Lisa Dare of Canine Companions for Independence Explains How The Program Works!
After a satisfying career in sales, Lisa Dare decided to do something totally different, something with purpose, something that would help enrich lives.
Lisa volunteers for Canine Companions for Independence and is now in her third year of raising puppies for the purpose of expanding and improving the lives of people with disabilities.
These skilled dogs, valued at $50,000 each, are given to people at need at NO COST to them.
4 Categories of Dogs for Canine Companions for Independence:
- Service dogs – assisting adults with physical disabilities by performing daily tasks.
- Skilled companions – creating a team of three, enhancing independence for children and adults with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities. The dog assists, but requires a “handler” to help care for feeding, getting outside, etc.
- Hearing dogs – alerting their companion to phone calls, a doorbell ringing, an emergency alarm, and more.
- Facility dogs – working with a professional in a visitation, education or healthcare setting. Examples might be the office of a therapist, prosecutor, or special needs classroom.
What makes this life-changing organization even more extraordinary than others?
Canine Companions for Independence is completely operated by volunteers.
Only the professional trainers are paid!
The dogs, carefully selected and bred in California, have volunteer breeders and puppy caretakers who help with the pregnancy, delivery and socialization skills during the first 8 weeks.
Volunteer puppy raisers receive pups at 8 weeks. They teach the basic 30 commands and pay for veterinarian bills, food, toys, or any other needs. Puppy raisers meet for group trainings and take turns with other pups so the young dogs learn the same systematic commands from different people and households. Finally, at 18 months, the dogs leave for professional training.
Although one might say these dogs are already “perfect” dogs, only 55% of them graduate from the stringent training so the puppy raiser who has spent considerable time and resources on the dog is given the option of permanently adopting the pup that doesn’t pass.
Please help Canine Companions for Independence help people to experience independent and more productive lives.
You will feel GREAT about making a donation to this organization! Please click this link for the Aging Gracefully donation page for Canine Companions for Independence. Aging Gracefully has a goal of $10,000 in donations, which isn’t even the value of one dog. Will you help, please?
Please share your good thoughts about this type of service to others in the comment box below…
When you make a donation, give a shout-out here and explain WHY you chose to do so!
Do YOU think you could be a puppy raiser, knowing you would most likely have to give the dog away after 18 months?
