Nov 21, 2010

I Don’t Know How Good This Service Dog Organization Is, But They Sure Got One Thing Right

Al , , , Service Dogs, Veterans

I Don’t Know How Good This Service Dog Organization Is, But They Sure Got One Thing Right

Saw a story today about a little service dog place in Savage, Minnesota just south of Minneapolis – St Paul called PawPads, and more specifically their Paw Corps program (“Veterans support each other”).

Never heard of them before – they’re not ADI-accredited or even members that I can tell, and I have no experience with their dogs or any idea how good they are, which is ultimately what counts.

So I can’t recommend them, BUT I do know they got one key concept right:  they have veterans … Read More

Nov 20, 2010

“Growing Up Guide Pup” – Great Video Series About What It’s Like To Raise A Guide Dog Puppy

Al , Service Dogs

“Growing Up Guide Pup” – Great Video Series About What It’s Like To Raise A Guide Dog Puppy

OK, I’m way behind the curve on this one.

I rarely, if ever, write about guide dogs here – no real reason other than it’s not a part of the assistance dog world I know well or focus on, and there are plenty of others doing that already. But I do think highly of them and follow some of the top organizations, in particular Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, CA, which is, simply put, as good as it gets.

As part of that, I’m subscribed to the … Read More

Nov 16, 2010

Wanna Know What Canine Companions For Independence Is All About? Gimme Five Minutes And Watch This Video

Al Service Dogs

Wanna Know What Canine Companions For Independence Is All About? Gimme Five Minutes And Watch This Video

Actually, the video is four minutes and it’ll take you about a minute to read what I have to say.

Every 90 days at the five Canine Companions for Independence regional centers around the US there are combination turn-in / graduation events, where puppies about to enter professional training are taken to the centers by their puppy raisers, and assistance dog teams graduate from two weeks of team training.

Those events are ALWAYS very emotional, even when you’re not turning in a dog, or don’t have one graduating, or don’t … Read More

Nov 9, 2010

Another Great Dog Option For Veterans Dealing With Post-Traumatic Stress – Paws For Purple Hearts

Al , , , , , , , Service Dogs, Veterans

Another Great Dog Option For Veterans Dealing With Post-Traumatic Stress – Paws For Purple Hearts

There’s an article today in the Washington Post about another great option for using dogs to help veterans whose only or primary issue is post-traumatic stress – Paws for Purple Hearts.  Actually, as the title of the article suggests, the dogs help those veterans as well as the veterans with serious physical injuries who ultimately receive the dogs once they’ve been trained as service dogs.

“Dual-duty dogs”

Rick Yount from Paws for Purple Hearts with his golden retriever Gabe.
Rick Yount from Paws for Purple Hearts with his golden retriever Gabe.

(There may be a few inaccuracies in the article – … Read More

Oct 30, 2010

Three Great Alternatives To Service Dogs For Veterans: Hounds 4 Heroes, Pets 2 Vets, Pets For Patriots

Al , , , , , Service Dogs, Veterans

Same thing I said here almost a year ago still applies – in fact, if anything, given the proliferation of programs and interest in this area, it’s even more true today: “Every Veteran With A Disability Doesn’t Need A Service Dog, And This Is A Great Alternative”

With that in mind, here are three great options – I’m sure there are more, but these are ones that have very good reputations and I’m comfortable recommending to you:

Hounds4Heroes

Pets for Patriots

Pets2Vets

What I continually try to impress upon people … Read More

Oct 29, 2010

17-Year-Old Hearing Dog Passes Away After A Lifetime Of Devoted Service

Al , Service Dogs

17-Year-Old Hearing Dog Passes Away After A Lifetime Of Devoted Service

Bumped into this one yesterday that’s a long-time, ongoing story, but this was the first I’d heard of it.

Another wonderful “speaks for itself, just go read it” story from the Mount Rainier Volunteers blog that there’s really nothing I can add to, other than maybe to say that Dogs For The Deaf, in case you’ve never heard of them, is a longstanding ADI-accredited organization in Oregon founded and run by Robin Dickson that does tremendous work.

Just leaves me speechless, honestly.

“RIP Damian, 1993-2010″

… Read More

Oct 27, 2010

Canine Companions For Independence Graduate To Receive Disability Awareness Day Award In Annapolis This Saturday

Al Service Dogs

Congratulations to my friend Nancy Patterson who’s been selected to receive the 2010 disAbility Awareness Day Award, the highest honor given by the Anne Arundel County Maryland Commission on Disability Issues.  If you’re in the area, the award will be presented at the disAbility Awareness Day this Saturday, Oct. 30, 1 – 4PM, at Westfield Annapolis mall.

Canine Companions for Independence graduate Nancy Patterson and Service Dog Mahler

Complete announcement is available at  this link: “2010 disAbility Awareness Day Awardee Chosen”.  There are a couple errors in it – clearly Mahler is not a Golden, and Nancy doesn’t hold … Read More

Oct 25, 2010

Veteran Kevin Stone Talks About His Paws With A Cause Service Dog Mambo

Al , , Service Dogs, Veterans

Veteran Kevin Stone Talks About His Paws With A Cause Service Dog Mambo

WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan, just did a short interview today with Deb Davis, National Marketing Manager at Paws With a Cause, and Kevin Stone, a veteran with a PAWS service dog, Mambo, to promote their upcoming Masquerade Ball fundraiser this Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Kevin and Mambo are a very visible and well-known team, largely because of Kevin being a US Paralympics medalist and archery coach – they were just at the recent USP Military Sports Camp in San Diego a couple weeks ago.  Kevin talks about how … Read More

Sep 30, 2010

Service Dogs For Veterans Outreach Event At Arlington National Cemetery

Al , , , , Service Dogs

Service Dogs For Veterans Outreach Event At Arlington National Cemetery

Video from yesterday’s Canine Companions for Independence Salutes Independence veterans outreach event at the Women In Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery is now up at The Pentagon Channel. My friends Sam Cila, Buddy Hayes, and Corey Hudson, CCI CEO, are all interviewed.

I tried to embed it with the start time set (something you can easily do with any YouTube video and you’re supposed to be able to do with these, too), but it didn’t work for me, so you’ll need to let it … Read More

Sep 30, 2010

Wait – You Mean Those Two Dogs Didn’t Really Belong To A Deployed Soldier?

Al Service Dogs

Wait – You Mean Those Two Dogs Didn’t Really Belong To A Deployed Soldier?

See this all the time, and not just with dog stories, and it makes me nuts:  “Follow-up visit: Dogs’ owner not soldier in Iraq”

Classic example of why you have to check things out BEFORE you post them.  Although this one’s pretty tame in comparison to many I’ve seen, and there were questions raised about it by some milbloggers when it was first publicized.

I’ve even had friends post things that I’ve told them privately weren’t real, they’ve acknowledged that, but then have made no public correction or comment.  And … Read More

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