Dog Bless You Helps Veterans

Dog Bless You, a Facebook Campaign has selected Canines for Veterans as one of the recipients for their Spirit of ’76 Facebook Campaign.  From Memorial Day (May 28^th) to Independence Day (July 4^th), Dog Bless You, a non-profit community created by explore.org founder and Annenberg Foundation Director and Vice President, Charlie Annenberg, will celebrate dogs and soldiers in America and bring service and companion dogs to war veterans through a challenge grant that incorporates Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

For every 1,000 new subscribers on the Dog Bless You Facebook, Pinterest, or Tumblr pages, explore.org will donate the costs of one service or companion dog to a war veteran.  Through a grant made possible by the Annenberg Foundation, explore.org will donate up to 76 dogs with the help of non-profit organizations throughout the US. The Spirit of ’76 is a celebration of 1776, the birth year of our country’s independence. The campaign offers a chance for people to come together and raise awareness surrounding the healing role dogs can play in the lives of those affected by war. The Facebook page, Tumblr page, and Pinterest page will feature photos, videos and discussions aimed at educating and inspiring.

“This is a great example how foundations are incorporating social media into the opportunities for grantees” says Rick Hairston, President/CEO of Canines for Service.  Dog Bless You is a creative way to feature the service Canines for Veterans is providing to our warriors while creating a needed funding source to continue to provide this medical option to our Veterans.”

Canines for Veterans, a program of Canines for Service, is a triple win; providing quality trained service dogs to our veterans at no cost, teaching military prisoners new skills that they can use when released from prison and rescuing dogs from local shelters giving them a second chance at a new life.   The program is innovative and provides a professionally trained service dog within about one year from the dog entering training.  

So, what makes CFV different?    For one thing, 95% of the dogs in the program are from rescue  and all are temperament and health tested to ensure the right fit for the service work the dog will be trained to do.  Next, training standards have been developed and approved by the U.S, Department of Labor as an Apprenticeship program which includes 3600 hours of training for the handler and an average of 2,500 hours for each dog; the first of it's kind for a prison service dog training program.  The skills to assist a Veteran with PTSD have been developed by and with individuals that have PTSD and are compliant to federal law (Americans With Disability Act).  After completing an application and review for a service dog, each client receives individualized instruction when they learn to work with their service dog.    Because we work with each recipient individually, they get the specific training needed for the skills needed, can ask as many questions as they need to understand and we can reduce the training time for the team to an average of 5 days.  That saves the client time, money and most of all anxiety of being in a unfamiliar location. And, we don't stop there.  Once the client has completed training and goes home with their new service dog, CFV is there for the team for follow-up and we provide the liability insurance coverage for the service dog by maintaining the ownership.   

Canines for Service, previously known as Carolina Canines for Service, empowers people with disabilities to achieve greater independence through the gift of quality trained service dogs. Through the volunteer efforts of foster families and military prisoners, the organization trains certified service dogs and then partners the canines with eligible recipients.  

Canines for Service is asking the community and supporters to like Dog Bless You on Facebook from now to July 4^th and share this with your friends to help veterans receive service dogs.

What is a service dog and can one help me?

Service dogs are trained to assist an individual who is visually or hearing impaired, experiencing mobility limitations or dealing with psychological disorders. There are distinctions between service or guide dogs, sometimes known as assistance dogs, and therapy, emotional support or companion dogs. A service dog has legal access to accompany the person where ever they go; a therapy, emotional or companion dog does not.

Fully trained service dogs are governed by the Americans With Disabilities Act, which defines a service animal as “any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler's disability.”

Service dogs in training are governed under state statutes not the ADA; each state statue has different points and should be researched and understood by the service dog trainer. Key to the NC statute are provisions that the service dog in training must be identified, must be under control of the trainer by leash or harness, and must be the only service dog in training being handled. Further, the NC statute is clear that falsely representing an animal as a service dog is a misdemeanor.

Airman 1st Class Ashlee Galloway

Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Dean Suthard sits with his new service dog, Esther, during a ceremony at the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston May 9. During the ceremony, NCBC, in partnership with Carolina Canines for Service, presented Suthard, a wounded service member, his service dog. Suthard deployed three times to Iraq, second tour with the 1st Battalion 8th Marine Regiment. In 2004, while on his second tour, he sustained spinal injuries while on combat patrol. CCFS is a non-profit health and human services organization that trains service dogs for people with disabilities. Through this program, military prisoners are taught to train service dogs for veterans with disabilities

Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/88553/wounded-warrior-receives-helping-paw#.T8I5INWXTkU#ixzz1w523Qjqh

Canines for Service trains service dogs to assist people with mobility limitations, traumatic brain injury and, for Veterans, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After an average of 2,500 hours, the dogs know 90 commands and can pick up dropped items, open doors, be harnessed to assist someone walking or help to pull a manual wheelchair. The service dog can load a washer and unload a dryer, turn on/off light, pick up coins and give them to their person and lay quietly for hours if their person is in a meeting or just relaxing at home. The service dogs are constant assistants and can help someone with PTSD by creating space between the person and someone near them, assist them in exiting a room or provide tactile (touch) stimulation to help relieve their anxiety. Each service dog is carefully matched to a person considering many factors including the person’s needs, height, life style and the skills the dog is best at. When a match is made and the person receives their service dog, the training is done one-on-one with the person and their dog; not in a group of others receiving service dogs. And, because Canines for Service owns the dog after placing it with a person for five years, liability insurance coverage is provided by Canines for Service.

