On a recent trip to Olympia, Washington, I noticed as we settled into our hotel room, that Whistle was chewing on his back foot. My husband, Franz, and I got him on the bed to inspect his foot. To our surprise, there was a blister in between the pad of his back foot.

The blister looked pretty angry and Franz and I both felt we should get a vet to look at it just to be safe. We had busy outdoor vacation plans and we wanted to make sure Whistle was up for the week.

The next morning, I located a veterinarian’s office online, Hawks Prairie Veterinary Hospital (www.hawksprairieveterinaryhospital.com), which was close to our hotel. I called to make an appointment and fortunately, they were able to get us in right away.

The vet inspected Whistle’s foot. She and her assistant cleaned and debrided the area and shaved the hair from around the spot. The staff was so friendly and helpful. They prescribed a topical antibiotic cream and a solution to keep the area clean.

The vet also suggested that we consider purchasing Whistle a set of booties. She was concerned that perhaps the blister was the result of the summer time asphalt or a hot rock that got embedded in his paw. Whatever the cause, we wanted to make sure that Whistle’s foot would be protected, remain clean and heal properly.

She directed us to a wonderful local dog supply store, MudBay (www.mudbay.us), in close proximity to the clinic. We went over to check out their line of booties. The first pair we tried were very rigid and durable for all types of terrain. Whistle was bewildered about these foreign objects and he was behaving pretty dramatically.

We decided to try another brand, Ultra Paws Traction Dog Boots. These booties were much lighter and surprisingly Whistle adapted very quickly to them. With the encouragement of a few yummy treats, he was quickly walking around the store and hardly even acting like he was wearing booties.

Another bonus was the price. These booties were much cheaper than the original pair he tried. For about $20.00, we were on our way and Whistle’s feet were protected. From there, we were ready to continue on our vacation.

We began the beautiful drive from Olympia, Washington up to Mount Rainier National Park. We stopped in for lunch as we entered the park. I must say that I was not prepared for the response Whistle received regarding his booties. Literally everyone we encountered wanted to know why he was wearing them, where we got them, and how we convinced him to wear them.

I have been partnered with an assistance dog for almost 20 years and I am used to people’s curiosity. But this was a whole new experience.

Whistle glided throughout the entire trip with his new slippers. I am happy to report that his foot healed quickly and I will definitely continue using the booties during the summer for hot pavement and in the winter time to navigate on snow. Actually, I anticipate Whistle will be wearing his new booties quite often!

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.

We are so excited about the upcoming 2010 National Assistance Dog Week. And, to celebrate this special week, we decided to create and to launch a new web site dedicated solely to National Assistance Dog Week (www.assistancedogweek.org). As an assistance dog lover and partner, it dawned on me a few years ago that assistance dogs needed recognition for the countless ways they enrich people’s lives. As a result, National Assistance Dog Week was born!

As I tried to imagine the perfect time of year for such a celebration, I reflected on growing up in the South where we experienced the “dog” days of summer every August. And, I thought what a great time that would be to celebrate these amazing dogs! So, the second week of every August is now National Assistance Dog Week!

This year, I am so excited that we had the opportunity to create a new web site dedicated to National Assistance Dog Week. I realized that many people and non-profit organizations don’t have a lot of time or resources to develop press releases, proclamations, and other plans. So, we thought we would help them out by creating a web site that would provide this information for FREE!

The site was created as a resource for individuals or organizations who would like to celebrate assistance dogs. Anyone can download free materials and templates to help them plan, organize and customize their own event(s). There are sample press releases, proclamations, ideas for events, and even a sample public service announcement. Everything is free for the taking.

There is even an opportunity to promote your local activity on the site. AND, there is a contest for the best event. You can enter your NADW 2010 event and win a special plaque and gift certificate.

In New Mexico, our Governor will be signing a proclamation declaring August 8-14, 2010 as Assistance Dog Week in New Mexico. We will also be holding an Assistance Dog Fair at Zoe & Guido’s on August 14 from 10:00am to noon. So stay tuned for more exciting information about the activities we’re planning.

