Trained Dogs Breaking through Barriers
On Sunday March 4th, a very special and heart-warming event will take place at My Wonderful Dog at 54 Cove Street in Portland. Rebecca Wilkinson of Gray and Micah Hilton of Westbrook will each be paired with a service dog specially trained to help them with their disabilities.
The graduation, which will take place from 2 to 3 p.m., will celebrate the life-changing connection for the graduates and their new partners. There will also be an open house from 1 to 2 p.m. with raffles, training demos and giveaways. The free event is open to the public, and well behaved dogs are welcome.
The service dogs, a chocolate Labrador named Milo and a black Labrador named Wiley, were trained by My Wonderful Dog, a nonprofit determined to eliminate the barriers that prevent some individuals with disabilities from achieving a more independent lifestyle. Their dogs, mostly Labrador and Golden Retrievers, are trained to perform such tasks as pulling someone in a wheelchair, picking up dropped items and providing stabilization and balance while walking.
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be disabled? “We all take the simplest tasks for granted; such as turning on a light or opening a door”, says Elsa Larsen, President of My Wonderful Dog. “With the help of one of our dogs, it is our goal to provide our clients with opportunities they may have never had”.
The dogs also act as an ambassador for their partners. “Many of us don’t know how to talk to someone who may look or act different from us”, says Larsen. “But we all know how to talk to a dog. By interacting with the individual through their service animal it allows us to really see that person”.
It takes two years of training at a cost of approximately $7,000 to $10,000 a dog. This training begins at 8 weeks when the puppy is placed with a local family who will “foster” that pup until they are 18 months old. For their first 18 months, the dogs participate in a number of programs including a program that works with at risk youth during the school year and summer camps for kids 11-17 who are interested in learning about service dogs.
At a year and a half, the dogs are placed at the Maine Correctional Center where the dogs will spend the last 6 months of their training with female inmate trainers. These women will teach and hone the skills the dogs will need to assist their disabled partners. This program gives inmates the opportunity to provide a valuable community service and the women take pride in their job.
To learn more about My Wonderful Dog, how to get involved or to make a donation to support their cause call 780-9792 or visit their website at www.wonderfuldogs.org.
