4PawPrints | Dec/Jan

Transcription

Dec/Jan 2012-13
4PAWPRINTS
Photos by Jessica Noll-Korczyk/4 Paws
1
From
our
Paws
to
yours,
HAPPY
NEW
YEAR!
4PAWPRINTS Dec/Jan.2012-13
INSIDE 4PAWPRINTS | DEC-JAN.2012-13
2
Cover .................. Happy New Year from 4 Paws for Ability!
Page 3-4 .............. Ben’s Corner: Small dogs, big jobs
Page 5-6 ............. Piper visits grandpups in prison
Page 7-9 ............. Holiday Hounds | December Class
Page 10 .............. ‘Twas a Paw Before Christmas
Page 11-12 ......... Paw of the Class: Joel & Jubilee furever friends
Page 13 ............... Make a Dream Come True: Meet Sabrina
Page 14 .............. January Class Preview
Page 15-16 ......... STAR Foster, Elly O.
Page 17 .............. Welcome our newest paws!
Page 18 .............. Breed All About It: Papillons, brains & beauty
Page 19 ................ Miami Valley School visits 4 Paws
Page 20 ................ Growing up fast @4 Paws
Page 21 ................ Happy HOWLidays!
Page 22 ............... Doggone Good News from development
Page 23 ............... Sevenly draws BIG $$ for $ Paws
Page 24 ............... Paws @work
Page 25-27 ......... 4 Paws @BIG BLUE
Page 28 ............... In the News
Page 29 ................ Pink Girlz are back
................
4 Paws
Page 30
Shop
Page 31 ................ Round of Appaws
BEN’SCORNER
FROM THE DESK OF 4PAWS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KAREN SHIRK
SMALL DOGS, BIG JOBS
I will never forget the day I realized what a great service dog a
I will never forget the night I met her at the airport and
Papillon could be. It was indeed a true revelation as prior to
looked into that tiny, cat-sized crate to see this tiny, two-pound,
Gracie or BG as I refer to it; I had no use for small, toy breed
three-legged puppy looking out at me. “OMG” I thought to
dogs. Let me start here with the Amazing Gracie who changed
myself, “what am I going to do with you?” I really did think I
the destiny of 4 Paws, who was placing only larger dogs, to an
had made a terrible mistake. To think if I had sent her back then
agency who used all sizes of dogs in their placement of service how different my life would be today. How much joy I would
dogs.
have missed out on not having this endearing breed in my life.
Gracie was born on Dec. 1, 2004 in California. Truly a gift It certainly took Gracie no time at all to weasel herself into my
from God was placed on earth that day and anyone who met
heart. She was a cute little imp with three good legs and one
her would agree. Gracie, like many I WILL NEVER FORGET THE NIGHT I MET
little chicken wing but she certainly
of the kids we service here at 4 Paws HER AT THE AIRPORT AND LOOKED INTO did not let that stop her. In fact at the
was born with a host of disabilities. THAT TINY, CAT-SIZED CARTE TO SEE THIS time her favorite playmate was my
Her breeder knew she was special TINY, TWO-POUND, THREE-LEGGED
150-pound Great Dane.
and sought to find the perfect
The week after Gracie arrived I was
PUPPY LOOKING OUT AT ME.
placement for her. “Perhaps” she
going up to a training class and
-Karen Shirk
thought, “a therapist working with
meeting a new family there who was
disabled children could use her in
considering a dog. Their concern
their work.” As she searched the Internet she was led to 4 Paws was their daughter seemed afraid of them. As I stood there
For Ability and called to see what we could do to help Gracie
talking to them about Autism Assistance Dogs, Gracie began to
find her destiny. Hearing her story, I agreed that perhaps a three work her magic, the magic that earned her the name 4 Paws
legged dog would be a good match for a therapist and though
Amazing Gracie. Before any of us realized it, Gracie and the
that was not something we really had a hand in, I thought I
small girl were sitting together and she just loved Gracie. It was
could help find a placement and told her to send her on over
a magical and special moment because in that moment I knew
here to Ohio.
Papillons belonged in the 4 Paws For Ability program. Now
3
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NOW!
Donate to our Building Fund!
4
this little girl needed a big dog, so Gracie
could not become her service dog but
instead a stepping-stone into the
world of dogs—a world where
dogs are a good thing and not
something to fear. She went on
to be matched with a loving and
kind Black Lab named Buddy
and I went on to start planning
the 4 Paws Papillon breeding
program.
Step one was to convince
Gracie’s breeder that she needed
to be the 4 Paws mascot not a
therapy dog because I knew at
that moment I could never part
with her. That was easy and in
fact, as I spoke with her and told
her how we wanted to start
breeding Papillons she offered to send us
Gracie’s sister Piper to be the foundation
of our breeding program and of course I
accepted. This, it turned out, was one of
the better decisions I ever made in my
entire adult life! It’s hard to believe that
was 8 years ago, as it seems Piper has
always been with me. I always say my
true life started the day I received Ben,
my first service dog, and the reason I
started 4 Paws For Ability. Though my
life did not end when Ben earned his
angel wings, I never thought there would
be a dog who could fill his footprints…
well that was until Piper came along!
I think Piper was with me for about
6 months before I started to notice a
strange behavior. For no reason she
would be insistent that she be in my lap
and would scratch at my chest frantically.
I’m not sure how many times this
happened before I started to put things
together but at some point I realized this
seemed to occur right before what is
called a Myasthenic crisis. You see, I
have Myasthenia Gravis, a neurological
disorder that falls under the Muscular
Dystrophy umbrella. With MG one has
periods of calm where life is pretty
normal aside from being in a weakened
state and needing to conserve energy.
With MG one also suffers exacerbations,
periods in which one experiences severe
weakness and in some cases, and this
pertains to me, respiratory failure.
Thankfully, there is medication, which
can help with limiting the effects of
Myasthenia and if taken in time, a fullblown crisis can be averted. I began to
chart her behavior and it became clear
right away that she was alerting.
Today Piper has three kids and
several grandkids who are working
service dogs and doing alert work just
like their Mom! As the foundation of the
4 Paws Papillon breeding program she
has created a whole little army of mighty
Papillon working dogs. Piper herself is
retired from breeding but still works as
my service dog. She loves to travel and
attends many benefits on behalf of 4
Paws, sharing the word about how
awesome the program really is. She has
in fact, her own column in this
newsletter! Her sister Gracie was and
always will be loved by all who met her.
Sadly Gracie was born not just with a
crippled leg but also a seizure disorder,
stomach problems, and finally failing
kidneys, which bought her way into
heaven. People always talk about how
when one goes to heaven they become
whole. I like to think Gracie was whole
just the way she was and I am sure she is
running through heaven on 3 legs just as
she ran on earth. When I meet
her one day I just know she will
be exactly as she was on earth
minus any discomfort her
illnesses brought her.
Today here at 4 Paws we have a
thriving and successful Papillon
breeding program with our
Papillons going out into the
world as diabetic alert dogs,
seizure alert dogs, hearing ear
dogs, and in some cases
companion dogs for those who
just need a little friendship to
make their life perfect. This
month brought the program to
the forefront of my mind because
we graduated two Papillons. The first,
little Joey, a pint-sized Papillon who is
now a partner to Sophia, a pint sized girl!
Sophia has high functioning Autism and
needed a friend to help her socially,
emotionally, and to bring a true
friendship into her life. They bonded
almost immediately and seemed as
though they were meant for each other.