How do I find a service dog provider? There are numerous service dog providers that use many training methods, set their own selection criteria for the dog (age, temperament, size, health screening) and decide how much training a dog receives before providing it to a person. Most organizations have an application process and often there is a wait list of two or more years to receive a service dog. Some providers charge a fee for a service dog or require the person receiving the dog to fundraise to help off-set the costs of the training. One resource of service dog providers is Assistance Dogs International (ADI). While ADI does not train and place service dogs, they are a coalition of service dog providers that have agreed to define standards of training and have had a review of their practices by peers in the industry. So, what should you look for in a service dog provider? Here are just a few points to consider:

• How old are the dogs when provided to a client? 
• How have the dogs’ been evaluated for temperament and health? 
• Are the dogs hips assessed by x-ray? 
• Can the dog handle the public settings or is it timid or fearful? 
• If a private trainer or a paid provider, is there a written contract with clear deliverables and expectations of what the service dog will be able to do? 
• When training is done with a client is it provided in a group or individually? 
• Is follow-up training provided? 
• Who owns the dog after it is placed with a client? 
• Is there liability insurance coverage provided by the organization providing the service dog? 
• Is the organization a legal organization in compliance with state and federal laws? 

If you are looking for a service dog and are interested in a Canines for Service and Canines for Veterans service dog, visit our website to learn more www.caninesforservice.org or call for information 866-910-3647.

National Recognition, Changing a Life and Local Support

It has been a rollercoaster of activity since the Walk for Those Who Can’t in late March. In April the Canines for Veterans program was nationally recognized as a top 20 finalist in the Joining Forces Community Challenge at the White House. A trip to Washington DC including a tour of the White House, tour of the Pentagon with a reception with the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, General Dempsey and the Joining Forces anniversary ceremony at the White House. To be in the White House and among the many our national treasures and walk the halls of our forefathers; the experience was incredible.

This week team training is ongoing for a Veteran. He is receiving service dog Esther who was initially trained in the civilian foster program in Wilmington by a local family before going to the brig to finish her training. Here is what the foster family had to say “You know how much we loved fostering Esther but thinking about all the people who have poured time into her is amazing! She and her sister were donated; Canines for Service trainers met with us weekly or biweekly to teach us commands (in addition to being available by phone!); her Canines for Veterans trainers have worked with her for the past 9 months at the US Naval Consolidated Brig in Charleston; and she lived with a handler in Charleston who obviously worked with her constantly to get her ready for her big day! All because Rick Hairston had a dream and desire to help people and his incredible wife, Pat, supported him the whole way! Please consider supporting Canines for Service with your time or financial donation - they are absolutely changing lives!!”


The difference in the client’s life is already being realized as he slept for 7 full hours for the first time in many years with Esther by his side on the very first night she stayed with him. The healing for this wounded warrior will take the next step as he and service dog Esther bond and become a team.
Canines for Literacy are wrapping up for the school year and the children are receiving their gift bags of books thanks to grants from Wilmington Newcomers Club and International Paper. The appreciation for our Canines for Therapy teams is evident from the photo.

Our work does not happen without the support of many. One local elementary school stepped up to make a difference in the lives of other students by donating raffle items and holding an in-school raffle. Together the 5th grade class of College Park Elementary raised $381 which is being matched by a generous donor for the Canines for Literacy program. The children totally get it and realize the benefit of making a difference in someone’s life.

Canines for Service can’t do all this alone. We need you. Whether it is fostering a service dog in training, training to be a certified Canines for Therapy team with your own dog, helping our children with the Canines for Literacy program, holding a fundraiser or donating on a regular basis, there are people waiting for the services we provide. Please help us to make a difference in a life today.

  

6th Annual Walk for Those Who Can't

The 6th Annual Walk for Those Who Can't is right around the corner.  The team is working to bring you a fun 2012 Walk.  Based on your input, we have created a longer route and we have added vendors.  


Besides the fun, the great fundraising prizes (like a week in Florida) and the raffle items available, we all have at the Walk for Those Who Can't, this event is important to Canines for Service.  It helps us to raise money needed for programs that serve people in our communities.  The largest fundraiser for Canines for Service in the Wilmington area, the funds raised help to provide people waiting for their service dog, a 4-legged gift of independence, provides training and certification for pet owners and their dogs to become pet therapy teams and volunteer visiting nursing homes, assisted living, hospitals and working with children.  Requests for our services are up.  Our wait list for a service dog in the Canines for Service program is 2 to 4 years and for Veterans up to 10 months in the Canines for Veterans program.  We have many facilities in our community who are waiting for certified therapy teams to visit with the residents.  And, schools are asking for our Canines for Literacy team to come help the children with their reading.  