National Assistance Dog Week and the new web site are all about raising awareness about how assistance dogs touch the lives of so many individuals with and without disabilities. Assistance dogs selflessly demonstrate their love and dedication 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And, for one week out of the year, we have the opportunity to celebrate these amazing canine partners.

So have fun and PLEASE let us hear from you about how you plan to celebrate National Assistance Dog Week! Who knows, you just might win a prize for it!

Hats off to the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) and Merial® for conducting the 3rd annual National Service Dog Eye Exam Event throughout the month of May 2010. Through this event, more than 170 board certified veterinary ophthalmologists in the U.S. and Canada will provide free sight-saving eye exams to thousands of service dogs including guide dogs, assistance dogs, detection dogs and search and rescue dogs who selflessly serve the public.

The ACVO website indicates that to qualify, dogs must be active “working dogs” that were certified by a formal training program or organization or currently enrolled in a formal training program. The certifying organization could be national, regional or local in nature. Specific service groups are listed on the website at www.ACVOeyeexam.org.

Owners/agents for the dog(s) must FIRST register the animal via an online registration form beginning April 1, at www.ACVOeyeexam.org. Registration ends May 16th. Once registered online, the owner/agent can locate a participating ophthalmologist in their area and contact that doctor to schedule an appointment, during the month of May. Appointment dates and times may vary depending on the facility and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more about and to register for the ACVO®/Merial® National Service Dog Eye Exam Event, visit www.ACVOeyeexam.org.

This event has a special place in my heart because it directly impacted my, now retired service dog, Morgan. About three years ago, Morgan developed severe problems with his eyes. I took him to see Dr. Kennard with Eye Care for Animals in Albuquerque, NM. Dr. Kennard quickly diagnosed Morgan’s degenerative condition and literally saved his eye sight.

Without Dr. Kennard’s rapid response, Morgan would have completely lost his eye sight. If that wasn’t enough, when I checked out of the clinic, I was presented with information about Morgan’s condition and medication to treat his eyes. What I did not receive was a bill for their services.

When I asked about the bill, the staff proudly told me about the National Service Dog Eye Exam Event. I can never thank Dr. Kennard enough for what he did and continues to do for Morgan and for the work he and so many other ophthalmologists are doing every day to protect and save the eyes of our devoted canine partners. I am forever grateful and I am now acutely aware of the importance of regular eye exams.

I had the opportunity to visit with veterinarian and pet behavior specialist Dr. Jeff Nichol (www.drjeffnichol.com) this week on our radio show, Working Like Dogs at www.petliferadio.com. Dr. Nichol brought up some interesting points about behavioral issues that working dogs can exhibit. Some of these hit really close to home for my current service dog, Whistle and past service dogs, Morgan and Ramona.

One of the issues that Whistle shows is excessive digging. Whistle loves to dig a huge hole in our yard. However, quite frankly, my husband and I are not too thrilled with this behavior.

I asked Dr. Nichol what his thoughts were on excessive digging in working dogs. He said that Whistle could be communicating a couple of things with his digging.

Perhaps one issue might be that he isn’t getting enough social interaction with other dogs. I found that really interesting because Whistle is on the go with me all the time and from my perspective, he gets plenty of social interaction. But, this is something I need to pay attention to. Dr. Nichol suggested taking Whistle to a dog park for some extra exercise and interaction with other dogs.

Secondly, he said that Whistle might not be getting enough exercise. Once again, from my perspective, he is on the go all the time and seems to get lots of physical activity throughout the day. Plus, he’s lean and is always full of energy.

I think energy might be the key here. Whistle is definitely a high energy dog. He is always ready to go to work and ready to play. I need to be more aware of his social needs to interact with other dogs and to get enough free, play time.

Dr. Nichol also talked about unruly barking and fearful behaviors such as aggression. Keeping Whistle healthy and happy is my priority. I learned a lot from my visit with Dr. Nichol and I look forward to future discussions with him about the behavioral issues that working dogs develop as they age.

