Finding the Right Dogsitter is Critical for Retired Service Dog

One of the beauties of having a service dog is that your dog gets to go everywhere with you. That all changed when my service dog, Morgan, had to be retired. All of a sudden, I had to travel for work with my new service dog, Whistle, and Morgan was stuck at home with the cats.

Morgan has several health issues and he needs someone who is available to let him out regularly for toileting. He also has medical issues crop up unexpectedly, so he needs someone to keep an eye on him and to monitor his wellness.

As a result, I knew I had to find the right dogsitter to stay with him whenever we are traveling. As you probably know, this is no easy task. For years, we have had the same dogsitter, someone who is practically a member of our family. However, this year her other job caring for a woman who is elderly has become more intensive and she is no longer able to provide the level of dogsitting services that Morgan requires due to her commitment to this woman and her family.

So, I embarked on a quest to find another dog and housesitter that could provide Morgan with the care and companionship that he needed and deserved. I began by talking with friends who used dogsitters to seek referrals. I also checked the bulletin board at my vet’s office for business cards and people looking for dogsitting gigs.

I received several names and began contacting these individuals. First, I interviewed them on the telephone and discussed their experience and credentials. Next, I conducted a second interview with the top three candidates. I invited them into our home for a personal interview and to meet Morgan.

Each time we go on a trip, I leave explicit written instructions regarding Morgan’s daily routine, feeding, and medications. I reviewed this list with each candidate and discussed Morgan’s particular needs.

I also asked a variety of questions including:

• Do they have a reliable vehicle that they could use to take Morgan to the vet if necessary?
• Would they be spending each night in our home to care for Morgan?
• Would they be able to take him for a short walk each day?
• Could they understand his feeding and medication instructions? And, were they able to prepare his meals and maintain his daily routine?
• How had they handled emergency situations in the past? What types of situations had they responded to with other clients?
• Were they aware of our local Emergency Vet?
• Would they be dogsitting for any other clients while we were away?
• Did they have any animals of their own? And, if so, who was caring for them while they were dogsitting for Morgan?

These were just some of the questions that I discussed with each candidate.

The candidate that I eventually selected was very engaged. She actually had me complete an application and she interviewed me as intensely as I was interviewing her. I really appreciated her organization and seriousness regarding her dogsitting duties. Based on her questions, it was clear that she was experienced and passionate about the animals that were left in her care. She came to the interview on time and she was dressed professionally. She also questioned me about my vet, about taking Morgan out of our home for walks and emergency vet appointments, her expectations for payment, etc.

I was pleasantly surprised by her level of competence. When it came time for us to leave Morgan, I felt confident that she was up to the task and that he would be in good hands while we were away. I am happy to report that we are having a wonderful relationship with our new dogsitter and Morgan adores her.

On our last trip, she arrived as we were loading my van to leave for the airport. We said our good-byes and were off. I forgot something and we came back home for a brief moment. As I entered our family room, there she was, sitting on the couch with her laptop computer with Morgan nestled by her side. He appeared to be in utter bliss.

I was so overjoyed to see how much he truly enjoyed being with her and how comfortable the two appeared together. For me, having the right dogsitter has been critical to curb the guilt I feel each time I leave Morgan at home while Whistle and I go on another trip.

Happy Birthday Betty White!

Actress-comedian and assistance dog champion, Betty White celebrates her 89th birthday today! What a role model and tireless advocate for assistance dogs and all animals everywhere.

We can all take a lesson in life from this bubbly, vivacious, hard-working, and dedicated individual. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to visit with Betty on a couple of occasions and she is one of the most delightful, upbeat women I have had the chance to meet. Most recently she visited with me on Working Like Dogs on Pet Life Radio in celebration of National Assistance Dog Week. And she was the first person we thought of to write the foreword to Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook. Betty can teach us so much about how to succeed in life and how to be true to ourselves and our causes.

