Shelter Dogs (5 page)

Joey wagged his tail. Susan realized that, on two legs, he was taller than she was, and he weighed more than she did. She wondered if this was such a good idea after all. She managed to get the leash on Joey and somehow kept her balance as he tugged her toward the door.

In the Get Acquainted area, Joey chased a tennis ball while Susan debated. Could she successfully train such a big, energetic dog? Although she liked his playful personality, she decided to think it over.

The next day Susan brought her husband and two daughters to meet Joey. As usual, he galloped wildly around the Get Acquainted pen, but he was careful not to bump into anyone, and he was gentle with the children.

The family vote was unanimous: yes. Joey was neutered that same afternoon and went home with Susan the next day.

His training started immediately. Susan began with the basics, teaching Joey not to jump on people, to come when called, to lie down and stay, and to heel. He seemed eager to please and learned quickly.

Joey accepted wearing his service-dog pack right away. The pack is a sturdy red-and-black bag that fits over his back like a saddle. In it, Joey carries Susan's wallet, his official service-dog identification, and anything else Susan needs to take with her. He also carries items she purchases.

From the start, Joey went to Susan immediately when she fell and let her lean on him while she pulled herself upright. Now he also puts his snout under her chin and pushes her head up. If necessary, he rolls her from her weak left side to her stronger right side.

Other tasks took longer to master. For each job, Susan gave a command and tried to show him what she wanted. When Joey did it right, she praised him. If he did something else, she repeated the command and showed him again until Joey caught on. Every time he obeyed she told him what a good dog he was. She practiced each job with him many times before going on to teach him a new skill.

Now he tugs on her sleeves and pant legs to help her get her clothing on or off. He knows how to pull her socks off her feet and toss them into her lap. When the telephone rings, Joey lifts the receiver in his mouth and holds it until Susan can get there. He pulls cords to open cupboards, drawers, and the dishwasher.

As a service dog, Joey is permitted in public places such as grocery stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and hotels. He has learned to ride an escalator and not to lick babies and small children, no matter how good they smell!

Joey goes grocery shopping with Susan. If she needs an item from a shelf that's too low for her to reach, she points to it and Joey gets it for her. He sometimes carries groceries to the checkout stand in his pack, and he brings them into the house when he and Susan get home.

She often leans on him to keep her balance. He holds doors open. When she drops her cane, Joey picks it up. If he were not there, she would need to ask for help.

Without Joey, Susan could not even go to the bathroom alone. He stands beside her so that she can keep her balance when she sits down. She grasps him to pull herself back to a standing position.

Susan is able to go swimming at a club because Joey is there to help her get in and out of the pool. With Joey at her side, she volunteers at her daughters' schools.

People who are familiar with guide dogs for the blind or hearing-ear dogs for the deaf are often startled to realize that Susan can see and hear just fine. Since most service dogs are purebred German shepherds, golden retrievers, or Labrador retrievers, Joey's obvious mixed heritage also creates interest. Susan is frequently stopped by strangers and asked to explain Joey's background and purpose.

Susan works from her home office as a nurse educator, planning courses for medical students. Because of Joey, she is able to attend meetings and give lectures that are important to her career.

One day Susan was contacted by Chris Lehman, a woman who also has multiple sclerosis. Chris had a service dog trained by an organization, and she was curious to know how Susan had trained Joey herself. The two women met and talked while their dogs played together.

Chris told Susan about the Delta Society, a nonprofit organization that promotes the human health benefits of animals. The Delta Society sponsors a national Service Dog of the Year Award. Chris nominated Joey for the award. When the Humane Society staff saw what an excellent service dog Joey had become, they also nominated him.

Hundreds of fine service dogs from all over the country were nominated for this special honor.

Joey won!

The award was presented in New York City. Joey flew from Seattle to New York with Susan, sitting in the cabin of the airplane with her as is permitted by law for service dogs. He stayed with her at a fancy hotel where he shook hands with the doorman and charmed the staff.

While in New York, Joey and Susan were interviewed by newspaper and television reporters, and Joey demonstrated some of his skills on national TV. CNN did a story about Joey and Susan which was picked up by several airlines for use as an informational public service feature.

The news spread. An ordinary mutt from a shelter had been trained by a person with disabilities to do complicated tasks so well that he had won the Service Dog of the Year award. Thousands of people learned that an older, mixed-breed dog was capable of learning difficult jobs.

Susan began volunteering with the Delta Society, answering calls about service dogs. Most calls were from disabled people who wanted information about these valuable animals, but many calls also came from business people who needed to know how to treat their customers who used a service dog.

People with service dogs are often refused admittance to businesses because the people who work there do not know that service dogs are allowed, by law, to accompany their owners in public places.

Susan is now coordinator of the Delta Society's National Service Dog Center. This organization tells people how they can get a service dog, refers them to trainers, and teaches businesses how to accommodate people with service dogs. Its goal is to make more service dogs available and to educate the public so that service dogs are accepted. The Service Dog Center presently receives more than fourteen thousand inquiries each year.

