Dear Friend,
Dogs for Better Lives has always been committed to training shelter dogs as part of our Assistance Dog training programs. In fact, shelter dogs have been instrumental in our 46 year history. In recent years, it has been more challenging to find shelter dogs suitable for Service Dog programs near our West campus. You may have seen fewer shelter dogs being placed with clients in recent years, but we're eager to change that.
In June, we launched a brand new partnership with Operation Kindness, an animal shelter in Carrollton, Texas. Through the partnership, DBL staff will have an opportunity to evaluate dogs who come into the shelter to see if they'd be a potential future Service Dog. If it's a match, the dog is placed with one of our foster volunteers and lives in a home environment for the entirety of our training program - until they are either placed with a client or career-changed.
The beauty of this program is that dogs who participate benefit whether they become a Service Dog or not. Those who don't make it through the program are adopted out to loving families - with skills they learned in our program that make them even more adoptable.
The demand for Service Dogs is as high as ever, and we're hopeful that this new partnership will allow us to place even more dogs with people with disabilities - transforming the lives of both shelter dogs and people. We look forward to sharing stories of our first shelter dogs in Texas soon. In the meantime, you can check out our recent news release about the partnership.
Thank you for making it possible for us to embark on new partnerships like this. Your regular support through The Pack allows us to keep the training, care, and commitment to our dogs and clients front and center.
With gratitude,
Bryan Williams
CEO, Dogs for Better Lives |
|
|---|
| The latest pup-date from Assistance Dog in Training, Emerald
Emerald is at our West campus and not missing a beat with her training! She's paired up with Certified Assistance Dog Trainer, Dana, who already has glowing remarks about Emerald.
Dana said, "Emerald is doing great so far! She is a natural when it comes to sound work. She has great impulse control, although she can be a little distracted around other dogs. To help with this, she is spending time in a crate while we're working in the training room and has been very quiet. She seems to get attached a little quickly, but as long as she doesn't become over-attached (as this tends to make it harder in training) she will be a great little worker! She's not a huge fan of the Service Dog vest, so we're working with her to get comfortable wearing the Service Dog bandana instead."
We're evaluating Emerald for our three Assistance Dog Programs and also as a potential breeder dog. Our staff are spending time with Emerald to get to know her strengths and personality so she's placed in the program that is best suited to her. Check back next month for an another update in Emerald's journey! |
|
|---|
| | Facility Dog Archie Bringing Joy to Central Washington University
Archie came to Dogs for Better Lives in 2021 when he was just 8 weeks old and was placed with a Puppy Raiser that took him everywhere with them – even the dentist! When Archie returned to our campus in early 2023, it was clear he had the perfect temperament for a Facility Dog. We are so proud of Archie and are excited to follow along on his journey at Central Washington University. Read a recent article CWU published about Facility Dog Archie!
|
| |
|---|
| | Fostering Love, Care, and Impact
We recently chatted with one of our West Campus fosters, Christina, about her experiences fostering Charlie and Rosemary. She Fostered Home Hearing Dog Charlie for 4 months while he was still in training, and was instrumental in helping to ease stress that can be detrimental to the training process. Fostering can make all the difference for our dogs in training. Some need a break, some are experiencing stress, and others need more 1:1 time. Check out our interview with Christina. |
| |
|---|
| | Facility Dog Rolanda Easing Fears for Pediatric Patients
Alicia is a pediatric nurse and Facility Dog Rolanda has the important job of helping patients who are anxious about receiving medical treatment. Rolanda knows Lap, Touch, Visit, Squish and Settle. Rolanda seems to know when she is needed and recently she preformed a “visit” on an anxious girl without being asked. Alicia said it was amazing to watch the girl’s anxiety melt away as she pet Rolanda’s head.
|
| |
|---|
| | Webinar Replay - Caring for Your Pets in Your Estate Plan
As part of our quarterly webinar series, our trainers and other experts cover range of topics to help you better understand your dog's needs. In June's installment of the webinar series, Jennifer Sawday, a partner at TLD Law, LLC and member of the DBL Planned Giving Council, shared some common ways you can be sure you are taking care of your pets through a will and/or trust. Watch the replay. |
| |
|---|
| | Checking in with Home Hearing Dog Slim
For the past eight years, Slim has been Jane's Home Hearing Dog from Dogs for Better Lives. In fact, he's Jane's third Hearing Dog from DBL! Slim has an important role in Jane's life, alerting her to door knocks, oven timers, and even the dryer! With his keen senses, Slim ensures Jane never misses a beat. Slim and Jane spend their days playing frisbee in the yard, creating endless moments of joy and laughter.
Despite being almost ten years old, Slim hasn't lost his youthful energy. He's as bouncy (and maybe a tad bit barky) as ever! He's not only her furry companion but also her "ears," always by her side and ready to alert her when something's going on. Jane can't imagine her life without Slim.
|
| |
|---|
| | |
|