Joey looked at Sophia with admiration
and love and would listen to her every
command! Also placed was a Piper
granddaughter, Jubilee (4 Paws Golden
Jubilee). Jubilee, fondly known as
JuJuBean, is a seizure alert dog and is
joining her new family, which included
Ghost (A Piper son placed as a breeding
dog). Ghost went into the home about 6
months before Jubilee and was alerting
within days. However, Ghost is not a
trained service dog so Jubilee will be the
dog who belongs just to her boy, Joel and
will go everywhere that he goes to alert
to his seizures and help him stay safe.
We have a new column in this
newsletter where we will feature the
different breeds used at 4 Paws. Take a
moment to read about Papillons and learn
of some of the Papillon placements made
at 4 Paws to date.
DONATE NOW!
Give to our Building Fund!
PIPER VISITS GRANDPUPS IN PRISON
By Piper the Papillon
S
5
o today I headed out to prison
to visit my grandchildren who were
staying at the Warren Correctional
Institute. While our dogs are not
usually sent to prison for acts of
violence or breaking the law, I am sure
in the case of these two kids,
noncompliance played a huge part in
their commitment. Throughout the
years, many of the 4 Paws Papillons
have entered the prison programs run
by 4 Paws and I am sure they brought
great joy to the inmates who worked
with them. Today my column is about
the 4 Paws prison program. It is really
a great concept and my children and
grandchildren always come out of
prison so well behaved! Maybe
humans should consider putting their
children through this program because
I have met some pretty disobedient
human children who want to snatch me
up, poke at me, or pull my ears. I bet
these inmates could teach them a thing
or two!
So you may be wondering what
the heck I am talking about. I know
occasionally when Karen tells people
that their dog was in prison they would
look at her in a funny manner and ask,
“Is that what you call the dog shelter?”
Karen always laughs and says no, they
were in a REAL prison with inmates
who committed crimes! Okay, so
sometimes that is a bit of a shock to
these people to think of the “criminals”
with their dog. I have been to prison
several times and my kids, grandkids
and friends have been in there as well.
These inmates are the good guys. Let
me take some time to explain how it
works!
Long before my life began (and
when Karen must have been quite
lonely and sad since I was not yet with
her) she was visiting her horse at East
Fork Stables in Eastgate. Let me
digress here for a moment. I have yet
to figure out the human draw to horses.
They are so big and kind of stupid if
you ask me. They just stand around
eating grass. You see that proves my
point. The
only reason
to eat grass is
to get
something
out of your
stomach, the
dog remedy
for nausea.
Either these
guys need a
medical
Internist or
they are
really stupid
to eat grass
all the time.
Okay well
anyway, at
that time
Micah, the horse, did not live at her
home as he does now and she would
go every day to visit him. On one such
visit she met a Priest who was walking
a small fluffy dog. He was telling
everyone how they met. It seems that
he was visiting the inmates at a local
prison and he saw this small dog
walking across grounds. This prison
had a program where they worked with
shelter dogs to make them more
adoptable.
Karen listened quite intently to
this conversation and when he was
done she had so many questions to ask.
Once she learned that the prison was
Warren Correctional she went home to
find their contact information so she
could tell them about 4 Paws For
Ability and seek a partnership. So
there you have it, the beginning of 4
Paws Mission Pawsible, where inmates
work with and train the 4 Paws dogs
for service dog work. Warren
Correctional, where the wee dog
mentioned earlier was
found, became the first
4 Paws Mission
Pawsible program with
2 dogs and today there
are up to 15 dogs there
on any given day. Since
that time 4 Paws has
added 4 new prisons as
well! We have
programs at Warren
Correctional Institute,
Lebanon Correctional
Institute, Warren
County “Camp” for
short-term offenders,
London Correctional
Institute, and Pickaway
Correctional Institute.
Many people ask about
the safety of our dogs in prison and the
best testament to their safety is the fact
that Karen allows my children and
grandchildren to be in the program.
The inmates in the program have done
some very bad things in their past. In
fact, one of our best inmate trainers
who has been with the 4 Paws program
from day one is in on a life sentence.
As a young man he was involved in a
very bad murder and is not eligible to
leave prison until he is an old man.
Once he said to Karen that when he
entered prison the big thing was the
eight-track player, whatever that is. He
is fascinated by her iPod, which holds
hundreds of pictures in a hand size
device. Eddie has worked with
DONATE
NOW!
PIPERS CHECKS ON MISSIONPAWSIBLE
TM
MANY of the 4 Paws Papillons
because Eddie loves Papillons. It is
clear to see that Eddie is certainly
rehabilitated because he
is a true Papillon lover
and must be a good
guy! Actually we
know Eddie is a good
guy because he
worked very hard to
get into the program.
To even apply inmates
must be “ticket” free
for a year. This means
they must meet honor
roll status and
maintain it for a solid
year just to apply.
Once accepted they
must continue to
maintain this status to
stay in the program. If
one does not and is
sent to some place
called the “hole” they
are out of the program
and have to start all
over again to get back in. Personally I
would think the idea of being thrown
down in a hole would be enough
deterrent. I once fell into a small hole
out in our field and that was scary
enough!
At our prisons each dog stays
with his or her inmate in the cell.
They are with the inmates 24/7 unless
they need a short break and then a
babysitter watches the puppy for a
while. Our Training Director, Jeremy
Dulebohn goes to each prison every
other week to teach them how to work
with the dogs and help them with any
issues the dogs are having while they
are in the program. Some of our
trainers who have been in the program
from the beginning are truly service
dog trainers and can take a puppy
from start through finishing the tasks
needed by the child. The majority of
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the inmates though work with the
puppies to teach them house manners
and basic obedience.
Mission Pawsible is a win-winwin situation. The dogs get to stay
with a human on a one on one
relationship and receive lots of love
from their inmate. This inmate gets to
have someone to care for and some of
them for the first time ever are able to
give something good to society by
helping to train the dogs, and finally
the kids and veterans who receive the
dogs benefit from the hard work the
inmates put into their furry friends.
To learn more about the Mission
Pawsible program take a moment to
read about it on our website at
http://4pawsforability.org/
mission-pawsible/
I want to share a portion of a
letter once written to Karen about the
prison program:
My name is Clayton and I am
serving a six-year sentence for
aggravated robbery. In the beginning I
joined the 4 Paws program just
because of my love for dogs. I thought
having a pet in
prison would be
alright! But all of
that and a lot
more changed
once I began to
understand the
true meaning of
the program.
When I realized
how important the
dogs I trained
were to other
people something
inside me changed
suddenly. It was
as if I were able to
see everything
clearly for the first
time in my life.
This program has
done so much for
me. I am sincerely
a better person
because of it. Before this program I
never understood what real
responsibility meant and I never had
any direction in my life. Because of
this program I now understand the
meaning of a lot of things including
the importance of my own life. And I
have found my way through the
darkness, which I have lived in for so
long. Some people do not see the
impact of this program. Let me be the
first to say that without this program I
know in my heart I would not have
been able to change my life. I have
been incarcerated most of my life and
nothing has ever been able to help me
change like this program. I can’t
speak on behalf of everyone here but
it has saved my life and I am forever
grateful.
*To help support our Mission PawsibleTM
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NOW!
HOLIDAY HOUNDS
CLASS OF DECEMBER 2012
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By Jessica Noll-Korczyk
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NOW!