I am always amazed at how respectful my husband, Franz, is regarding my relationship with my service dogs. He always has been. From the moment I received my first service dog and for the last seventeen years as I am now working with my third dog.

When I got my first dog, Ramona, he was instructed not to interact with her. For the first month, he was not even supposed to have any eye contact with her. I will never forget when I brought Ramona home. What a proud moment. And Franz was so supportive. He followed all the rules until one morning when I got out of the shower and found Franz and Ramona rolling around the living room floor playing together. They both looked at me as if to say, “We just couldn’t take it any longer.”

From the moment I received my first dog, Franz has never overridden or even tried to override a command that I have given. Quite the opposite, he remains silent whenever I need to communicate with my canine partner. And somehow he manages to do this in spite of the fact that each dog I’ve had completely adores him. They love nothing better than to play rough house with Franz when he comes home at the end of the day.

I have often wondered what my service dogs think about Franz? Is he another dog? Is he a member of their pack? Is he one of the pack leaders?

He is definitely the second most important person in their life. Whenever I am sick or unable to meet their immediate needs, Franz steps in for me. He knows all of their commands and fluently speaks their language and yet, he acquiesces to me each and every time when needed.

I view Franz as a secondary member of our service dog team. He is the unsung hero who gets up in the middle of the night to take my dog out. He cleans up our yard. He goes to the emergency vet with us in the middle of the night when my service dog is sick.

There are so many people out their like Franz who provide unwavering support to working dog teams. Through their dedication and support, we are enabled to function and to flourish as a successful working team. We often talk about puppyraisers and their contributions to creating these amazing service animals. Rarely, however, do we talk about these unsung heroes who help to maintain healthy and highly functional teams.

These individuals are our family members, spouses, attendants, friends, etc. who quietly stay in the shadows offering their support in times of need and with the mundane daily tasks that might not be too fun or glamorous. I want to take a moment to say thank you to these integral secondary team members for all that they do to support the success of working dogs and their human partners. Whistle and I salute you!

Recently, I was honored as a “Women of Influence” by the New Mexico Business Weekly. Over 550 people attended the sold-out luncheon that honored 30 women for their contributions to New Mexico’s economy and community.

During the luncheon, each honoree was to take the stage, share five things about herself that no one knew, and exit the stage for a photo with two prominent female business leaders.

Several of my dearest friends and clients attended the luncheon with me. We dined on a chef salad and other assorted treats. As a woman with a disability, I have limited balance, and the thought of eating a chef salad while wearing a business suit and anticipating my turn on stage, was a little nerve racking.

As I lifted the fork to my mouth, bits of bacon immediately fell from the fork and came to rest down my shirt. As I looked around at the crowded room, I dared not to try and retrieve it. I thought I would just live with it and remove it once we were loaded safely in my van for the drive home.

Whistle was tucked nicely under the table and my husband, Franz, and I visited with the attendees and cheered as each honoree took the stage for her five minutes of recognition. Before I knew it, it was my turn. As the hostess, local award-winning journalist Augusta Meyers, called my name and read my bio, Whistle and I made our way to the stage.

Augusta greeted me on the accessible stage and I boldly shared five things about myself that weren’t too embarrassing, but would hopefully give the audience a glimpse into who I am as a person. As I left the stage, Whistle and I made our way to the foot of the ramp where the two prominent community leaders presented me with various swag including a bottle of wine, flowers and a gift certificate to a local jewelry store. I felt like a runner-up to Ms. America.

Trying to juggle all this stuff in a wheelchair, things were starting to get a little precarious. I was trying to hold the plaque, the flowers, a bottle of wine, and the other gift items, when I caught a twinkle in Whistle’s eye.

Lo and behold, as I was positioning my wheelchair for the photo, Whistle had caught the scent of bacon. It was nothing short of the television commercial where the dog is chanting, “bacon, bacon, bacon”.

