New Year, Fresh Start, New Goals

The new year is always a time to look back at what was accomplished and look forward with anticipation of what will be. In the background all of the end of year work is happening, pulling last years’ financial records preparing for an audit, cleaning files, setting the event schedule and grant submission plan, preparing annual donor letters and creating new donor acknowledgement letters.  All this while the mission continues and goals are set.

The new year started off with team training for a retired United States Marine as he received his service dog.  

Long awaited because there were several challenges that had to be overcome to get to this day including the weather.  But mother-nature was gracious and only caused an hour delay in one flight on route to one of the biggest changes of Chris’s life.  Cpl Owens (retired) met service dog Samaria and it was difficult to tell which one had the bigger smile.    We know the miracle of this gift but the package is just beginning to be unwrapped by Chris as he learns to work with his new partner.

Stepping into a new year is also a time to set goals and one of those goals is to grow.  It just has to happen; we are determined.  The plan is set and now we need the financial support to make it happen.  Larger space will allow Canines for Service to offer vocational training in our community with a proven, comprehension service dog training curriculum.  More service dogs in training means more clients waiting can be served and more shelter dogs can be rescued.   We also need foster families; people willing to commit their hearts and their time to serving others by raising a puppy to be a service dog.  We can’t serve the people on our wait list unless new dogs are being added for training.

What are you doing in 2014?  Join our family of donors and volunteers to change a life of someone with a disability with the gift of a service dog. You never know, you might just change your own life too.

Canines for Service Continues to Serve Our Veterans

With the mission complete in Iraq, our brave troops are returning home after serving and sacrificing so much.  Now more than ever, our service members need us. Many will continue in their military careers and many will embark on a career in the civilian world.  Many will be dealing with varying degrees of physical impairment, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. 

Serving our Veterans is a priority to Canines for Service in the Canines for Veterans (CFV) program.  Providing a quality trained and Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliant service dog to assist those with physical impairment, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the foundation of the CFV program.  By the ADA, a service dog must do work or perform tasks to benefit an individual with a disability; three key words, tasks, individual and disability.  A service dog is trained to serve one individual with specific skills to help that individual mitigate their disability.  From stabilizing a person when they are walking to retrieval of items, each service dog has been trained considering the needs and variations of the disabilities trained for.  

A service dog is not a companion animal (pet), therapy animal, social or emotional support animal; these are entirely different, do not meet the intent of the ADA and have no legal rights.  Another words a companion, therapy, social or emotional animal does not by law have access to public places such as restaurants, banks, grocery stores, shopping malls, airports/airplanes[1], etc.  Those that perpetrate their pet as a service dog are in violation of the law.

There is a lot of  information about people or groups providing “service” dogs for our Veterans.  The caution to our service members is if you are truly getting a service dog that you need or are you being provided a pet disguised as something it is not. 

Veterans and family members need to do their homework.  Ask questions. 

• ·         How is the service dog trained? 
• ·         How long is the training for the service dog?
• ·         What is the method of the training?
• ·         Are the dogs trained positively or with negative methods? 
• ·         How many hours of training does each dog have? 
• ·         Has the service dog had routine veterinary care and is it spayed or neutered?
• ·         Are the veterinary records provided?
• ·         What skills does the dog do?
• ·         Is there a fee for the service dog?
• ·         How is the training provided to the person receiving the dog? 
• ·         Is the person required to train the dog themselves?  
• ·         Is there follow-up by the service dog provider? 
• ·         What happens if there is an issue after the dog is received?   

Canines for Veterans stands ready to serve our Veterans as we have done since this program started in January 2008.   A Veteran receiving a service dog from our program can be assured they are receiving a dog trained in skills to mitigate their disability.  They will have individualized training with their service dog and have ongoing follow-up consultation and/or training.  The service dog CFV provides is ADA compliant and meets all intent of the law.  Our staff is available to answer questions before application, during the application process and after the receipt of the service dog.  

Are you a Veteran or do you know a Veteran who could benefit from a service dog? Contact us today to learn how CFV can help a Veteran regain their independence in 2012.

What are you waiting for? 

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[1] Aircraft carriers act

Giving Thanks

This season as many are celebrating with family and friends let us continue to remember the ones who serve our country every day being away from family and friends so that we can live in freedom.  

Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program
Sienna Rampvan

The American spirit remains and is evident in the people that give every day by volunteering in their community or donating to support groups that help others. This season Canines for Service is thankful for the continued support of our communities near and far.  For the financial supporters that continue to stand with us to change people’s lives; from the special gifts to the monthly supporters, we thank you.  To the thousands that rallied support this past August for the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program win, thank you.  To the corporate sponsors providing in-kind donations and financial support, thank you.  To our funders who have read through thousands of applications and choose to invest in the people we serve, in the work we do and our future, thank you.  To our volunteers, Board members, foster families, therapy teams, literacy mentors, office support and event planners, thank you.  Our mission would not be possible without each and every one of you.  

Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season and for Canines for Service it marks a time of celebration of the 15 years of commitment and service we are thankful for.   Thank you to all of our supporters because without you, we could not continue to serve.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Carolina Canines for Veterans Relocates and Expands to Charleston Naval Station

Carolina Canines for Service (CCFS) announces the relocation and expansion of the Carolina Canines for Veterans (CCV) program to the Naval Consolidated Brig, Charleston located at Naval Weapons Station Charleston, South Carolina in August 2010 in coordination with Navy Corrections and Programs.


The Carolina Canines for Veterans program was started in January 2008 at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and since inception has partnered ten (10) wounded warriors with service dogs trained by military prisoners providing over $400,000 in services to wounded veterans. The Carolina Canines for Veterans program is the first of its kind to work within military prison walls to use prisoners to train service dogs.


The transition of the program to the Navy Consolidated Brig Charleston (NCBC), South Carolina is occurring because the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC V) realigned the post-trial confinement mission from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune to the Joint Regional Confinement Facility, South East, located at the NCBC.


Recipients of CCV service dogs have served in all branches of the military and sustained injuries while serving in Operations Iraqi or Enduring Freedom. CCV service dogs are trained to support individual mobility issues and post traumatic stress disorder.


"We have been very happy with the support of the United States Marine Corps and success of the Carolina Canines for Veterans program at Camp Lejeune. The move to Charleston will enable us to grow the program and serve more of our deserving Veterans," says Rick Hairston, Carolina Canines for Service President & CEO. The program is solely funded by the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations to Carolina Canines for Service. CCFS is seeking new financial partners in Charleston and South Carolina.


Carolina Canines for Service is a non-profit corporation dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve greater independence. The group trains certified service dogs with the help of volunteer foster families, matches the dog to an eligible recipient and provides the dog free of charge. Since its inception in 1996, Carolina Canines has placed 41 service dogs, valued at more than $1.6 million. For more information, call (866) 910-3647 or visit www.carolinacanines.org.

Holly to Help with Healing

A little over two years ago, Chaplain Donald Twist’s life took a turn he was not expecting. During a training mission in preparation for deployment, a near-death drowning that left him questioning many things, including his faith. The last couple of years have been long, trying and tense.


Balancing healing, family life with his wife Denise and their two children, and a U.S. Navy career as a Chaplain, it all has been too much for Donald at times. The mobility issues he has experienced have paled in comparison to the issues exhibited by the post traumatic stress disorder. Difficulty sleeping, nightmares, difficulty being in crowds and feelings of isolation have compounded Donald’s ability to heal his mind and body.

Last December, two years post injury, Chaplain Twist made a conscience decision to change some things in his life and to move forward. That day, he placed a call to Carolina Canines for Service to ask about a service dog. Initially, asking if we might consider trying his dog, and then learning that is not something our organization did, Donald submitted application for a service dog from Carolina Canines for Veterans. Some months went by, and the call finally arrived that Donald was waiting for. A dog was ready for him and team training was scheduled.

Chaplain Twist met service dog Holly and he knew instantly, this was the dog he had prayed for. Perfect for him in many ways, she looked more like a Labrador retriever then her other possible mixes (Greyhound or Great Dane), was not too large and was short hair.  Holly came from local Wilmington rescue, Tails U Win. 

Donald embarked on an intense week of training to learn how to work with Holly and begin their bonding process.   On the second full day of training, Donald took Holly back to his hotel with him for the night. During team training, this is when the real bonding begins to happen, when the person and the dog have to rely on each other. The next morning, Donald shared that he experienced his first nightmare free sleep in over two years.

The week of team training has been exhausting, even though Donald has slept better the last few nights with Holly near him, then he has in over two years. He has enjoyed his experience team training with Holly, meeting her military prison handlers and looks forward to her working with him in his home and his duties as a Chaplain. Donald jokingly says, “Holly has a codependent personality disorder and I am completely fine with that.”