XENIA, Ohio – Just like Christmas
play and as Abigail sat on
morning, 10 children sat, smiling,
the floor with her,
bright-eyed and anxiously awaiting
hugging the yellow
their gifts. But these weren’t like any
Labrador Retriever, her
presents—no unwrapping or
excited tail wagged in
batteries needed, just tender loving
Abigail’s face, pushing
care… and maybe a treat or two
her bob-cut of shiny
along the way. It was time for them
black hair from side to
to meet their new best friends, their
side, and nearly knocking
service dogs, who would change
off her small glasses. She
their lives instantly from the
laughed as Joska kissed
moment they met.
her face.
Their hearts seemed to melt, as
“[It’s been] a long,
each child first touched the top of
but great two weeks. I will
“We would’ve never guessed
their dog’s soft, furry head. And as
miss seeing dogs romp around
how much we’d grow to love this
tails wagged and treats were given
together. We just love our dog,” said
dog so fast. The friendship and
in abundance, the bond began to
Abigail and Joska’s mom, Jeanne at
bond is amazing. I know beyond a
grow between child and service
graduation about the connection
shadow of a doubt, this is what we
dog.
between the dogs in class.
needed to do,” said Alexa and
Joel was the first to meet his
Asha, a Golden Retriever
Kizzy’s mom, Christy.
Jubilee, a Papillon. Tiny and full of
wasn’t just met by her new boy
Nathan, a shy little boy, was
energy, Jubilee, known as JuJu
William, but also by his two
very cautious about meeting such a
Bean, jumped right into her boy’s
younger, equally eager sisters. But
big animal that was Sprint, a
lap. A smile took over his face and
Asha was happy to share the
Golden Retriever. He sat next to his
her tail wagging took over her
attention with all three children as
mom, with his tiny hands folded
whole body. It was an immediate
up close to his face watching as
I
KNOW
BEYOND
A
SHADOW
OF
A
DOUBT,
connection.
his mom petted his new service
THIS IS WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.”
Just before Andrew met
-Christy, Alexa and Kizzy’s mom
dog. His fear subsided throughout
Victory, a Golden Retriever he
the next 11 days.
said to his mom, “I've been
they petted her soft, golden fur,
Alex, 25, met Chantay
waiting for her my whole life!” His
which was reciprocated by loads of
aka Zuzu, another Golden Retriever
mom, Michelle smiled, simply
wet laps to their faces.
with a nervous smile. He sat in his
looking to her son sitting next to her
“It’s been a life-changing
chair, legs crossed as his new dog
and saying, “So has she.”
experience—$13,000 was nothing
was ushered to him. His parents on
By the end of introductions
for what you gave us,” said William
either side of him gave Chantay
Andrew was sitting on the floor
and Ashas’s mom, Lori.
treats and encouraged their son to
rubbing Victory’s belly—Victory
Big, furry, black and gray, curly
do the same. Once he did, he
smiling through her thick fur.
haired Boss, a Goldendoodle, was
laughed, as the slobbery tongue of
“This has been amazing—she’s
more than ready to meet his girl
his new best friend tickled his treatwonderful. She did exactly what I
Danielle and his whole new family.
filled hand.
needed which was to connect with
They immediately fell in love and
CJ rolled into 4 Paws in his
him,” said Michelle about Victory
Boss was more than happy to lie
wheelchair, pushed by his mom.
after 11 days of training with their
down, roll over and receive belly
Once inside, his smile was
new dog.
rub after belly rub for the remainder
luminous and contagious. And that
Sophia, a quiet blonde girl sat
of the morning.
was before he even set his sights on
patiently. Her piercing blue eyes
Alexa, with a head full of curly
Dudley, a black Labrador Retriever.
stared off into the distance, trying to
hair and glasses mounted on her
His smile moved from his mouth
catch a glimpse of her own little
face, just above the smile that
and took over not only his face, but
Papillon pal, Joey. Once they met,
situated from ear to ear, sat
also his entire body, as he jumped in
she held him, hugged him and
bouncing, waiting, not so patiently
his seat, excited to pet his new dog
kissed his soft fur. She carried him
for her BFF Kizzy, a black Labrador
for the first time ever.
around like a living doll that she
Retriever. She giggled as the large
After 11 days of training, the
could finally call her own best
dog kissed her hands for more
day had finally come for 10 kids
friend.
treats, as she sat upon the wicker
and 10 dogs to take their
From the moment that Abigail
couch with her mom by her side.
relationship to the next level, as an
met Joska, it was a bouncy road!
She could not erase the smile from
official child/service dog team.
Joska wanted nothing more than to
her face the entire morning.
8
DECEMBER 2012 CLASS
DECEMBER CLASS CONTINUED...
Graduation day commenced
with some peanut butter kisses as
teams, William and Asha and Alex
and Chantay, shared peanut butter
from cheek and finger to dog
tongue.
It was a packed house,
including foster families, volunteers,
family and friends of those in class
and all 4 Paws for Ability staff. All
who cared for the dogs who were
graduating shared in the joy and
Miami University students,
Kristin McNamara and Kristy Lind
came bearing Christmas gifts for
each child. As they received their
graduation certificate, they received
a wrapped present, full of candy and
other goodies, from the two students
who fostered Champagne, a Golden
Retriever during the fall semester.
“I didn't foster anyone from the
December class. Our group just
wanted to do something for the
kiddos,”
said
solace knowing that they played a
part in making a child’s life better.
McNamara, a special education
major, who helped start up the 4
Paws for Ability’s Campus Program
at Miami.
McNamara witnessed the
emotion and gratitude exuded by the
parents.
“Graduation day is really a day
of pure happiness. When you look
around the room there is not one
person who doesn't have a smile on
their face. Although there is some
sadness, graduation day is the day
you always dream of as fosters. You
see your dog up there with their kid
getting their diploma, and your
dream finally starts to become true,”
she said.
So many dreams came true. It
was a magical day at 4 Paws for
Ability. The holiday spirit was inhouse that day.
“Merry Christmas! This is the
best Christmas ever... priceless gift
to our family,” said Danielle and
Boss’s mom, Kim. She said that
knowing that there are other dogs
and families like us, they don’t feel
alone anymore.
4 Paws dogs gave them a sense
of belonging and security… maybe
that is the greatest gift of all. As the
story goes, “Merry Christmas to
all, and to all a goodnight.”
9
help place
dogs like our December
*To
more
graduates
DONATE NOW!
‘TWAS A PAW BEFORE CHRISTMAS
‘Twas a paw before Christmas, when all through
the facility,
not a dog was stirring, not even Dudley or Kizzy.
In 4 Paws for Ability, the crates were closed with
care,
in hopes that their children would soon be there.
Meanwhile in their homes, the children were
snuggled into bed,
while visions of furry service dogs scurried in their
heads.
Ordinary dogs these are certainly not,
They are magical and wondrous and accomplished
on every spot.
With Karen at her desk and Piper in her vest,
they began sending out letters to 4 Paws’ boys
and girls, quite frankly, they’re the best.
They can track and nuzzle and open doors,
and that’s because these dogs are trained by
Jeremy and Jessa and Jennifer.
One by one, the children received their longawaited email and to their delight,
a brand new tail-wagging friend was in their sight.
It was time to come to Xenia and meet their match,
their new friends who like to romp and run and play
catch.
