A true inspiration to those in need!!!
It is rare that I will write about someone in this blog, as I would much rather write about a dog, dogs or issues about dogs, but there are cases where the efforts of special people need to be acknowledged. I have read about an individual from various sources who has provided those in need with the assistance they require. This person. Jennifer Arnold continued a program her father had started called Canine Assistants and the mission of the program is to provide those in need with the dogs who can make their lives enriched with quality and purpose. Jennifer knows about this mission from first-hand experience. As a teenager, Jennifer was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and it was during those difficult teenage years that she spent two years in a wheelchair. Jennifer’s father, who was a physician in Georgia, found out that there was an organization in California that provided dogs to people with disabilities, but they were short on dogs as there was a huge waiting list, and there was nothing on the east coast. Jennifer’s father decided to start a program like the one in California in Georgia. He began planning for this monumental venture and 3 weeks after the first planning meeting he was killed by a drunk driver while taking a walk around a local park.
Devasted by this tragedy, as you can imagine, Jennifer and her mother decided to forge on with this cause in honor of her father’s memory. After 10 years of work, the program became a reality in 1981. This has grown into a phenomenol organization that provides dogs to people with disabiities and other special needs. Currently there are four types of dogs that are trained and given to needy recipients. The type of dogs that come to the needs of others from Canine Assistants include service dogs, companion dogs, seizure response dogs and hearing dogs. These dogs are specially trained for whatever type of need they will serve. For many, these dogs provide the first step in the independence of these people who have been limited by their disability. There is so much more to Canine Assistants. Please check out this great site by clicking here and honor the work of a strong and determined woman…Jennifer Arnold.
Everyone knows it is not inexpensive to own a pet. There is food and health care for the dog/cat as well. It seems like a pitence when you compare it to the cost of a child. Check out the entry of fellow blogger, Erinn to see what I mean.
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