I know I sure didn’t give them the respect they deserve initially, and that was largely because every time I heard them being brought up, it was as a means to an end, specifically in military hospitals, of educating patients about applying for service dogs. Now that’s certainly a great thing and very much a part of what they do, but they have a tremendous role to play all on their own, and there aren’t nearly enough of them out there.

That’s why I was so happy to see this great recent video with CCI Facility Dog Scully and his partner Elizabeth Penny – they are perhaps the best example I’ve seen of using the full range of a Facility Dog’s capabilities in a physical rehabilitation environment. Video is only 7 1/2 minutes, but if you don’t even have that much time, fast forward to 2:25 where Elizabeth explains and demonstrates what Scully does, and give me 5 minutes.

The video speaks for itself and says more than I ever could, but note the big things Elizabeth talks about having Scully help with:

• articulation of speech – e.g., after strokes, aphasia, or brain injuries with the associated difficulty speaking
• physical therapy – grooming, walking, feeding, teaching commands
• education – patients who might benefit from a service dog get hands-on training and actually work with him
• pure motivation – especially with pediatric patients, just to get them up and outta the bed (“Sometimes patients will say ‘I’ll come down for Scully, but I’m not coming down for therapy.’”)

You can see a whole list of rehabilitation goals Scully helps with at his WakeMed page:

• Improve memory
• Improve word retrieval
• Improve sequencing skills
• Improve socialization
• Increase auditory comprehension
• Increase verbal spontaneous speech
• Increase motivation for participation
• Increase attention
• Improve use of upper extremities
• Improve ability to interact with dog
• Improve use of gestures in language
• Improve articulation
• Improve sitting balance
• Improve gait training
• Decrease situational depression

(By the way, Scully, as you some of you may have wondered about, was named for Vin Scully, the legendary Dodgers broadcaster. Very cool story about how that happened – I don’t know that Vin himself even knows there is a dog named after him.)

There are several CCI Facility Dogs involved in military settings, most notably Tommy at the Naval Medical Center San Diego Comprehensive Combat Casualty Care Center (C5); and Ascot and Bhadra at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. Based on numerous conversations I’ve had over the years, though, I’m firmly convinced that the vast majority of occupational therapists have no idea what a Facility Dog can do, and if they did, they’d be pounding on CCI’s door to get one.

Elizabeth said it best: “I don’t know if I could go without having a dog in rehab. The impact that it has made on my patients, and my coworkers… I just don’t know that I could go without one.”

Big congrats to my friend Major David Rozelle on his very recent pairing with Canine Companions for Independence Service Dog Domi.

Dave is currently the Army ROTC commander at the University of Colorado main campus in Boulder - saying he’s a very well known guy in the wounded warrior / competitive athlete world is an understatement. (Not to mention just being an all-around stand-up guy.)

“New CU Army ROTC commander served three tours in Iraq“

Among other things, Dave was the first amputee to return to Iraq as a commander, an experience that was the subject of his 2005 book, Back In Action:

He’s also a bigtime Challenged Athletes Foundation – Operation Rebound competitor to include being a Kona Ironman.

Lots more I could write here, but I think the first line in his CAF bio pretty much sums it up: “Major David Rozelle, a below-knee amputee, is an icon, resource, and inspirational figure for American soldiers injured in recent conflicts abroad.”

And yet another person I’m proud to call a friend – couldn’t have a better addition to the family.

Congrats again, Dave and Domi!  (And, as an aside for you NHL fans, she was named after Tie Domi, but that’s a story for another time.)

It’s really very nice to be able to post about a great placement like this, and I wish I could say it represented the majority of what I see in the service dog world, especially where veterans are concerned, but I can’t.

Unfortunately, my opinion of things overall hasn’t changed since my last post almost three months ago in July. In fact, that train’s still rolling down the track and things are only getting worse, just as I suggested there and for the very reasons I mentioned.

And so you still likely won’t be seeing me post much here at all because of that. 

These are always great events and a real opportunity to connect with a lotta resources all in one place at one time that you will normally never see all together like that – CCI staff, graduates, service dogs, puppies in training, volunteers, wounded warriors, you name it.

Still a ways away, but not too early to start thinking about going, especially with it being centrally located in the US.

