Redwood Meadows resident Michelle Douglas is helping others by training and raising a young puppy that will provide life-changing independence for those with a disability.
Since March, Douglas and her family have been raising and training puppy Tiko, a black Labrador retriever, on behalf of Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society, which aims to foster integration and independence for people with disabilities by providing them with highly trained assistance dogs.
Tiko is a registered service dog in training, which Douglas will teach and take care of for a year before returning him to the organization for further education prior to him becoming a full-fledged service dog.
Douglas said as part of his extensive training she takes him almost everywhere she goes to expose Tiko to real life experiences and scenarios that would enable him to help his future adoptive client.
“It is such an incredible program, and you have so much pride being part of it,” said Douglas. “I think that it is an extremely gratifying thing to do.”
Douglas takes Tiko to puppy class every Friday in Calgary, which is facilitated by a Dogs with Wings trainer.
Davis said at the end of his first year of puppy training, Tiko will return to Edmonton where the organization would assess what his strengths are.
Those strengths, and his natural ability, will help the organization decide what type of service dog Tiko will become.
Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society volunteer coordinator Kerri Davis said they focus on training their dogs to act as guides, service dogs, autism service dogs, victim services dogs and facility dogs.
Douglas said her family has had Tiko for nine months and will give him up in March. Raising Tiko constitutes a selfless yet emotional painful act, said Douglas, because she knows that it is going to be very upsetting to return Tiko to the society.
“We love him, but we’ve kept it in our heads that he is not ours and hopefully it will make it easier to give the lease back,” said Douglas. “I wanted our children to understand that they need to give back.”
“I sleep better at night knowing that we have taught our boys to do selfless things for others,” Douglas added. “After we give him back, it will be wonderful to know we are part of a organization that gives someone who lives their live with difficulties a little easier go of it.”
According to Davis, becoming a puppy raiser is one the most important gifts a person could ever give.
“You feel extremely proud of yourself, especially when you see a client meet their dog for the first time.”
Dogs with Wings’ clients have an amazing relationship with and form a special bond with their dogs.
“Our clients are out in the public working to increase their sense confidence and of independence,” said Davis. “They do things they didn’t think they could do before.”
Davis said she hopes spreading the word about Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society would lead to more puppy raisers volunteering for her organization, which is something they desperately need in order to effectively service all their present and future clients.
Demand for their dogs has grown, said Davis, because more people are realizing that having an assistant dog may help them and may also be available to them.
“We get 15 applications a month and it is taking two to three years to service (provide dogs) to our clients,” said Davis. “I’m sad that we have a two to three year waitlist.”
“We are trying to keep up the demand,” said Davis. “We need to have more puppy raisers and increased funding.”
Since 1996, Dogs with Wings Assistance Society has placed 105 dogs with clients.
For more information on how to become a puppy raiser visit dogswithwings.com or phone at: 780-944-8011 or toll free: 1-877-252-9433.