Dog Show of Another Kind

While many people are watching the Olympics, others fancy watching the canine breeds strut their stuff in Madison Square Garden show ring. It’s the season and like many dog enthusiasts, maybe you and your canine friend have been sharing some time in front of the TV watching the most prestigious dog show in United States at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. It may be the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting or Herding breeds and varieties that you love to watch or even the Sporting, Working, and Terrier breeds, but whichever the breed, these pooches are likely the most primped and pampered you will see.

As for us, we know some pretty incredible dogs. These are the ones that were saved from death to be trained as service dogs for veterans in the Carolina Canines for Veterans program or raised from puppyhood to help someone in the civilian community. We might not know if the dogs are pure bred or which group the dog might be shown in, but there is one thing we do know, these dogs will help someone gain back the independence they lost because of a disability. Be it a missing limb or a traumatic brain injury, balance issues, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury, a service dog can and does change the life of just one person at a time.

If you are amazed at the dedication of the show handlers at Westminster Dog Show, what is truly amazing are the many volunteers that commit to raising a service dog for someone in need. Their dedication is a gift of love and compassion, many hours of work and the ultimate gift of giving the dog to someone with a greater need than their own. Someone is waiting for you right now to just say yes. Yes, I want to raise and train a dog for someone with a disability. It’s as easy as that, just say yes.

Getting Vested

For humans, getting vested might mean to become eligible for pension benefits or to have a right or privilege to something, but for a young service dog in training, it opens up a whole other world of training opportunities.

Service Dog in Training Sheba received her service dog vest this past Monday. To have achieved this milestone, Sheba’s potty training was successful and at just 12 weeks of age, that is very good. For Sheba and her foster family, the Rupp’s, this means she can begin her socialization activities as part of her service dog training. The Rupp’s will start taking Sheba with them on age appropriate outings to get her used to behaving in public and learning about the world she will work in as an adult dog.

It is a happy moment for the foster family and the pup and one of the many accomplishments to follow as the training progresses.

Meet Magdalene, Service Dog In Training

Thanks to Carolina Animal Protection (http://www.capsrescue.org/) for the newest member of the Carolina Canines for Veterans program. Magdalene, formerly known as Molly, was rescued by CAPS and was awaiting the perfect home when we spotted her. She was already on hold for a couple waiting to complete their home interview, but when litter mates Max and Maddy did not meet our requirements, CAPS graciously let us test this girl. Of course, she passed with flying colors!

Carolina Canines waited to hear if Magdalene would be ours and the happy call came Thursday evening. The CAPS Foster Mom and Volunteer, Jane, met our director early Friday to transfer the girl to our program. This is another great example of local non-profits working together for the good of the dog and in this case, a person with a disability in the future.

The prison handlers at the brig are very excited to have this little girl in the program and she will be well cared for and loved. She was already learning to sit on command with the guidance of treats and loving every minute of it. Over the next several months, Magdalene will learn many tasks in addition to growing and maturing. Follow our blog as we keep you updated on her service dog training adventures.

Saying Good-bye to a Friend

It is with deep sadness we share with our friends and volunteers, the passing of our friend, Linda Braund. Linda touched our lives when she was partnered with Service Dog Zaccheus in November 2005. Linda was a strong supporter of Carolina Canines and often assisted with presentations and events in the Raleigh area from a fundraiser with the Raleigh Browns Backers to one with Durham Regional Hospital. She and Zaccheus were the reason Carolina Canines has received funding from one grantor after they met someone in the Raleigh area. Linda was a retired U.S. Army veteran and believed in our Carolina Canines for Veterans program.

In Linda’s own words several years ago she said, “Zacheus or Zack is the most wonderful gift I could ever receive to help me deal with my multiple sclerosis. He has opened more doors for me than I ever knew was possible. He literally opens doors by tugging on a cord temporarily attached for that purpose, or rising to touch the pad to open a handicap accessible door; but he can also open the invisible doors that often separate me from the life I used to have. Before Zack, I was alone, having this cheerful, loving dog as my constant companion makes my spirits soar in a way I thought they never would again. I feel like I’m a part of something again and I have the help to be able to live independently. There are not words enough to say what a wonderful gift Zack is; he gave me back my life.”

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am, Saturday, June 20, 2009 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Rd., Cary, NC. Burial will be at 1:00 PM, Monday, June 22 at Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle, VA. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Friday, June 19 at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Reins From Above, 86 Polenta Rd., Smithfield, NC 27577 or Carolina Canines for Service, Inc., P.O. Box 12643, Wilmington, NC 28405. Condolences may be sent to the family at http://www.brownwynne.com/

Service Dog Zaccheus will be retired and return to live with Donna Sweetman, advanced trainer for Carolina Canines.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Linda’s family during this time.