Smiles on faces cannot be ignored,
these dogs are perfect for each child that is for
sure.
Whatever they want, whatever they need
their new best friend will lend a paw indeed.
They’ll play and lick and eat,
So with their new dogs on leash,
but first things first, they want their treat.
parents are so touched they cannot speak.
The day had arrived just as it may,
and Karen whistled, and shouted, and called them
all by name!
It’s a Christmas season like no other,
they shed a tear and then another.
A gift of this dog provides more than a friend,
"Now Asha! now, Joey! now, Victory and Boss!
On, Sprint! On, Joska! on, Chantay and Jubliee!
but rather a bond that will forever transcend.
Cute puppies are born day and night,
To the training room floor!
but only a select few can be as grand as a service
Meet your boy!
dog, yep, that’s right.
Meet your girl!
Try as you may and try as you might, we want to
With a lick to the face,
wish,
One thing’s for sure…
"Happy Howl-idays to all, and to all a goodnight!"
through thick and thin, these pairs will surely
endure.
10
PAW OF THE CLASS | DECEMBER
JOEL & JUBILEE, FUREVER FRIENDS
basketball, started having what Amy calls
“zone-out” spells, staring off into space.
The first time he zoned out, Amy said she
thought he was just ignoring her. He
walked inside the house with mud on his
shoes after she had just cleaned the
kitchen floor and she said something to
him and he just stared straight ahead.
DONATE NOW!
Paws for Ability service dog was on
Hannah’s bed, never leaving her side
while she was in the hospital, said Amy.
Within 15 minutes, she said she knew
everything that she needed to know about
4 Paws for Ability and knew this was
something she wanted to do for her son.
Within a month and a half, the Wilcox
family raised $13,000.
Joel, who used to play football and
“What are you doing?” she asked
him. But he stared
off, smiling and
walked in circles.
Those staring
spells started
turning into
more intense
seizures. He
started having
tonic-ionic
compulsing-type
seizures nearly
every half hour
—between
25-40 every day.
They spent
numerous days
and nights in the
hospital and tried
about 20 different medications. Their last
stint was in August when he was in a
Memphis, Tenn., hospital for eight days.
His mom said that seizure
medications turned into panic attacks at
school from the anxiety that another
seizure may occur. His anxiety came
home with him as well.
On more times than one, he ran out
of his room at night terrified
because the medicine that he was
on made him feel like someone was
after him, his mom recalled.
At one point, he had a seizure on
the stairs in a hotel. Luckily Amy
was there to catch him. As a result,
he has been homeschooled since
the 6th grade and wears a helmet to
play outside.
“It’s just that one fall… that’s all it
would take,” she said fearing what
could happen to her son if she
hadn’t been there to catch him
during his seizure.
“I want him to be independent, to
be 13 again,” said Amy, who said
that Joel and his 14-year-old brother
Alex, who used to be close, have drifted
apart because of his seizures.
The medications “tore them apart,”
she remembered. When they were little,
the two brothers would do everything
together, go everywhere together while
11
when they were at a Cincinnati hospital
and met Hannah and Blitzen. Blitzen, a 4
XENIA, Ohio – It was love at first sight
as Founder, Executive Director and
Papillon-lover, Karen Shirk made her
way to then 12-year-old Joel Wilcox
with his new furry, four-legged best
friend Jubilee, better known as JuJu
Bean, his new seizure-alert dog, on
the first day of the December’s
Holiday Hounds class.
The tiny dog’s tail wagged. She
knew instantly that Joel’s arms would
be her fur-ever home. And so did his
mom Amy Wilcox.
“When he leaned down and
kissed her little nose, I knew.”
And what happened next, truly
sealed the deal for this mother of
three.
After their joyous introduction,
Amy, Joel and JuJu Bean were
standing in the middle of the training
room floor talking to Karen. Keeping an
eye on Joel out of the corner of her eye,
Amy said that she saw him stumble. She
moved swiftly toward him and caught
him from falling. JuJu Bean got right in
there, she said, licking his face.
In that moment, she said it was just
“awesome, just awesome. It’s what we
came for.”
Over the next 11
days while at 4 Paws
for Ability, training
with JuJu Bean, she
said that the tiny little
dog with a powerful
nose has alerted her
nearly 22 hours ahead
of time of a oncoming
seizure, 3-4 times.
That brought tears to
her eyes.
“I know how
much that means to
us. It give us control
over something that is
out of control,” she
said.
The Wilcox family, of Blacklick,
Ohio, is currently fostering JuJu Bean’s
uncle Ghost, another Papillon.
They started looking into obtaining a
service dog for Joel, who has had seizures
from epilepsy since he was 7 years old,
holding hands. They are just 19 months
apart and were “best buds.” But when
one of them drools for 14 hours a day on
certain medications, it just drove a wedge
between them, she said.
“I just want him to be ‘Joel.’”
For the last six weeks, he’s been on
new medication that seems to have
improved his paranoia and seizures. And
with the addition of little JuJu Bean, Amy
said that she hopes even more
improvement will be on the horizon.
“[She] will give us peace of mind,”
said Amy, especially at night while he is
sleeping.
And she hopes that finally, it will
bring her family closer again, including
her youngest, Ava, 11, who has received
less attention from her parents due to
Joel’s medical condition.
Amy said that she wants to plan
things they can all do together outdoors,
traveling, camping—things that up until
now she hasn’t felt comfortable even
thinking about.
“If we can all relax again, maybe it
will build the relationships back up.”
JuJu Bean will go to school with
Joel once he returns to mainstream
school. And since stress is a big trigger
for his seizures, Amy said that she
hopes that having JuJu Bean by his side
will calm him and help him make
friends again, give him the confidence
that he needs.
“[It will] open a lot of doors for
him.”
Doors like
playing the sports
he loves again, as
well as allowing
Amy the security
to “let go” a little
bit more.
Joel became
a teenager while
at 4 Paws and
that, his mom
said, was the best
birthday present
ever.
“4 Paws
more than met my expectations. It’s
just incredible.”
“I JUST WANT HIM TO BE
JOEL. [JUBLIEE] WILL GIVE US
PEACE OF MIND.
-Amy Wilcox
12
us place
likeJubilee
*To help
seizure
dogs
DONATE NOW!
MAKE A DREAM COME TRUE
Meet Sabrina
By Esther Medellin
Sabrina Michelle Medellin is 15 years old
and loves sports, especially basketball. And while she doesn’t understand
the rules that apply to the game, she does
know what she has to do when she’s got
the ball. But life has always been about
more than laughter and
playing ball for Sabrina.
We discovered prior to
age 2, when Sabrina was
not crawling, turning over/
walking, etc., that she had
hypotonia, which she then
had throughout her toddler
years. She underwent
physical, occupational and
speech therapy.
Currently, she still has
very limited speech and
currently knows
approximately 30-35 words,
however, she cannot put
words together to make
sentences. She has a rare
unbalanced chromosome
deletion. She has a partial deletion of her
#22 and a duplication of her #2
chromosomes.
Sabrina walks with an unusual gait,
and is currently wearing DAFOs
(Dynamic Foot Ankle Orthosis) for
corrective support for both feet.
The challenges my husband and I
have faced are primarily sadness and
frustration, simply because there is
basically no cure for her condition, and
not many cases with her condition that
we can relate to or compare.
Sabrina has always been happy, but
the older she has gotten, the more
challenges arise. Her inability to express
herself has caused her more frustration.