Betty is truly passionate about animals and she has a special place in her heart for assistance animals. Perhaps that is due to her beloved golden retriever, Dinah, who Betty adopted when Dinah could no longer work as Tom Sullivan’s guide dog. Ironically, Dinah lost her vision and she could not perform the tasks that Tom depended on for his daily activities. Betty stepped in and welcomed Dinah into her home. She provided the love and support to both Tom and Dinah that enabled each of them to move forward to the next chapter of their lives. If you’re interested in a good read, check out Betty and Tom story about their experience in The Leading Lady: Dinah’s Story.

Betty is a renowned actress and animal activist. Happy Birthday to you dear one, and thank you for all the laughs you continue to give us and for all that you have done and continue to do for animals AND for individuals with disabilities. The world is truly a better place because you are in it!

Victory Ranch and the Great Pyrenees

This past fall my husband, Franz, service dog, Whistle and I took a drive into the rural countryside of northern New Mexico. It was a beautiful fall Saturday morning, the leaves had changed colors to a vibrant red and orange and there was a crisp breeze in the air. We drove from Santa Fe, New Mexico north to Mora, New Mexico, to visit the Victory Ranch.

Victory Ranch (VR) owners boast that VR is the largest alpaca ranch in the Southwest United States. Over 200 alpacas freely roam the VR’s 1,100+ acres. And although the alpacas are adorable, we were going there to meet the Great Pyrenees, dogs who work on the ranch as guardians of the alpacas.

When we drove onto the ranch, we noticed several signs prohibiting dogs. I thought the “No Dogs Allowed” signs applied to pets and not to service animals. As we parked my van, an employee was heading into the main store area. I asked him about the signage and told him about my service dog, Whistle. He informed me that the reason no dogs were allowed on the premises was because of the overwhelmingly protective and territorial behavior of the Great Pyrenees. He said they were so protective of the herd that if they sensed another dog on the premises, they would not stop harassing them until they were removed. He said they had been known to seriously vandalize cars that had a dog inside.

Wow, that was an intense thought. He suggested that we move my van and Whistle to a safe area under a tree just outside the ranch gate. Franz quickly moved my vehicle and more importantly, Whistle, to this safe, shaded area.

We proceeded into the store where we were greeted by ranch staff. We signed up for the opportunity to feed the baby alpacas. For a small fee, visitors can receive a tour of the grounds and the opportunity to hand feed the young alpacas. What a treat it was to get to meet these young animals. They were extremely interested in the oats that the staff had supplied as treats.

As we were swarmed by the hungry, adorable alpacas, I felt a heavy weight bear down on the left side of my power wheelchair. I looked over to see a gorgeous, large, white Great Pyrenees looking me straight in the eye. He was a gentle giant. He did not make a sound but believe me; he made his presence and his desire to be petted clearly known.

This is what we had come to see. This livestock guardian working dog was everything I had imagined. He appeared to be over 100 pounds and he seemed to have traces of light tan or lemon in his coat. The staff explained how these dogs guard the herd. And this particular dog had the scars from a recent battle with a local beaver. The Great Pyrenees won, but not until after suffering some battle wounds on his neck and chest. These dogs willingly sacrifice everything to protect their herd, even their lives.

As we visited with Darcy Weisner, VR Manager, she described how the seven Great Pyrenees at Victory Ranch instinctively work to protect the herd. She described how these gentle giants literally became part of the herd as they strategically place themselves in the pasture among the alpacas.

Darcy explained how the dogs change shifts every day. She said that when the Great Pyrenees out in the field get hungry, they bark to the dogs in the barn to come out and relieve them. She went on to say that the Great Pyrenees take their job very seriously, and when they identify a predator or potential danger, they aggressively pursue it. However, they always remain mindful to leave two dogs behind with the herd at all times.

Franz and I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the Great Pyrenees as another type of working dog. And, all I can say is that ALL working dogs rock!

IAADP Needs YOU to Get Clicking and take the Pepsi Challenge!

The International Association for Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) is a contender in the Pepsi Refresh program, hoping to win funding for emergency veterinary care and other projects. They made it into the top 100 in December, but now they need your help to move into the top ten so they can win!