Whistle was obsessed with getting the bacon that was down my shirt. He jumped in my lap and proceeded to stick his nose down my shirt. I was mortified as I could hear the two women saying, “Oh, how sweet. He loves you so much.” And I’m thinking, “Are you kidding me? He loves bacon!”

As the photographer tried to get Whistle to look toward the camera for the photo, Whistle was fixated on my chest. He was staring right at my chest with a look of sheer determination.

I just chuckled to myself and told the photographer not to worry and to just get the best shot he could. As Whistle and I made it back to our assigned table, I had to laugh at the situation. When you’re at your zenith, there’s nothing like a dog to give you a lesson in humility and reality.

The next day, I received an email from the New Mexico Business Weekly announcing the honorees and celebrating the event. Wouldn’t you know it, there’s a photo of me with the two community leaders and Whistle is positioned next to me staring intensely at my chest. I had to chuckle once again.

I was so honored to be recognized as a “Woman of Influence” among my peers. And, I believe I am the luckiest girl in the world to have a service dog. Whistle provides me with the independence to get out into the world alone and he also makes each day an adventure and a lesson in what’s really important!

We woke up this past Sunday as usual and followed our morning routine. Morgan and Whistle went out in the back yard for their usual bathroom time. However when they returned, Franz noticed Morgan looked a little odd. He was holding his body in an unusual way that seemed to tell us he was in pain.

We tried to assess Morgan’s condition and decided this was strange enough behavior that warranted a trip to the emergency vet. After arriving at the emergency vet, the receptionist greeted us and immediately began to triage Morgan. He was whisked back into the back for further assessment while we completed the necessary paperwork.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we have been to this emergency vet clinic several times and they had all of our information and they knew Morgan from previous visits. After a quick triage, they determined that Morgan was not in any immediate danger and they placed us in an examination room to await the vet.

The vet came in and examined Morgan. Morgan is almost 12 and he has a host of medical issues including chronic intestinal disease. As the vet examined Morgan’s body, he turned Morgan’s head from side to side. Morgan winced and then let out a cry.

The vet recommended getting some x-rays of Morgan’s neck and abdomen based on his medical history. After these tests were completed, Morgan was returned to us with some medication to help ease his neck pain. The vet recommended having a radiologist to review the x-rays just to be safe and we were able to return home.

Thank goodness this emergency clinic is open on nights and weekends. We were so appreciative of the excellent and immediate care that Morgan was able to receive. This care was more costly that our regular vet but for us, it was worth every cent to know that nothing more serious was happening to Morgan.

After returning home and breathing a sigh of relief that Morgan’s episode wasn’t more serious. I started thinking about what could I have done differently that would have helped me in this time of crisis?

1. I keep a file folder prepared and readily available that houses Morgan and Whistle’s most recent medical information including bloodwork, shots, list of medications and their regular vet’s contact information.
2. Knowing where the emergency vet is located and paying them a visit when your service dog isn’t in crisis and in need of their services is a good idea. Fortunately, I was very familiar with the emergency vet clinic and they are familiar with me. I also keep their business card posted on my refrigerator where I can easily find it.
3. Having advanced knowledge of how you can pay for such medical services in advance is helpful or having a back-up plan of who you could call for financial assistance. Emergency vet care can be costly. And for me, I keep one credit card available that I know I can use for such emergency situations.
4. As a person with a disability, it can be hard for me to get dressed quickly in such an emergency situation. I identify a couple of outfits that are easy for me to put on in case I am dressing in the middle of the night or early in the morning which includes a hat so that I don’t worry about my hair. I also try to make sure that I keep my van with enough gas to get me to my vet or the emergency vet. Likewise, I try to make sure my cell phone is charged in case I need to let the emergency vet know I am on my way and require assistance. I used that when Morgan’s stomach turned a couple of years ago and it meant the difference between life and death when we arrived at the emergency vet clinic.
5. I also keep an extra leash and blanket in my van just in case I am in a hurry and forget their leash or need a blanket for someone to carry my dog into the clinic.