We have had a difficult time going to
stores/restaurants without some sort of
episode or meltdown.
She is unaware of potentially
dangerous situations, i.e. crossing the
street, going with a stranger, etc.
She’s got a great personality. She
has always been a happy child and is still
happy, but more frustrated at times. For
having such limited speech, Sabrina is
what I like to call a social butterfly! She
is very interactive and will initiate
conversation (i.e. saying, “Hi!”) with
anyone.
Sabrina is in a self-contained
classroom, but her class is mainstreamed
throughout the day. Her favorite class is
gym and she just loves to stay active!
She absolutely loves school and is very
popular with her peers. A lot of the kids,
both in mainstream and special education
just love her and will protect her while
she’s at school.
While I am aware that she is the one
that is facing such great challenges, it is
not only hard for us parents to boost her
spirits, but physically draining.
I know that Sabrina can feel alone at
times, but I am certain that a behavior
disruption and sensory therapy service
dog would provide her with not only
physical, but also emotional support. I
am hoping this dog will also help to ease
her daily frustrations and provide
comfort to minimize with her emotional
meltdowns.
My husband and I feel truly blessed
to have Sabrina in our lives,
and have always wanted to
give her something that will
make a difference in her
life. She doesn’t seem to be
phased by material things,
nor has she ever. I believe
that this dog will make a
huge impact and difference
in her little world and we
cannot wait for the
opportunity! So far, we
have raised close to $200,
but we have just started our
fundraising. We are certain
we will accomplish this for
Sabrina!
It will cost 4 Paws $22,000
to place a dog with Sabrina,
and her family is committed to raising
$13,000 in support of the 4 Paws mission
and can reach our goal with your help. If
you can help us with a tax-deductible
donation, please visit 4 Paws Donation
Page (http://www.4PawsForAbility.org/
donate-now) or mail a check with her
name on the memo line to: 4 Paws for
Ability, In Honor of Sabrina Medellin,
253 Dayton Ave., Xenia, Ohio 45385.
You can make a Dream Come True... check out all our dreamers:
http://4pawsforability.org/make-a-dream-come-true/
13
DONATE
NOW!
JANUARYCLASS PREVIEW
BALDO
Labrador Retriever
Gypsy litter Partner: Jonah and Shawn
CALYPSO Goldendoodle
Pirates of the Caribbean
Partner: William
CHAMPAGNE
Golden Retriever New Years Litter Partner: Jacob
CHILI
Labrador Retriever Superbowl Litter Partner: Sam
NAVIN
Golden Retriever New Years Litter Partner: Ryan
NEO
Golden Retriever New Years Litter Partner: Kaden
PARFAIT
Labrador Retriever Superbowl Litter Partner: Joseph
POPPERS
Labrador Retriever Superbowl Litter Partner: Gabe
CHIP
Labrador Retriever Superbowl Litter Partner: Cole
SLIDER
Labrador Retriever Superbowl Litter Partner: Arielle and
Israel
DALMA
Goldendoodle
Pirates of the Caribbean
Partner: Anna
SPARKLER
Golden Retriever New Years Litter Partner: Alyssa
GABRIEL German Shepherd Dog Angels Litter Partner: David
14
DONATE NOW!
In the back
of her head, she
said that she
always thought
how cool it would
be to puppy raise
a GED
puppy. However,
after looking into
it, she realized
that having a dog
for two years
would be too
Above, Elly and Rue, a Papillon in training. Below, Pirate, her last
much for her
foster Papillon.
family to take on
at that time.
Ability, she said those
“After my
foster dogs have taught
her a thing or two as well.
dad passed
“They have taught me
away in 2005,
the thoughts
patience!”
And she remembers each
kept dancing in
and every one of them.
my head, and
our family
-Monkey, the yellow
came to a time
Labrador Retriever, was
so laid back and calm, but
in our lives when
it would be possible to follow this
look out if a dog walked into the room
dream of mine.”
BAM! out the door play, play, play. We
worked really hard on doggie
That’s when she said she Googled
distractions but it was just him he
service dog agencies and came across 4
Paws for Ability. It was a pawfect
believes all dogs should love him and
still does. If there were no dogs around
match!
you would have to look for a heart beat. “I was intrigued with their shortterm fostering. I read all about Karen. I
-Desi, beautiful Desi. She was my
watched her video, [watched] her
longhaired GSD. She was glued to me
and service dog work was just too
struggles [and it] reminded me so much
of my dad and how much he fought for
stressful for her. She just wanted to be
position in life,” she said. “He was one
your loyal girl and be with you and
because of this she ended up in
of the first blind college students to
wonderful pet home that loves her
graduate from John Carroll in 1955. In
a nutshell, it was something I could do
dearly. to give back.”
-Tye, the golden boy of the clan
Now, having fostered several
service dogs in-training for 4 Paws for
melted my whole family and he was on
DONATE NOW!
Photos by Jessica Noll-Korczyk/
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio – For Elly
Organiscak, it all started with a Google
search.
“You will read it and hear it that 4
Paws is magical. It really is…”
After researching service dog
agencies, she found her home with 4
Paws for Ability. That’s when she and
her family decided to open their home
and took in their first foster dog April
25, 2009. He was 5-month-old, yellow
Labrador Retriever, Monkey of the Ben
and Jerry’s Litter. Over the next 2 ½
years, 42-year-old Organiscak would
foster six puppies from Labs to
Papillons.
Beyond that, the Organiscak
household includes two of their own
rescue dogs, Cabela, a miniature
pinscher, rescued from a puppy mill and
Sonny, a German shepherd, pulled from
a high-kill shelter. But she calls her
family, ‘typical.’
“My husband Tim is very
supportive of my passion [for dogs] and
loves to joke around. He is the ‘social
part’ of the relationship I like to say,”
said Organiscak.
Aaron is Elly’s oldest at 14 years
old, but does not share his mom’s
passion for dogs. That bond is with her
12-year-old daughter Hailey.
Her lifelong inspiration has always
been her dad, she said, who was born
with low vision, losing his sight
completely at 3 years old.
“He was a dog lover, but my mom
had allergies so we could never have a
dog. I always loved dogs and I loved
watching the seeing-eye dogs, and
always wished my dad could have one,”
said Elly. Elly started fostering 4 Paws
dogs in 2009.
Elly Organiscak: Foster mom teaches, learns
4 Paws
15
STARFOSTER
Foster mom teaches, learns, continued
DONATE NOW!
*To help us place seizure dogs like Jubilee
16
track for service dog work. He loved
easier after you have fostered so
pictures and tears of happiness
kids and attracted a crowd. He was
many, but each of them leave a
stream down my face.” diagnosed with hip dysplasia and so
permanent mark in your heart and
On the other hand, it’s also hard
it was decided that he was to be
‘goodbyes’ are very hard.”
when she finds out one of her foster
placed in a pet home. He is a
However, when Elly sits among
pups didn’t make the cut as a service
Certified Therapy Dog.
other families and foster homes and
dog.