Carolina Canines for Service receives grants for one-of-a-kind veterans program

Carolina Canines for Service, Inc. recently received a total of $6,500 in grants from the Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation, the Brian A. McAleese Memorial Foundation, Officers’ Wives Club of Camp Lejeune and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International (SPCA).

These grants will be used to support the Carolina Canines for Veterans program, which teaches prisoners in the Marine Corp Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. prison to train service dogs for wounded warriors. The pilot program is the first of its kind in the United States and is funded by private donations and grants to Carolina Canines. It costs $38,000 to train one dog, but dogs are provided free of charge to wounded soldiers.

“These grants are going to allow us to continue providing service dogs to the brave men and women who have come forth to protect our country,” said Carolina Canines President/CEO Rick Hairston.

The Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation awarded Carolina Canines $1,500 as part of its mission to improve the quality of life for others. The Piedmont Natural Gas foundation was established in 2004 with the goal of assisting specific, well-defined areas of the nonprofit community throughout its three-state service area in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The Brian A. McAleese Memorial Foundation granted Carolina Canines $1,500. The Brian A. McAleese Foundation was established to honor McAleese, who was a New York City firefighter that lost his life on 9/11 while trying to save the lives of others at the World Trade Center.

The Officers’ Wives Club Camp Lejeune awarded $2,500 to assist with team training of a wounded warrior with his/her service dog.

Carolina Canines was honored as the SPCA Shelter of the week and received a $1,000 grant. SPCA International recognizes animal organizations that are doing an exceptional job of helping animals, but could benefit from extra financial assistance.

Carolina Canines for Service is a non-profit corporation dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve greater independence. The group trains certified service dogs with the help of volunteer foster families, matches the dog to an eligible recipient and provides the dog free of charge. Since its inception in 1996, Carolina Canines has placed 32 service dogs, valued at more than $1.2 million. For more information, call (866) 910-3647 or visit http://www.carolinacanines.org/.

A New Kid in Town

There’s a new kid in town and her training starts now. Meet Holly. She is a lab mix that came to Carolina Canines by way of Tails U Win. She has yet to realize her full potential, but she is already starting to walk to a new cadence.

Holly is the newest addition to the Carolina Canines for Veterans training program. After another online search of numerous dogs, Holly was temperament tested just before the Memorial Day weekend and proved herself worthy of the next step, the hip evaluation. Holly visited a local veterinarian and was found to have good hips and joined the program on May 28th.

Her future job is not yet known so for now she will spend the next several weeks working on basic obedience under the guidance of her prison handler. Once she masters the basics, Holly will progress to learning long distance retrieval, opening doors, turning on light, loading a washer, unloading a dryer and learn to be guided by a laser light to objectives to pick up. Her destiny, the service dog of one deserving wounded warrior.

Carolina Canines service dog leaves lasting legacy

WILMINGTON, N.C.- Saint, the first service dog trained and placed by Carolina Canines for Service (CCFS), passed away last week, but will leave behind a legacy of friendship and service that is not soon to be forgotten, said CCFS President & CEO Rick Hairston.

Saint was rescued by SOAR from abusive owners and placed in the service dog training program in January 1997. The friendly mixed breed was trained as a mobility service dog who could pick up things as small as the back to an earring and open doors.

In December 1999, Saint was partnered with David Mickler and made his television debut on the University of North Carolina Wilmington program “Let’s Talk” where he was given as a Christmas surprise to Mickler. Unable to find a parking space for his handicap accessible van, Mickler nearly gave up on attending the show. However, once inside he received a gift that changed his life, Saint.

Mickler said that one unexpected advantage of owning Saint was the way that Saint helped him to connect with other people. For example, when Saint accompanied Mickler to his son’s soccer games, people would talk to Mickler about him which helped Mickler meet new people that might not have approached him otherwise. “Saint could break down barriers,” said Mickler, “People would see the dog and not the wheelchair and feel more comfortable approaching me.”

Throughout his career Saint did many presentations in the community to educate the public about service dogs. After faithfully serving Mickler for nearly a decade and withstanding a spleen removal and cancer, Saint retired in 2007. During retirement he remained living with Mickler.

Saint’s legacy consists not only of faithful service to Mickler but also of the education of the Wilmington community about the Carolina Canines For Service organization, service animals, friendship and compassion. “We couldn’t have trained a more loyal companion for David and we couldn’t have asked for a more noble spokesdog for our organization,” said Hairston. “Saint touched the lives of everyone he met. He will be dearly missed.”