You can vote up to three different ways every day in January: on the Pepsi website, through Facebook and by texting. Go directly to IAADP’s Pepsi Refresh page or to the IAADP website for more information and to vote. You will need to register to vote the first time, but that just takes a minute and then you can quickly vote every day.

Toni Eames, IAADP president and Joan Froling, IAADP chairperson, were recent guests on the Working Like Dogs radio show. They spoke about the Pepsi Challenge, as well as the latest information on revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act definition of service dogs, and airport relief areas for assistance dogs.

A recent IAADP email asked:

Could you find it in your heart to help IAADP become one of the Top Ten Vote Getters in our category by voting from January 3rd to the 31st?

The email also said there’s a new way to get more votes for IAADP by networking with other causes:

NEW IDEA FOR JANUARY!  If you look at the COMMENT section on our Pepsi webpage, you’ll see other projects voting for ours every day and leaving a message. If you use the Search box at the top of our page to visit their Pepsi webpage and return their vote and leave them a Comment with the Title of our Project, they will gratefully send more votes to IAADP through their network!  We’ve learned this mutual support method has helped a number of projects become one of the Top Vote Getters in their category, thus winning the funds they were seeking.  So this is a great way to assist IAADP to obtain extra votes each day!  Pepsi lets you vote online for up to ten different grant proposals a day.

I’ve been voting for IAADP every day since December.  Now I’m asking you to join me!

With your help I think we can push them into the top 10. You can help IAADP to assist individuals with disabilities and the dogs they are partnered with. Get clicking and help IAADP win the Pepsi Challenge and earn well-deserved funding!

Fairfax School Leaders Deny Student Access with Service Dog

Recently, an article in the American Association of People with Disabilities Newsletter (January 3, 2011) about a Northern Virginia elementary school denying 12-year-old Andrew Stevens the right to bring his seizure alert assistance dog to school caught my attention.

The newsletter gave a link to this article written by FOX 5 Reporter Stacey Cohan which reported that Andrew and his family waited two years and raised $20,000 to get his assistance dog. The family had hoped that Andrew’s assistance dog would provide an array of services to him, including reconnecting Andrew with his peers. Instead, Andrew had been denied the use of his assistance dog at school. The school had created yet another barrier for this young man and his family to overcome.

I do not know all of the details surrounding this situation. However, as an individual with a disability who grew up as a wheelchair user, it is all too familiar. It so disheartening to hear Andrew’s story and to imagine the struggles he and his family are enduring on a daily basis.

If you grew up with a disability then you know the endless number of barriers that can be placed in our way as we strive to gain an education and begin to make our way in this world. Being fortunate enough to receive an assistance dog can be a great opportunity to relieve some of the daily pitfalls and struggles.

Public schools are supposed to be a resource and a place of security for all children and youth. It is a place where our most valuable asset, our youth, learn valuable life lessons and gather the skills necessary to enable them to move forward into their adult lives. It is so sad to think that this elementary school is playing such a negative role in this young man’s life. Unfortunately, their bureaucratic actions are reinforcing inequality, vulnerability, and downright unfair treatment of children with disabilities.

What lifelong lesson are these public officials teaching Andrew, his family and perhaps more sadly, his peers? I hope Andrew’s parents have the stamina necessary to finish this fight. I hope they will be able to teach the school district administrators that they cannot discriminate against a student with a disability who needs an assistance dog. And more importantly, I hope it will teach Andrew that he is a valued as much as every other student at his school and he has the right to have his assistance dog by his side.

We must unite to dispel the myth that children with disabilities should not have the services and equipment necessary to make them as independent as they choose to be. We must clearly communicate that this school district’s staff response is not acceptable and there are consequences in Virginia and the United States for this archaic, discriminatory behavior.

I just found out that after Andrew and his mother appeared on the TODAY show yesterday (January 4), the school officials decided to let Andrew have his service dog with him at school, at least on a trial basis. My concern is that three to six weeks may not be long enough, and that they should allow more time for a fair test.

Andrew’s story has received nationwide media attention. My hope is that it will help educate more people about the benefits of highly trained service dogs.

«More Recent Posts | Earlier Posts»