-I was honored to foster Ezekiel,
volunteers at 4 Paws for Ability
“When I get that e-mail I just
Karen's own personally bred GSD.
during class graduation, it makes all
cry, it breaks my heart. Jennifer has
He was such an amazing dog. He
those tears turn from sadness to
told me every dog is a success, but
was confident, calm, obedient and a
sheer joy.
when you foster you have that goal
handsome boy. He is a service dog in
“[It’s] totally serine, but it
in your mind, you dream of your
Arizona. makes me feel complete inside,” said
foster dog kissing their partner. You
-Jubilee lived up to her name. If
Elly, who just recently watched
dream of who they could be with
you have never had a Papillon or
Jubilee aka JuJu Bean, a seizureand what they will do you never
you thought, ‘I don't like little dogs,’
alert Papillon, graduate in December
dream they won't make it as a
all you had to do is meet her and she
with her boy Joel.
service dog.”
would warm you right up. She
Knowing that she has given a
These dogs who Elly fosters,
absolutely loved my husband (who is
home to a dog who will be such an
training them to be more social and
not a little dog person) and had a
amazing animal is like no other
comfortable around people and
huge personality to boot. She was
feeling, she said. It’s the best part of
public spaces, have essentially taken
saucy, bossy and demanding. Social
fostering.
her out of her own shell. A once selfbutterfly = Jubilee. “I don't think it is something
proclaimed anti-social person now
-My last foster was Pirate and I
you can explain. It is something you
joins other dog-friends on Facebook
thought I had challenges before. He
have to experience for
and is constantly planning her next
is keeping me on my toes. While he
yourself. When I see pictures of my
social outing with her foster dog.
didn’t make the cut as a service dog,
foster dogs in their homes with their
Fostering for Elly has helped
he has found his furever home.
families my heart just beams with
her just as much as she helps these
-My present foster is Clank, a
pride, sometimes I just stare at their
dogs. Golden Retriever puppy.
Each personality is
unique and precious to
her. But with as many
dogs that she has fostered,
giving them back to 4
Paws for Ability so that
they can receive their
training to ultimately
become a much-needed
service dog, never gets
any easier for her.
“I miss them and I
would be lying if I said I
don't cry. I always cry,”
she said. “I cry because I
will miss them. I cry
because I know they
are going on. My family
just shakes their head and
says, ‘Oh mom.’” Elly with December graduates, Joel and Jubliee, along with his mother, left, and her son and daughter, right.
“You think it will be
WELCOME OUR NEWEST PAWS!
Enya+Zeke
-
Aerocraft
Litter
|
9.22.12
Delilah+Caepor
|
Dr.
Seuss
Litter
|
10.3.12
Jude+Caepor
|
Turning
Point
Litter
|
10.26.12
Treo+CJ
|
Kids
Movie
Stars
Litter
|
9.29.12
Oba+Caepor
|
Snow
White
Litter
|
11.3.12
LX+CJ
|
Thanksgiving
Litter
|
11.22.12
Sophia+Caepor
|
Friendship
Litter-12.5.12
Lyric+Caepor
|
Winter
Holiday
Litter
|
12.20.12
17
Want more puppy pix? Go to 4PawsForAbility.org or
check out our 4 Paws Dogs Facebook page!
Papillons: Brains & beauty
By Karen Shirk
18
environment makes them excellent for
the purpose of hearing ear dog training.
However alert and active they are,
Papillons are still extremely small, and
need to be protected from rambunctious
children and dogs. Since he has no idea
he's as small as he
is, he's likely to
approach much
bigger dogs, as
well as leap tall
buildings in a
single bound –
potentially with
broken bones as a
result. Other than
that, he believes
in "the more, the
merrier," and he likes to live in multi-pet
homes. Many Papillons and cats have
become fast friends.
While the dogs are named for their
distinctive ears like a butterfly wing –
"papillon" is French for "butterfly" – they
can have hanging ears as well. Although
these dogs are usually referred to as
"Phalenes" rather than "Papillons," the
dogs are otherwise identical and in the
United States are registered, bred, and
shown as a single breed.
The 4 Paws Papillons are either
specially bred at 4 Paws for seizure,
diabetic, and medical alert, as well
as other jobs like hearing ear work,
and assisting with a higher
functioning child with disabilities
like Autism who prefers a smaller
breed dog; or purchased/donated by
responsible breeders well-known to
4 Paws for their ethical breeding
practices and the quality of the dog
they produce. The 4 Paws Papillons
in the breeding program here are the
only breed at 4 Paws who has their own
job within the agency. You can read about
them here www.4pawsdogs.org
wing ears, silky coat and dark eyes -- his
grace and his expressiveness. But packed
inside that pretty purse-sized body is one
of the smartest of all dogs, a clever,
active little guy who excels at almost
anything dogs do, from
organized sports like canine
agility to long walks in the
park -- and of course,
companionship. When
searching the internet for the
top 10 most trainable dog and
the top 10 smartest dogs the
Papillon is found on both lists.
This is why the Papillon excels
in service dog work!
The Papillon is not a good
choice if you want a restful
dog who doesn’t need much
exercise. He is highly intelligent and
needs the stimulation of activity and
training. He needs time to run around
safely and play with other small dogs or
his human partner, as well as long walks
on leash every day. Daily activity is a
good rule of thumb if you want to keep
the Papillon from entertaining himself in
ways you won’t like.
He’s a natural at many
dog sports, including
agility, carting, flyball,
freestyle, obedience,
rally, and tracking. Of
course the dog of
choice when selecting
a small breed for
service dog training.
The Papillons bred at 4
Paws, like many
Papillons, are very in
tune with their humans
and will spend hours
just gazing at them with
loving adoration. It is their intense
bonding and attention to their owners
which makes them the perfect medical
alert dogs. Their keen sense of knowing
everything that is going on in their
Like a supermodel with a Ph.D in nuclear
physics, the Papillon first catches your
eye with his looks -- trademark butterfly-
BREEDALL ABOUT IT
Shout Outs: www.petstreet.com
For more about our breeds, go to 4PawsDogs.org, or check
out our 4 Paws Dogs Facebook page!
MIAMIVALLEY SCHOOL VISITS 4 PAWS
19
GROWING UP FAST@4PAWS
•Juno+CJ
|
Anna's
Sunlight
Litter
•Sug+CJ
|
Color
Purple
Litter
•Oydessy+Aero
|
Sea
Litter
•Razi+Luka/Phoebe+Luka
|
Hunger
Games
Litter
20
HAPPY HOWLIDAYS!
Sensitive Santa event @The Mall
at Fairfield Commons on Dec. 2,
raised $1,000 supporting 4 Paws.
Send us YOUR 4 Paws’ pix to [email protected]
Photos by Jessica Noll/4 Paws
21
DOGGONE GOOD NEWS from development
By Kelly Camm, Development Director
Welcome to my new column!
In every newsletter, I will
attempt to update you on the
latest funding happenings.
Warriors Breakfast Foundation
In November, we were
honored by a foundation called
the Warriors Breakfast
Foundation to be chosen for a
donation, benefiting our 4
Paws Veterans program. It was
held on Sunday, Nov. 11
(Veterans Day) at the Quaker
Steak & Lube Restaurant on Lyra Drive in Columbus.
Here's the background: The two founders are both Marine
Veterans, and they wanted to create a way to give back to the
military family they have grown to love. The Warriors
Breakfast is a play on a Marine Corps tradition of a "warriors
breakfast" at the end of the Marine Corps Recruit Training.
They decided to pair this experience with helping local
organizations like 4 Paws as a way to help to give back.
This event raised more than $2,200. Thanks to founders,
Pete Marlin and Anderson Friedline, for choosing 4 Paws.