For those who have been touched by Saint’s story and would like to memory him, contributions can be made in Saint’s name by visiting http://www.carolinacanines.org/. These contributions can help someone have the love and assistance that service dogs provide, which they may not be able to afford otherwise.

Carolina Canines for Service is a non-profit corporation dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve greater independence. The group trains certified service dogs with the help of volunteer foster families, matches the dog to an eligible recipient and provides the dog free of charge. Since its inception in 1996, Carolina Canines has placed 31 service dogs, valued at more than $1.2 million. For more information, call (866) 910-3647 or visit http://www.carolinacanines.org/.

Joshua named 2009 Booker Willoughby Service Dog of the Year

Competing against numerous service dogs across the east coast, Joshua was one of five Carolina Canines Service Dogs nominiated for the Booker Willoughby Service Dog Award sponsored by the Lambda Chapter of Mega Tau Sima (OTS) at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Balckburg, VA.

The award was first presented to Booker Willoughby whose owner, Mrs. Carol Willoughby, established the the Sanit Francis of Assisi Service Dog Foundation. A unique nomination, it is written from the dogs perspective about how the dog helps their human partner. The nomination are open to dogs trained to service including service dogs, search and rescue and law enforcement.

We are proud to have one of our service dogs trained in the Carolina Canines for Veterans program win this award. The hours of dedication of all of our prisoner handlers, foster families, trainers, volunteers and staff are acknowledge through this award. Here's what Joshua had to say about himself:

"I help my person by retrieving dropped items, retrieving drinks from the refrigerator, opening the door, retrieving the telephone, cell phone or remote when Joey asks. Joey is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom was severely injured in Iraq in October 2004 and is a triple amputee. I was trained for him in the Carolina Canines for Veterans program at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Brig. One of the hardest tasks I do for my person is help him take off his prosthetic legs. This takes us about 5 minutes for each leg, but it is a lot faster than the 15 minutes took Joey before he got me."

Congratualtions to Joshua, Carolina Canines for Veterans and of course, Joey!

3rd Wounded Warrior Receives His Service Dog

Carolina Canines for Service, Inc. is completing the third placement of a service dog with a wounded warrior. Joey Bozik, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom was severely injured in Iraq in October 2004 and is a triple amputee. Joey, a native of Wilmington, is receiving the third service dog trained in the Carolina Canines for Veterans program at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Joshua is trained to assist Joey with his many daily tasks.

BENEFITS OF A CAROLINA CANINES SERVICE DOG

• People with mobility limitations benefit from a service dog because the dog is trained to do different tasks, from helping individuals that use a wheelchair to assisting those who are still mobile but have stability issues
• People with disabilities gain freedom, independence and a sense of self because of the service dog
• Dogs best suited to assist people through service work are from the "working class" category, which include Labradors and Golden Retrievers, as well as mixes of these breeds
• Some tasks a service dog does for a person include: Retrieving dropped/distant objects, Pulling wheelchairs and loading wheelchairs into vehicles, Retrieving dropped/distant objects, Pulling wheelchairs and loading wheelchairs into vehicles, Opening doors and cabinets, Carrying items/packages, Rising to high counters, Physical support for mobility and transfers to/from wheelchairs, Physical assistance to recover from a fall, Dressing or undressing, Assisting with household tasks such as bed making and laundry
• Each person receives a service dog valued at $38,000

CAMP LEJEUNE TRAINING PROGRAM

• National pilot program developed by Carolina Canines and the Camp Lejeune Brig called “Carolina Canines for Veterans”
• Participating dogs have been rescued from local shelters
• Carolina Canines on site at the Brig 2 to 5 days a week
• Dog training cycle lasts 9 to 15 months
• Purposes: Assist in the rehabilitation of prisoners , Train and certify dogs for service
  Provide service dogs to wounded warriors with mobility limitations
• How it works: Brig staff and Prison Psychologist select primary and alternate handlers, Handlers chosen based on custody classification, sentence remaining, social worker recommendations, All training dogs are between 9 months and 2 years old, have come from shelters or rescues and are evaluated on temperament, aptitude to work and health before entering the program, Handlers and dogs are housed together in a dormitory and follow written procedures on everything from feeding to recreation
  

Individual contributors, Veterans organizations, corporate and civic groups, fundraisers and grants fund CCFS. For more information, call (866) 910-3647 or visit http://www.carolinacanines.org/.