How To Be Smarter Than Celebrities Are About Service Dog Programs
Based on some of the things I’ve been reading online and seeing on TV today, looks like it’s a really good time to say this yet again:
I don’t care if you “heard about it on Oprah”, or you read about it here on my blog, or a well-known veterans organization is associated with it, or Charity Navigator gives it four stars (a discussion for another time, but for now note it’s significant that they are currently changing their methodology), or your best friend told you about it, or even if someone in your own family actually has a dog from the organization. Do your own research - the good places can stand up to the scrutiny, the not-so-great ones can’t, and the onus is on them to provide you the answers to your questions.
Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Rolls Through Annapolis
Nice article about the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride rolling through Annapolis yesterday – definitely watch the slide show:
Riders in the Wounded Warriors Soldier Ride make their way over the Naval Academy Bridge Saturday morning.
“Residents, mids honors Wounded Warriors with bike ride”
This is the sixth year for the ride, which kicked off at the White House on Thursday. You can check the entire schedule for the rest of this year’s ride events here:
http://sr.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Why The VA Has Provided No Money For Service Dogs – In Their Own Words
I saw yet another upset comment this morning about “Why doesn’t the VA pay for service dogs?”, so I thought this would be a good time to outline the concise history of their position, especially since I don’t believe it can be found all in one place anywhere. The subject comes up all the time and if you have an interest in this area, you definitely need to know the background so you can have an intelligent discussion and come to an informed opinion.
“I Don’t Want To Take Someone Else’s Dog.”
Something CCI has heard more than once from potential candidates for a service dog, especially younger veterans, is “I don’t wanna take somebody else’s dog.” Meaning, they think there’s somebody with a more severe need than they have, and they don’t want to take a dog that would be going to that person.
Can’t happen. Lemme say that again – can’t happen.
In fact, not only is it not possible, the exact opposite might be true – they might actually provide an opportunity for a dog to be placed who otherwise would not be. Here’s why…
Tough Questions You Need To Ask About Every Service Dog Organization
Last time I talked about how you can’t know if a dog is really a service dog, and ended up promising I’d tell you how you can have a huge impact on the overall quality of service dog placements, and why it’s absolutely critical that you do. (I’ll forewarn you that this is a longer post than I like to write, but it’s that important.)
Endal Junior – Service Dog In Training
A nice follow-up story to the passing of Endal a few weeks ago (“UK’s Most Famous Service Dog Is Gone” ) – EJ (Endal Junior) has made his first official public appearance:
“Endal’s Successor Makes Dogs Dinner Out of First Official Engagement”
Note that he’s only 10 months old and, as his human, Gulf War veteran Allen Parton, said, “…is very much a puppy in training and not a fully qualified service dog…”, but is still doing very well already.
Junior is not actually a son of Endal – here’s his story:
“Endal teaches EJ to follow his lead”
Service Dogs, Veterans, and PTSD
I’ve been wanting to say something about this subject for some time, but I’ve been wrestling with just what to say because I want to add something helpful and not just more fuel for all the arguments about what is a controversial subject. So, I think the best thing to do is just tell you my approach and how I got there.
New Red Cross Therapy Dog Program at Fort Carson, Colorado
Nice article in today’s Fort Carson Mountaineer newspaper about the newly established Red Cross therapy dog program at Evans Army Community Hospital. Of course, I’m a little biased because that’s our wonderful dog, Zephan, in the picture:
There’s no direct link to the article – you have to get the complete newspaper pdf and then look on page 21. One caveat: “service dog” wasn’t used accurately in the article – they should’ve just been described as therapy dogs. Nothing sinister there, just an honest mistake somewhere along the way in the preparation or editing of the article.
Marines Love Service Dogs!
Check out this fantastic picture of a Marine two-star CCI puppy raiser and puppy (click on the picture for the giant version):
OK, I’m lying about the puppy raiser part, but the picture is very real.
That’s MGen(sel) Mike Regner, the Legislative Assistant to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, visiting with Bogie, a Canine Companions for Independence assistance dog in training, at a recent function in DC. You can read Gen Regner’s full biography here:
http://www.marines.mil/units/hqmc/cmclegalasst/Pages/home.aspx
Blog Number 133,000,000-and-something
That’s how many blogs Technorati said they’d indexed since 2002 in their “State of the Blogosphere 2008″ report late last year – 133,000,000.
Who knows how many more there have been since then, but, hey, what’s one more?
I’ve written for others and always had it in the back of my head to write my own blog, but what finally got me to do it after all these years was really something very simple – my domain name finally became available not long ago.
« go backAbout Me
I'm very active with Canine Companions for Independence as a former member of the Veterans Task Force and puppy raiser. Retired US Air Force Chief Master Sergeant with my last assignments at the Air Force Academy as the Fourth Group Sergeant Major and Dean of Faculty Superintendent.
I'm actively looking for a paid position doing what I already do full-time as a volunteer.
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