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Volunteer Puppy Raiser

BRITTON JOHNSON

   

There’s More Than One Way to Use a Tool Belt.

Every year my employer Oakbrook Corporation participates in the United Way Campaign. In 2006 our United Way representative invited Kelly O’Ferrell from WAGS to come and do a demo for us. My wife had always wanted to raise a service dog for someone, so we attended the WAGS Fall Fundraiser at Olbrich Gardens in October 2007 and met a few other WAGS Puppy Raisers and puppies.  Afterwards, we completed the application process and waited to receive our first WAGS puppy.

In December 2007 Kelly called to tell us she needed to move a WAGS puppy-in- training, Henna, since she was living with a volunteer whose pet dog was about to have a litter of pups. Henna was just about 5 months old when we she came into our home and we fell in love with her right away. We started working right away with Kelly, and as she taught me how to work with Henna, I became convinced that anyone who wants to get a pet dog should first raise a service dog and learn what to do. This type of experience would be beneficial even if you’ve had dogs before and think you know what to do.

Kelly told me I would need something to wear for carrying Henna’s doggy treats around in, as well as other miscellaneous dog items like poop bags and a portable water dish. So I dug out an old tool belt I had from remodeling my first house. It works perfectly. I might even go so far as to say that this tool belt has served me better for dog training than for home remodeling. Training Henna to work with someone with a disability has been truly one of the most rewarding, humbling, eye opening, agonizing, wonderful, joyous, life changing experiences I could ever imagined doing. I find myself walking through the mall or a store with a WAGS dog and all I see are smiles, as people see the dog and just that makes them happy. I also find myself noticing people with disabilities where I might not have before - stopping for a quick “pet stop” to let someone in a wheel chair love on the pup for a minute. Just giving someone a friendly smile and acknowledging them in a positive way can make someone’s day. These dogs have changed my outlook incredibly about what’s really important in life.

Henna has since moved on in her training and is on her way to graduating, which is a great feeling. So we have taken in WAGS puppy-in-training, Ian, a feisty/sweet/playful seven month old Golden that loves to engage in conversations with other dogs. So I’m being challenged again, but in a very good way. Even though we haven’t had Ian very long, we already want him to succeed so much go on to make a positive difference in someone’s life. People always ask me if it’s hard giving up a WAGS dog and the answer is yes, of course! But I heard another dog trainer on a PBS special say something recently about his service dog that I totally agree with; this man said, “I’ll never be able to replace her, I’ll never forget her, but someday she’ll do me proud”. To me that captures the experience perfectly.

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