Also, thanks to Jennifer and demo dog, Conner, and Jessa and
demo dog, Coda, for representing 4 Paws that day.
Sevenly Cause Marketing Campaign - $31,434 in One Week
Regular readers of 4PawPrints read about our one-week tshirt/sweatshirt/tote bag sale conducted by Sevenly the week
of November 12. I had no idea it would be so successful! As a
matter of fact, it has been the most successful cause marketing
relationship we have had to date! With the $10,000 anonymous
donor match, we earned $31,434! In addition, it looks like we
may have another opportunity to do this again with them in
2013. And, we added more than 600 likes to our Facebook
page!
Here’s the background: Sevenly found out about us
through our Classy Award of Midwest Charity of the Year.
Their CEO, Dale Partridge, was one of the speakers at the
Classy Awards.
A big THANK YOU to Erin Blocksidge (August 2012
class) for nominating us for the Classy Award. Your kind
gesture ultimately resulted in a $31,434 donation.
Eisai
22
Email Kelly at [email protected].
If you frequent our website, you may have seen the Eisai
logo on our home page. Eisai is a corporate sponsor who will
be fundraising over the next year and providing 4 Paws with
enough funding for five Seizure Alert Dogs. On December 4, I
flew out to Eisai’s headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, N.J., and
Maureen Long and service dog, Jethro (October 2012 class)
drove over to meet me. Maureen fascinated the “Snack and
Learn” audience with her son, Patrick’s story. She also
surprised me by demonstrating a seizure, and Jethro alerted. It
takes a lot of guts to demonstrate a seizure in front of people
you don’t know so I can’t thank Maureen enough for going out
of her comfort zone and taking the time out of her busy
schedule to represent 4 Paws.
On Dec. 11, Roberta Polak and service dog, Bo (May
2010 class) drove to the Eisai headquarters and represented 4
Paws by meeting with Eisai employees from both NJ offices.
Roberta reported, “The employees loved meeting Bo, and I
was amazed at all of their hard work in making a multitude of
items to sell for the 4 Paws cause. Diane even asked if we'd be
willing to come back again. Thanks for letting us represent 4
Paws!” Roberta, no need to thank us…we thank you for taking
the time to do this. Roberta is a pro at representing 4 Paws at
CFC events in the Newark area and now at Eisai. Look at Bo
in the “down” command. We have the most amazing 4 Paws
families and dogs!
4 Paws is delighted and thrilled to have been chosen by
Eisai as a partner. Thank you, Eisai, for making so many
dreams come true!
DONATE NOW!
23
SEVENLY CAMPAIGN DRAWS MORE THAN $30K
Thanks to your shirt purchases!
The Sevenly campaign closed out raising $31,434.
Sevenly Donation: $21,434 Match Donation: $10,000 Total Donation: $31,434 DONATE NOW!
Paws @work...
Stories from our families about their 4 Paws in action!
Mason & Pippi“Mason broke his elbow over the weekend and of course I took
Pippi to the ER with us. She did really well, until the doctor
came to put the cast on. She was pawing at me because she
couldn’t get to him. As soon as she was done, this is what Pippi
did. I thought I would share the picture. (See photo to right.)
-Amy Ohler
Noah & Twizzler"Once again this am at 5 am the wonderful Twizzler
woke me and Noah was in a seizure. We spent the next
6 hours in the er getting it under controll and she was
by his side... Thank You 4 paws for a dog that is beyond
compare and so perfect for my little boy…" (See photos
to left.)
-Christine Bernard
Will & Max"I thought that I would be less emotional and better able to put thanks into words this morning. That
is not the case. Last night we had a scare.... Will wondered off. He was found by his Max, on an island
in the middle of a huge creek. He was having fun throwing rocks into it. Thank you so much to the 4
Paws staff, the donators that make this possible, and the prisoner that helped train Max."
-Meredith Moore Redfern
Logan & JukeLogan woke up after sleeping all day. He begged and begged to go to school and kept saying
"Quinn!" (his teacher). I explained to him that he slept the day away and school was over. He cried
and begged. Meanwhile two ladies came to visit me. While we were visiting I forgot about Logan and
felt a cool breeze and felt alarmed. Logan had run away! I immediately gave Juke the command he
was trained to do: "Track! Where is Logan? Track Juke!", to our amazement we watched Juke jump
into action and run out the door. While I was scrambling to get my parka and boots on, Juke barked
outside and ran up the steps, he then brought me to where Logan was. Behind the house by the old
truck. I almost cried! Good job Juke! It is twenty below outside. I had to immediately give Juke a
treat, good job tracking Juke! Saved me time and worry and searching!
Share your story with us! Send your short story and photos to [email protected].
24
DONATE NOW!
UK students give back their foster pups, shed tears knowing they are doing good
them the chance to socialize and
continue their performance training
after their stint in the 4 Paws prison
program, Mission Pawsible™.
At college, they go everywhere
with their foster student, from class
to the store, to the dorm room and
everywhere in between. The
students understand exactly what
they’re providing to the children of
4 Paws.
“The program as a whole
provides such a good service to
those who need the dogs. I think
there is no better way to have a dog
while at school because one day
they'll make a child as happy as they
made me and offer them so much
more,” said Quinn Bragg, another
UK foster student to Fantasy, a
Golden Retriever.
After they leave campus, they’ll
return to 4 Paws for more training
and some will return to prison for
her fellow students. But this isn’t
her first time.
Little, 21, who
heads up the UK Paws
on Campus Program
for 4 Paws for Ability,
has fostered five dogs
throughout her
collegiate career. It
never gets easier to say
goodbye though. As
they have a moment
before leaving each
other, 9-month-old
Pretzel, who dons a
pink collar, lays on her
back with her legs up
as Little rubs her belly.
She knows it’s her last day as a
college pup.
Knowing that she is helping
children with disabilities have the
life they deserve makes this
bittersweet moment a little more
palatable for Little.
“It’s for a great cause. I’m
obsessed with dogs,” said Little,
who has about five more years of
school before becoming a
veterinarian. “Its most rewarding
part is watching them graduate—
seeing what a big difference they
make.”
“I love seeing pictures, to see
how they’ve progressed, and how
the child and dog are connecting. It
makes me happy.”
But it’s been a busy semester
for dogs like Pretzel. The Campus
Program, Paws on Campus gives
LEXINGTON, Ky. – As the
brightly colored autumn leaves wisp
passed the busy, bustling students on
their way across campus to their
next lecture, some students at the
University of Kentucky are taking a
moment to say ‘goodbye’ to those
who became best friends to them
throughout the fall semester.
Smiles and tears cannot be
contained as these young co-eds’
hearts are breaking for the better
good of their recently made furry
best friends. They kneel down and
wrap their arms around them,
squeeze them tight, pet the top of
their heads, look them in the eye
and kiss their nose.
One student tells her dog, “Be a
good service dog for your boy or
girl, OK?” with a tear rushing down
her face, quickly followed by a few
more, as she lifts her Golden
Retriever foster up and into the van
that 4 Paws for Ability trainer Jessa
Brown has brought to retrieve the
dogs for further training in Xenia.
Seventeen UK students spent
their first semester in the 2012-13
school year, fostering 12 4 Paws for
Ability service dogs in training, but
now the semester was coming to an
end, as was their newly found
companionship.