Here’s an image of the flyer; click on it for the even larger PDF version.

Four videos in honor of the holiday and those who’ve paid the price so we can all enjoy it. Three I’ve posted before, the last is a new one from Thursday.

All four are Canine Companions for Independence veteran graduates, I’m proud to say I know all of these men personally, and, in each case, their injuries were sustained in the line of duty.

In addition, today is Sam Cila’s Alive Day – he was injured in an IED attack on July 4, 2005.

“Calvin Smith and Chesney”

“Sam Cila and Gillian”

“Jason Morgan and Napal”

“Jay Huston and Timo”

Can you tell who the veteran with the service dog is in this Canine Companions for Independence class graduation picture? I can, but that’s only because I know who it is, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

You hear a lot nowadays from service dog places about how they only serve veterans and why that’s a great thing. Maybe you think it is, maybe you don’t, but, either way, you need to know upfront that if a service dog place being veterans-only is your number one criteria, you just ruled out CCI. That’s up to you, as always, but why rule out arguably the best place in the business before you even get started?

One of the biggest things I’ve always liked about CCI is that they serve a broad population, of which veterans are an important part – they’re not just a veterans-only organization. And they’ve done that since the very beginning – “Proudly Serving U.S. Veterans Since 1975″ is a phrase you may have seen on CCI-associated stuff.

Me saying that might surprise a lotta people, but a little history is in order here.

When I first got involved with CCI at least 6 or 7 years ago, it wasn’t because of veterans, it was because of what their assistance dogs do for the population that needs them as a whole. My involvement with the veterans aspect just evolved naturally because of both the increased number of veterans coming home from OEF/OIF with serious injuries and because I’m a retired military guy.

That’s still my approach. I only want to see the best service dog teams out there, and I want everybody – not just veterans – who has a service dog to have the best one they can have. And I still feel that if we say we’re serving that population (which is very tough to define or put a number on since there’s really no hard and fast criteria for getting a service dog, plus there’s no way you can be “all things to all people”), by default you have to make sure you’re serving veterans since they’re a key part of it.

The only “downside” I know of to that approach is that CCI doesn’t get to sell itself as a veterans-only organization, but I don’t see that as a big negative. The reason is simple: while being a veterans-only place is definitely beneficial for the organization, I haven’t seen anything that convinces me it’s more beneficial for veterans. Certainly at least not to the level where you would use it as your primary criteria for choosing one organization over another – there’s a whole lotta other things on the list that come before that.

But, look, even if you think I’m full of it here (wouldn’t be the first time somebody’s thought that), the fact remains that if a place not being veterans-only is the deal breaker for you, CCI is out (and so are many other organizations).

Something I said two years ago is still true, and I’m gonna refine that even further: CCI could graduate more veterans than it currently does, but that would mean more veterans would have to apply.

Let’s be very clear – that doesn’t mean veterans get any special preference, and, just like with non-veterans, CCI’s not for everybody. For example, there are types of dogs they don’t train, and they’re very straight-up about that; if you’re looking for one of those, it’s not the place for you.

But the vast majority of people, including veterans, who I’ve talked to about getting a service dog never got that far. They not only didn’t apply or even contact CCI, they didn’t even know it existed.

I’d love to see CCI ramp up its veterans outreach even more, but that doesn’t change the fact that if you’re interested in a service dog, you still have to take the initiative, contact them, and then apply, if appropriate. They don’t just hand out assistance dogs, nor do they promise a dog to a veteran (or anyone else) if they’ll just apply. You have to apply first, and then see how things go. You may not make the list, but there’s only one way to find out.

And the reality is, in spite of everything you hear about waiting lists, the VA, federal funding, you name it (not to mention a few of the bogus rumors about CCI I’ve heard floating around lately), there’s still one big reason there aren’t more veterans with CCI dogs: not enough are applying. I can’t be any clearer than that.

OK, not really (nice idea, though).

Warrior Games Closing Ceremonies Saturday night were overwhelming. It was great to see so many friends, especially wearing medals, and I wanna thank my good friend Damian Orslene (one of those wearing a medal) for inviting us and allowing us to celebrate with him.

The final Canine Companions for Independence graduate medal count was: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze. Lance Weir with 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and Jason Morgan with 1 Silver, 4 Bronze.

