MORE THAN PUPPY LOVE: FREE CANINE COMPANION SERVICE DOGS BENEFIT LOCAL SENIORS

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By Miriam Raftery

(Canine Companions for Independence)

April 1, 2009 (San Diego County) – Disabled seniors and organizations that serve senior citizens can obtain free service dogs thanks to a grant provided by the Gary and Mary West Foundation. Canine Companions for Independence will provide dogs to help seniors throughout San Diego County with tasks such as opening doors, retrieving objects, and even alerting hearing impaired owners to ringing phones or doorbells. “CCI assistance dogs can help seniors in their homes or at treatment centers. We’d like to reach as many people as possible!” said Linda Valliant, CCI Southwest Executive Director in Oceanside.

“I really can’t imagine my life today or any time in the future without a CPI dog,” said Peter Wolcott of Santee, who relies on his golden retriever, Shelton, to fetch items and more. “It has enriched my life immeasurably, not only from the assistance aspect but also from the companionship aspect.” View a video by Rob Constantine of Wolcott and his CCI dog, Shelton:

Before getting his first CCI dog, he recalled, “I didn’t think I was handicapped enough to need one. Then one day when it was raining, I went out to retrieve a newspaper. My crutched slipped on a section of wet pavement…I landed hard and bruised some ribs.” Wolcott’s first companion dog has since retired after years of faithful service. Today, he relies on Shelton, a 10-year-old golden retriever. Wolcott is now confined to a wheelchair permanently after damaging his knee from years of pounding around on crutches.

“Shelton carries things for me in his mouth and picks things up off the floor,” Wolcott noted. Several command can be strung together for more complicated actions. For instance, if Wolcott drops his keys on the floor, he orders Shelton to “look,” “get it” and bring back by saying “here.” The dog can be told to “sit” and “give”, or open his mouth so that Wolcott can grasp the keys.

Service dogs can provide even more help for people who lack upper body strength. “If you need them to pull open the refrigerator, they tie a strap to the door handle and the dog would pull the refrigerator open. It’s called a tug command,” he said. “They can stand on their hind legs and push open doors.” Dogs can even be trained to pull a manual wheelchair on flat surfaces.

This is a dog turning on a light This is a dog turning on a light
A dog retrieving dropped keys and delivering them

Sometimes, a dog can do far more than assist in simple tasks.

“Shelton did save me once,” Wolcott revealed. While playing catch with the dog, who was on a 20-foot leash, Wolcott mistakenly threw a ball sideways. Shelton accidentally pulled the wheelchair on its side. “One of the commands the dog is taught is `speak’ to get the dog to bark,” he recalled. “Shelton realized I was in trouble…He started barking rapidly in rapid succession without prompting from me. It was a high, plaintiff kind of bark—you could tell he was kind of scared.” A neighbor heard the dog and called paramedics, who helped Wolcott get back in his wheelchair. “I wasn’t hurt, but Shelton definitely proved his worth that day,” he concluded.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 41% of adults age 65 and older have disabilities. CCI assistance dogs can assistance seniors as well as children and adults of all ages with disabilities. Dogs are trained to serve clients with a wide range of physical disabilities including spinal cord injury, brain trauma, hearing impairment, and multiple schlerosis, among others.

(Canine Companions for Independence)

The CCI program was started in 1975 in Santa Rosa by Bonnie Bergen, who wanted to help a disabled friend. Today, the program is national and has won international recognition. Puppies undergo training by volunteers starting at eight weeks of age to learn basic commands. “Every time I see a dog with a puppy raiser I just bless them mightily, because without them CCI would not exist,” said Wolcott, noting that puppy raisers pay for costs of the dog’s food and basic vet bills. Puppies in training wear yellow capes, then graduate and receive a blue cape with the CCI logo. Around age two, the dogs are placed with owners who also receive training. CCI receives funding from donations and grants through philanthropic organizations, with no government assistance. All dogs are provided free to the disabled.

Owners are provided with ID cards that have a “graduate” photo of their dog and a statement that the dogs have the right to be in all public places under both federal and state law. Once, a store owner objected to the dog’s presence, Wolcott recalled, but producing the ID card quickly resolved the problem.

In addition to placing dogs with disabled people in their homes, CCI also places dogs with professionals and volunteers who work with seniors in rehabilitation, therapeutic and assisted living facilities.

Oceanside resident Val Valentine helps a wide range of people with her CCI facility dog, Shirley. Valentine and Shirley volunteer together at a local retirement home, a hospital, and with special needs children. Valentine credits the experience with making retirement more fulfilling.

“Watching people smile because of her is such a gift,” she concluded. “Many of the people we visit are seniors who are so appreciative of the company. Their stress and pain seem to fade as they pet Shirley, and she loves the attention!”

 


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