Caitie Little, a senior animal
science/pre-veterinarian major, says
goodbye to
Pretzel, a
chocolate
Labrador
Retriever among
25
4 Paws @Big Blue
FOR MORE INFO, CLICK ON: PAWS ON CAMPUS
DONATE NOW!
4 Paws @Big Blue, continued...
further training.
Some, however,
will be ready for
an upcoming
class after
extensive oneon-one training
with the trainers
at 4 Paws for
Ability. Trainers
like Brown,
who is the
director of the
Campus
Program and
has seen many
tears shed by
foster students
in her time at 4
Paws.
“It’s not only
awesome for the
dogs to have so
much intense
socialization,
confidence, but
just as equally is
so awesome for
the students,”
she said about
the program that
got its start at
Wittenberg
University near
26
Dayton, Ohio, in 2008. Logan Bright
attended Wittenberg, then transferred
to UK and started the program in
Lexington in 2009.
“[These students] donate their
time, effort and love” to the dogs, said
Brown.
For the students, it gives them not
only a good resume booster, but
teaches them responsibility while
living on their own for the first time as
well as social skills and confidence of
their own.
Students like Bragg, a 20-year-old
double major in business analytics and
management and a dog lover, learned
a lot, especially about the hardship of
saying goodbye. A photo of her
hugging Fantasy can be seen on the 4
Paws for Ability Facebook page’s
cover photo. It was a moment that she
won’t soon forget.
“Giving them back was the most
difficult part of the whole experience
because over the course of the
semester it is very difficult not to get
attached.”
“[It was] more emotional than I
anticipated! It was extremely difficult
not to get attached over the course of
the semester, and I wish I could keep
Fantasy, but we all know going into it
that that is not the case, so to an extent
we prepare ourselves beforehand.”
That struggle for her was worth
the tears shed, realizing the end result
for Fantasy.
“Knowing that I helped train a
dog that will one day help a little kid
with everyday tasks and love them
unconditionally is the most rewarding.
It's hard knowing you'll have to give
the dogs up but with this reminder in
the back of my head, it made it OK,”
said Bragg. Being a foster student to Fantasy
has changed Bragg for the better. Not
only did her fostering help Fantasy
learn the tools of responsibility, but it
also allowed Bragg to pick up a few
new tricks as well.
“I've always thought of myself as
a responsible person but training and
taking care of a puppy on your own
100 percent of the time is definitely a
test of that and made me a more
responsible person because I wasn't
just taking care of myself anymore.”
“I've also learned to be more
patient, the puppy won't always do
what you ask and what you expect of
him/her so patience is key because
they're smart and eventually they do
get it. I also thought more about who
this is benefitting and it definitely
made me more appreciative of what I
have, the life I live, and the fact that I
get to train the dog to help someone
else rather it being the other way
around.”
The option to stay in touch with
whomever the family is who ends up
Fantasy is what she hopes will happen,
said Bragg.
“It is nice because I feel we put a
lot of time, hard work, and devotion
towards these puppies and it's very
hard giving them up so the
reassurance that they’re doing their
job well and are happy makes up for
the loss we feel giving them back.”
DONATE NOW!
4 Paws @Big Blue
27
*To help support our campus program
DONATE NOW!
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Have a
media
inquiry?
Call us!
937.768.9096
Email us!
[email protected]
4PAWPRINTS
ARCHIVES
Turning Point’s 4 Paws
for Ability
Documentary to air:
Feb. 6 @8:30 & 11:30 p.m.
on BYUtv.org.
Here’s the link to watch live: http://
byutv.org/watch/livetv
We will embed the video on our
website once it airs so that you can
watch it whenever you like!
Thank you to all the media for coming out and
telling our story and the stories of our families.
In the News...
WOOF’S BLOG
Boy’s book helps epileptic kids get service
dogs- The Today Show, NBC News
Family raising money for guide dog to
assist 4-year-old blind, autistic sonLansing State Journal
Edmonton-area family wants seizure dog
for child with epilepsy -CTV News
Service dog for Tyler- ABC 57 News
Dog could help Goshen boy with fetal
alcohol spectrum disorder- The Elkhart
Truth
Mother gives her autistic son the gift of 4
Paws- Life with Dogs
New leash on life: Servie dog could
change a lot for a 12-year-old autistic
Stanford boy- The Interior Journal
Four Paws for Autism: Finding a dog for
Levi- WTHI-TV
Teen creates website to honor his
brother, ‘Noody’- The Daily Times
...More ‘In the News’ at http://4pawsforability.org/in-the-news/
Twitter@4PawsForAbility--
28
Right now...
Relax on a 4 Paws Cruise http://bit.ly/V5OZhk #cruise #4paws#servicedogs
Furever friends http://bit.ly/RKCdCg #servicedogs #4paws #papillon
PINKGIRLZ ARE BACK!
...and
better
than
ever!!
1/7/13
4 Paws Dogs | News from the Pink Girlz
Dogs In Training
The Pink Girlz
Breeds We Use
Puppies
Piper’s News
Official 4 Paws for Ability Site
Meet the Dogs in Training
All
Black Lab
Lab Mix
Bloodhound
Labradoodle
Chocolate Lab
Lagotto Romagnolo
Collie
Papillon
Coton De Tulear
German Shepherd
Golden Lab
Golden Retriever
Goldendoodle
Great Dane
Yellow Lab
V i di a
Tango
Sl i der
Si l vermi st
P i kac hu
Romy
P i c asso
P eri wi nkl e
N avi n
Meryl
Lexus
Iredessa
Moxi e
Fanta
Fawn
Gol di e
D ari a
H arpo
Ervi ng
D el mar
D el fi na
Bl i gh
C l ank
A pri l
C hampagne
29
<--Piper
says,
“Go
to
4PawsDogs.org
and
check
out
the
newest
puppies
at
4
Paws
&
our
full
gallery
of
all
dogs
in
training
&
more!”
DONATE NOW!
SHOP4PAWS ON EBAY
Make
your
pooch
a
fashionista,
making
all
the
other
dogs
drool,
with:
-Boots
-Hoodies
-Sweaters
-Coats
-Shirts
30
Find
us
on
Facebook
too!
SHOP NOW!
A ROUND OF APPAWS!
THANKS TO ALL OUR DONORS!
(OVER $5,000, OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012)
• Jennifer Petrovi, $11,000
• Hope Community Church, $9,532
• The Reinberger Foundation, $10,000
• John Woodside, $5,000
• Sevenly, $21,434
• Helen W. Bell Charitable Foundation, $15,000
• Robert F. Beard Charitable Foundation, $25,000
• Johnny Paul Harper, $10,000
• Chardith Foundation, $25,000
• Janice Beauchemin, $5,000
• Michelle Ludwig, $6,000
• Justin C. Bailey, $5,000
• Anonymous, $11,500
• Anonymous, $10,000
Did you
know that
$58
provides
vet care for
1 dog for 1
month?
DONATE NOW!
4PAWPRINTS
4 Paws For Ability
253 Dayton Ave.
Xenia, OH 45385
RECEIVE 4PAWPRINTS DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX---GO TO OUR
FACEBOOK ‘CAUSES’ PAGE AND ‘LIKE.’
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
YEAH!!
DO
YOU
HAVE
A
STORY
OR
PHOTOS
TO
SHARE
WITH
4PAWPRINTS?
SEND
THEM
TO
JESSICA
NOLL-KORCZYK
AT
[email protected].

4PawPrints | Dec/Jan

Transcription

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