We need you to help us.  If you are already fundraising, thank you!  If you have not started, there is still time. Just visit Walk for Those Who Can't and click the Register to Walk button or Donate to A Team or buy a raffle ticket or two, three or more. Every little bit helps and 91 cents of every dollar goes directly to our programs. 


Here are a few tips that our walkers are using to become fundraisers! Follow these and you can’t go wrong.
1- ASK. Asking for money is hard, but you will find that people want to support you and the cause that you believe in. People believe in dog helping people and they will want to help.
2- Ask Again. Participants who send follow-up emails to people who have not responded after the first ask are more successful fundraisers. Your friends are busy -- they WANT to be reminded about the opportunity to help!
3- Thank You! Log into your account to easily see who has made a gift toward your goal. Send a thank you note right away and even follow up after the event by sending a picture of you and your pet at the walk so that your supporters share in the day. 


Thank you to our sponsors making the 2012 Walk possible.  CBS 10 Wilm, Sunrise Broadcasting, Sunny 104.5, Z107.5, Jammin 99.9, 98.7 Coastal Carolina's Modern Rock, ESPN Radio, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Dog Living Magazine, StarNews Media, Queensboro Shirt Company, Unleashed - The Dog and Cat Store, Dock Street Printing, Indian Springs Water Co., Port City Java and PawPrints Magazine.  And to our doggie bandana sponsors A Country Veterinary, Chippewa Aerospace, Inc. , Dineen Animal Hospital, Galligan Chiropractic, North College Road Animal Hospital, Paw Beach Pet Resort, Pine Valley Animal Hospital, Therapy Works Of Wilmington.   Table Top Exhibitors: Dog Connection Inc., Kona-Ice Of Coastal Carolina LLC, Nature's Select Of Coastal Carolina, Inc., Norman's Books,  Pampered Chef - Jesse Watts, Paw Beach Pet Resort, Pet's Pal Inn, Splish Splash Dog Wash, Unleashed, The Dog And Cat Store, Wilmington Animal Healthcare, And Woof 4 Dog Gifts.


Looking forward to seeing you there!

Juggling and Balancing - It's All Good

Sometimes in life, even the life of a non-profit, one is pulled in many directions almost all at the same time.  The day-to-day mission becomes a balancing act of what has to get done, what needs to get done and what would just be nice to do.  One month into the new year and  Canines for Service has already been presented with wonderful opportunities.  


We are planning are 6th Annual Walk for Those Who Can't on March 24th at Hugh MacRae Park in Wilmington, NC.  In-kind sponsors have been generous and include CBS 10WILM, Sunrise Broadcasting and the radio groups of Sunny 104.5, Z 107.5, Jammin 99.9, 98.7 Modern Rock, ESPN Radio, Carrabba's Italian Grill, DogLiving Magazine, StarNews Media, Queensboro, PawPrints Magazine, Indian Springs Water Company, Port City Java and Dock Street Printing.  These donation help tremendously, but we also need financial sponsors that can help with the costs of providing services in our community.  Registration is open for the Walk and people are beginning to register and raise money.  Some of the folks are being quite creative like StarNews Media holding a pet photo session on February 4th at 11 am or Blissful Living challenging all their Facebook fans to donate just $5.00.    Our goal is to raise $60,000 that will help us provide service dogs to people who are waiting, continue to offer a comprehensive animal assisted therapy program for owners and their dogs to volunteer in the community and support our children through the Canines for Literacy program.   None of this can happen without funds to make it possible. 

Rick and Pat Hairston were recently invited to Ft. Myers, VA to share an afternoon with some of the countries bravest as we gathered to enjoy the American pastime of football. One of our clients, Leslie Smith and Service Dog Issac were on Days of Our Lives.  Canines for Veterans was recently honored as a finalist in the Joining Forces Community Challenge for our innovative program supporting military members and their families.  People can continue to help us with this honor by voting daily for as a the People's Choice.  Representatives of the organization will be invited to the White House to celebrate the honor of being a finalist later this spring. 


Grant research and writing is in full swing with the hope of funding opportunities that will help us to continue our work.  The Harry Barker Canines for Veterans product line continues to gain attention in the retail world, Raising the communities awareness with attendance at upcoming events like the Conscience Fair in Wilmington on February 4th, Run for the Roses on February 12th in Raleigh, the Southeast Wildlife Expo in Charleston February 17-19th,  Coastal Living Show March 17-18th, the Walk on March 24th and a Pet Expo in Jacksonville, NC on March 31st. 


Our mission is only possible through the support of people in our communities.  People who show that support by volunteering and donating to the programs.  It's going to be a banner year, join us, you don't want to miss out!