When we are in a crisis situation, it can be difficult to think clearly and function normally. These are a few tips that I rely on and will continue to practice. I hope these tips will help you if you ever find yourself in need of an emergency vet.

Recently I got to visit with Carolyn Clark Beedle, Executive Director of Assistance Dogs of the West (ADW), on Working Like Dogs at www.petliferadio.com. Carolyn stopped by to talk about the work she and her staff and volunteers are accomplishing at ADW in Santa Fe, NM.

ADW has been around since 1995 and they provide trained service dogs to people with disabilities in order to increase self-reliance and independence. They are relatively a small to medium size assistance dog agency that places about 20 dogs a year to clients in New Mexico and other parts of the country.

One of the things I enjoyed most during our visit was learning about ADW’s innovative educational and vocational programs. These programs engage elementary, middle and high school students at young as 8, at-risk teenagers, juvenile detainees, and youth and adult student trainers with developmental and physical disabilities.

ADW is unique in working with these populations to become student trainers. Since 1996, ADW trainers have worked with students at Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and other Northern New Mexico schools and agencies to deliver the ADW School Assistance Dog Program curricula. These innovative programs are teaching participating youth and adults the importance of patience and leadership, how to give and receive love, the necessity for emotional self-control, and the value of encouragement. As students build a relationship with their assistance dog, students also gain an understanding of the challenges facing people with disabilities. They also learn about generosity and sacrifice when they present the assistance dog they have trained to the client.

The genius of these programs is that the student participants pay a program fee to enroll in these classes. However, ADW does offer some scholarships and financial assistance for those who want to participate but can not pay the fees. ADW generates critical income and the student participants gain valuable social and personal skills. It is a win/win situation for everyone involved.

I was also encouraged by ADW’s Self Training Program where clients can bring in their own dogs for evaluation and training. A client’s potential service dog (of any breed) is assessed for temperament and “interest” in doing the work. If the dog and client are accepted into the program, for a fee, they can work with ADW trainers for a minimum of 40 weeks. Graduates of the ADW Self Training leave the program with Public Access Certification and an identified set of skills to support each individual client.

Hats off to Carolyn and her team of staff and volunteers for the innovative work they are doing to train and place assistance dogs with individuals with various types of disabilities!

Today I had the privilege of interviewing Firefight Dayna Hilton and her fire safety Dalmatian dog, Sparkles, on Working Like Dogs at www.petliferadio.com. It was so great to experience Firefighter Dayna’s passion for working with Sparkles to educate children and their caregivers throughout the United States about fire safety.

Firefighter Dayna has created some really cool interactive web sites and (www.firefighterdayna.com and www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com) that engage children, parents and teachers to learn about fire safety with Sparkles’ guidance. I never cease to be amazed by all of the ways that animals enhance our lives. Listening to Firefighter Dayna talk about Sparkles and how they have worked to change people’s perceptions and increased their knowledge about fire safety is just one more reminder.

Dayna shared with us about one family in particular whose child participated in one of her and Sparkles fire safety presentations in Oklahoma. The child listened to Dayna share fire safety messages in the program and then watched Sparkles reinforce how to crawl low under smoke.

Little did they know that the young girl that witnessed Sparkles’ demonstration would have to put those newly acquired skills to use when she was awakened early one morning by the smell of smoke. Thankfully, she knew what to do and was able to help her father get out to safety. Their home was completely engulfed in flames but fortunately, because of Sparkles and Firefighter Dayna’s fire safety presentation, they knew what to do and they were all saved.

I hope you get a chance to listen in to Firefighter Dayna’s interview so that you can hear another story of how dogs have given of selflessly of their talents and love to once again, serve us. It always makes me smile when I think of our canine partners and the unwavering devotion and love that they so freely shower upon us every day. Thank you Firefighter Dayna and Sparkles for all the wonderful work you are doing together!