named Simon Bishop , is assaulted and nearly killed during a robbery . Melvin is intimidated by Simon 's agent , Frank Sachs , into caring for Simon 's dog , Verdell , while Simon is hospitalized . Although he initially does not enjoy caring for the dog , Melvin becomes emotionally attached to it . He simultaneously receives more attention from Carol . When Simon is released from the hospital , Melvin is unable to cope emotionally with returning the dog . Melvin 's life is further altered when Carol decides to work closer to her home in Brooklyn so she can care for her acutely asthmatic son Spencer ( `` Spence '' ) . Unable to adjust to another waitress , Melvin arranges through his publisher , whose husband is a doctor , to pay for her son 's considerable medical expenses as long as Carol agrees to return to work . She is overwhelmed at his generosity , and they agree there will be no physical relationship . </P>
<P> One day , Melvin 's apartment neighbor , a gay artist named Simon Bishop , is assaulted and nearly killed during a robbery . Melvin is intimidated by Simon 's agent , Frank Sachs , into caring for Simon 's dog , Verdell , while Simon is hospitalized . Although he initially does not enjoy caring for the dog , Melvin becomes emotionally attached to it . He simultaneously receives more attention from Carol . When Simon is released from the hospital , Melvin is unable to cope emotionally with returning the dog . Melvin 's life is further altered when Carol decides to work closer to her home in Brooklyn so she can care for her acutely asthmatic son Spencer ( `` Spence '' ) . Unable to adjust to another waitress , Melvin arranges through his publisher , whose husband is a doctor , to pay for her son 's considerable medical expenses as long as Carol agrees to return to work . She is overwhelmed at his generosity , and they agree there will be no physical relationship . </P>
name of dog in as good as it gets
name of dog in as good as it gets
Verdell
Verdell