Susan also writes model service-dog policies for businesses and other organizations, such as the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Before she became ill with multiple sclerosis, Susan worked as a registered nurse. Back then, even though she met many disabled people, she did not know about service dogs. Now she hopes to help educate as many people as possible.

A year after Joey won his award, Susan was asked to give a presentation at the Delta Society's international convention in Geneva, Switzerland. Once again, Joey boarded an airplane with his mistress, this time to fly across the Atlantic.

As Susan stood outside a meeting room at the convention, she was approached by a Japanese woman who asked, “Are you Susan Duncan?”

When Susan said yes, the woman introduced herself as Dr. Takayanagi, a physician. “I saw you on television during my flight here from Japan,” she said.

Dr. Takayanagi had seen the CNN clip from Joey's New York visit, and she was excited to meet Susan in person. She told Susan that in Japan service dogs are too expensive for the average person. She hoped to change that, and she thought Susan could help.

The doctor invited Susan and Joey to go to Japan so that Susan could give a series of talks about how she had trained Joey herself.

Joey became the first service dog to travel to Japan. He wore a pack with “Service Dog” written on it in Japanese. He and Susan stayed two weeks and were the subject of a television documentary about how service dogs can help disabled people.

Joey has also been to Spain, where he and Susan stayed in a small village right on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Medical professionals from throughout Spain gathered there to hear Susan speak. When she and Joey demonstrated all the things he does to assist her, even those in the audience who could not understand English knew exactly what Susan meant.

Not all of Joey's trips have been for business. He has also vacationed in Disney World with Susan and her family. There he had his picture taken wearing mouse ears!

When Joey is at home, he often naps on his special pad on the living room floor. Like most well-loved family dogs, he enjoys frequent hugs and has many toys. He barks if a visitor rings the doorbell and stands protectively beside Susan when she opens the door. He sleeps next to her bed.

When Susan went to the Humane Society looking for a potential service dog, Joey was untrained, unruly, and large. Thanks to Susan's determination and to Joey's intelligence and aptitude for service work, he is now a world traveler with an important job.

About Service Dogs

If you see someone with a service dog, be sure to ask permission before you pet or talk to the dog. The dog is working, and it may be important not to distract him.

To learn more about service dogs, contact:

National Service Dog Center

289 Perimeter Road East

Renton WA 98055-1329

The Delta Society can be reached at the above address or at:

300 Park Avenue, 2nd Floor

New York NY 10022-7499

You can also visit the Delta Society at:

www.deltasociety.org

Danny

OVERCOMING FEARS

Jessica Mitchell leads Danny through the “Dawg Gone Days” 4-H qualifying obedience competition in Enumclaw, Washington. They are trying for a spot at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.

5

W
HEN JESSICA MITCHELL
was three years old, she went to visit her grandmother. Her uncle was also visiting that day. He had brought along his dog, a pit bull.

Pit bull terriers, commonly known as pit bulls, were originally bred to fight. Although pit bulls can be gentle, many are used as guard dogs and are sometimes trained to be aggressive.

As little Jessica ran up the sidewalk toward her grandmother's house, her uncle's dog attacked her. Jessica screamed with pain and fear as the dog knocked her down and bit her many times in the face and around her eyes.

Police and paramedics raced to the scene. Sirens wailing, an ambulance rushed Jessica to the hospital.

She went immediately into surgery, where doctors rebuilt her torn cheek and put her jaw muscle back together. Jessica spent a week in the hospital. Her wounds were painful, but eventually they healed, leaving a lot of scar tissue.

When Jessica was in first grade, she was hospitalized again while doctors did reconstructive surgery to minimize a C-shaped scar around one eye. Later, another surgery removed excess scar tissue from her jaw. While her face looks fine, she may still need further surgery.

After she was attacked, Jessica became fearful of dogs. She liked other animals, and she understood that most dogs never attack anyone unless they are threatened themselves. Still, whenever she saw a dog, she felt panicky.

By the time Jessica was eight, she wanted to conquer her fear. Many of her friends had dogs, and Jessica longed to pet them and play with them without being frightened.

She didn't think she would feel threatened by a little puppy, so she asked her parents if she could have one. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell agreed, and they took Jessica to the Humane Society.

One of the available puppies that day was a shepherd/Lab mix who was eight weeks old. Because he was brought to the shelter when he was too young to be adopted, he had been placed in a foster home, where he had received plenty of love and attention.

The pup was gentle and friendly and liked being held. The Humane Society staff thought he would be a good choice for Jessica, and Jessica thought so, too. She named him Danny and took him home.

Danny turned out to be the perfect puppy. His silliness made Jessica laugh. She liked to pet him and play with him. Danny gave her puppy kisses and napped on her lap.

Of course he grew bigger, but Jessica already loved and trusted him. She had nothing to fear, even when he was fully grown. Although the rest of Jessica's family enjoyed Danny, too, he seemed to know that he was Jessica's dog.