Now, the truth is, I can’t guarantee any medals if you get a CCI dog, and neither would they. I can tell you, though, that CCI was very well represented throughout the Games by these two guys and Susan Katz from US Paralympics, and I know of a number of conversations that took place and team members who are very seriously considering applying for a dog.

Jokes aside, their presence and those conversations helped dispel a few of the biggest misconceptions that are still around and will probably never go away. Not necessarily in this order or a complete list, and there is some overlap between them, but here’s a few of the main ones:

• “Hey, I’m a very active person, compete in (fill in the athletic event), and it doesn’t seem right for me to have a dog.” I’m willing to bet that you could still use help with things like, for example, picking up stuff in your room or at home. Two different deals.

• “I don’t wanna take a dog from somebody else who might need it more.” Maybe the biggest one I hear, especially from military people (no surprise there). At CCI, it simply can’t happen – the thoroughness of the process ensures that. In fact, longer than I wanna explain here, but the reality is exactly the opposite – you might match with a dog that would not match otherwise and be released.

• “I don’t think my issues are serious enough for a dog.” Variation of the above and often said at the same time. That’s not for me to decide, but the short version is this: if you think a dog might help, ask the question. Because CCI’s not gonna just give you a dog, and I don’t believe any other reputable ADI-accredited organization will, either. You have to apply, and then let the experts work things.

• “I don’t wanna be dependent on a dog.” Doesn’t work that way – at most, I’d call it mutual dependence. It is very much a team effort – the whole Battle Buddy, Wingman, Shipmate, etc. thing is not just some line here, it’s dead serious. A big piece of CCI’s evaluation of someone as a potential candidate for a dog is how well that person can take care of the dog.

Again, there are more, but those are the big ones. And to answer the ‘Where do I look for a service dog?” question again, because it seems like I can’t say this too often: “Start with CCI, then look at the rest of the organizations on the ADI-accredited list.”

Bottom line: I won’t try to talk you into a dog, but don’t talk yourself outta one, either. And I can tell you that these guys went through that same drill, too.

Plus, it oughtta be good for at least a bronze or two next year.

“Marines Sweep Shooting Competition” (photo by Lance Cpl. Kayla Hermann)

That’s pretty much the headline for this year’s Warrior Games.

One person who contributed to that butt whuppin’ is my friend Lance Weir, seen here with his Canine Companions for Independence service dog Auggie during the presentation of his Gold and Silver Medals in the air rifle shooting competition.

Very cool because, besides being a friend and very well known in the CCI world, Lance wasn’t even here last year, and, according to his coach, didn’t even realize it was something he could compete in, and look at the result!

Final event is this afternoon with closing ceremonies tonight.

Great post from one of the newest CCI graduates that gives you an inside look at his truly life-changing Team Training experience in the last few weeks.

Yet another classic example of why my short version answer to a question I get asked all the time – “Where do I look for a service dog?” – is always “Start with CCI, then look at the rest of the organizations on the ADI-accredited list.”

“Airmen Begin Warrior Games At Olympic Training Complex“

There’s so much stuff from yesterday’s Warrior Games Opening Ceremonies, there’s no way in the world I could come close to posting it all here, even just the service dog stuff. I’ll say just like I did last year that it’s really an incredible experience being there, and if you have any interest at all, you should make a point to come out here to Colorado Springs and go to them.

I did want to post this one picture of my buddy Napal, Jason Morgan’s CCI service dog (well, they’re both my friends) from the official Air Force article about the ceremony because, not only is it maybe the best picture of Napal I’ve ever seen, it shows you exactly what a service dog should like when he’s working.

Teams are all here in Colorado Springs now prepping for the Games next week, and I got to catch up with my good friend Jason Morgan and his Canine Companions for Independence service dog Napal at the Air Force Academy Community Center pool yesterday during practice.

I’ve written lots about Jason before – a search will show more, but here’s some pertinent links:

“Canine Companions for Independence Veteran Graduate In Airman Magazine“

“Out Of Everything I’ve Done To Try And Improve My Life, Nothing’s Even Come Close To Getting My Service Dog, Napal”

“Warrior Games – More Thoughts“

“Air Superiority At The Warrior Games: Air Force’s Jason Morgan And Napal“