Janet,
Facility Dog Client
- After a demonstration by Dogs for the Deaf – now known as Dogs for Better Lives – I mentioned how my aging dog, Reynold, was no longer keen to come to school to assist my students with special needs. Reynold had been helping to reach kids that I couldn’t quite help with my human skills. The DBL trainer let me know that the organization had begun a new program to train dogs for that exact purpose, and that I should apply to get one. I was shocked and delighted at my good fortune and the synchronicity of the situation!
- The staff and volunteers put their resources together to not only provide high quality dogs to assist people with disabilities, but also save many of the dogs they train from animal shelters. Because of the generosity of many private donors, these dogs were provided free of charge to the recipient. Unbelievable!
- The support I received from DBL, specifically Facility Dog Nelson’s trainer Carrie, to integrate him into my life and work as a teacher was awesome and continues for as long as we needed it to this day.
- Though they never pressured me to be a part of promoting the organization, I was and continue to be happy to help in any way I can, in part to repay the generous gift that Facility Dog Nelson has brought to my life as a teacher.
- I just don’t know that I would be able to do the job I do without another Facility Dog, so I eagerly await the next generous gift of a dog who will add to the entire school community, and specifically to students who struggle to find school to be a place of calm and caring and understanding.
Janet works as a Special Education-Resource teacher in an elementary school. She lives in southern Oregon. Janet and Nelson have been working with children, as a team, for almost 9 years. Soon, Nelson will have his well-earned retirement: time to sleep in, go for walks with Janet’s wife, Kem, who retired last year herself.