HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-07-26, Page 7News
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, July 26, 2000-7
Special skills dogs can help disabled owners
with kitchen chores and bedtime routines
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
While Paulie may get to
fetch more than the average
dog. it's rarely a game for
him.
He's a uniquely trained,
"special skills dog" with.
the Lions Club Foundation
of Canada's program that
supplies trained dogs for
the blind, deaf and people
with mobility needs.
Michelle Wright. a
trainer with the Lions_
Foundation of Canada, was
at Seaforth Wednesday
when the Lions Club
hosted a barbecue for
residents of. Maplewood
and Seaforth Manor.
Wright introduced
everyone to Paulie, one of
about eight dogs that are
trained at a time to become.
special skills animals.
Paulie, a black Labrador,
• spent about three to five
months of training to
perform about 25 different
tasks from helping take off
their handler's socks to
turning out'the lights.
The dogs are placed in
homes io help owners who
have a variety of illnesses
that make movement
difficult from muscular
' dystrophy to multiple
sclerosis.
The program is entirely
funded through Lions
Clubs across Canada and
. private donations, receiving
no government. funding.
They are placed in the
hdme t'o be much more than
just a companion. helping
'get food off bottom shelves
in fridges and cupboard..
after opening them
themselves.
They can help their
owners take off jackets ands
are trained to position
themselves under their
handlers Co help them get
'froma wheelchair to a bed
. or. if a person has fallen,
the dog can help him or her
get back into the
wheelchair.
Having the dog can give
someone the freedom of
not needing a home care
_ worker to come in the
morning or at night to help
the person get in and out of
bed.. It gives the person..
more control over his or
her life. being able to,.
choose when he or she has
to turn in for the day.
In fact. Wright said
Paulie .ca'nhelp someone
get ihto bed, pull the
blankets up, give a kiss
goodnight and turn out the
light before leaving the
room.
They area's() trained to
activate an alarm system
wired into the police or a
neighbour. If the owner
tells the dog to activate the
alarm a system of.beeps let
the dog know whether the
call for help has been sent:
It it hasn't the dog will
keep pushing the button
with its paw 'until the
proper beeping sound is
heard.
Scott Hilgendorff photos
Paulie, a special skills dog trained to help people suffering
from illnesses that make movement difficult, demonstrates,
above, how tie can answer the phone. At bottom, seniors
from Maplewood and Seaforth-Manors listen to trainer
Michelle Wright.
But Wright said people
have to remember, "They
are live animals. They
aren't little robots. They do
make mistakes."
Sometimes they'll steal
food before they are told
they can have it or they'll
get distracted and miss
their handler's command
the first time it's said.
Paulie, like other trained
dogs, knows when he is
wearing his harness, he is'
working.
That
attentive
means' -being
to his handler at
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all times and not .eating,.
sniffing or roaming around.
But he is still allowed to
be a dog.
The working dogs are.
given two hours a day of
free time to play and just
be a dog but otherwise., are
required to work withtheir
handler, helping him or her
function more easily in
their home environment. ,
Labs, retrievers and
standard' poodles are the
most commonly -used dogs
in the program and some
are specially bred to
become guide dogs, seeing
eye dogs or special skills
.animals. •
One of the reasons for
the choice of dogs is
because they are better
suited to the process 'of
becoming one of the Lions
dogs.
As pups, they live in
foster homes until they are
ready to be trained, if
handlers from the facility
determine their
temperament is right for
the program after living"'
with the family for several
months: '
From there, the ,dog
spends several months
working with a trainer.
. They are then paired up
for a two-week training
session with the person
who will be receiving the
dog before going to live
with that-. person if the
match is successful.
Wright said labs.
retrievers and standard
poodles have the ability to
change homes several times
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The 7th Annual Oakwood Mixed Invitational raised
$5,600
for Community Living - South Huron for a variety of health and medical needs.
Special thanks and appreciation go to the following sponsors of the May 25, 2000 Oakwood
Mixed Invitational Golf Tournament.
Dave Scatcherd, Oakwood Inn and Golf Club, Box Fumiture, CUPE - Local 2597, Dr.
Thomas Devereaux, D.C., Egmondville Country Market, Hildebrand Flowers,
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PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC ROAD NAME CHANGES
SECTION 210 (111) of the
Municipal Act, R.S.O. 1990 i]
NOTICE is herehy given that the following Councils intend to pass a
by-law to name public roads which may not have been previously tl
named. and to change the name of public roads which may have a.
been previously named. OO
The public roa•d naming, or change of name is intended to facilitate
•the County -wide municipal addressing system which is required to
be in place prior to the implementation of the 9-1-1 Emergency
tteepoose System for ambulance, fire and 'police.services
throughout the County of Huron.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION relating to the liropobed naming/
renaming of public roads is available for inspection at the respective
Municipal Offices or .the Huron County Planning and Development
Department at 524-2188. •
DATED THIS 27th DAY OF JUNE, 2000
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Municipality
Ashfield 1Wp:
(519) 529-7383 -
Colbome Twp.
(519) 524-4669 •
(3oderich Twp.
(551i19yy)'482-9804
•
(519)1387-6288
Howitt ?Yip.
(519),335-3206
liuNett TWp.
(519) 523.4,340
*Kik” 1P.
(519) 527-0160
Mortis TMP.
(510) 887-6137
((519)) 233-7907 ey
(519) 234-8331
Tuckersmith Twp.
(519) 527-1997
Turnberry Twp. Dorothy Kelly
(519) 357.2991
East Wawanosh Twp.
(519) 357-2880
West Wawanosh Twp. LiIiane Nolan
(519) • 528-2903
Clerk
O
J.A. Murray. Clerk -Administrator
County of Huron 4 •
Public Meeting 1
Qatli
Aug. 09:.2000
7:30 p.m.
Aug. 01, 2000
7:30 p.m.
Aug: 21, 2000
8:00 p.m.
Aug. 21.2000
8:00 p.m.
Aug. 08, 2000
7:00 p.m.•
Aug: 22, 2000
7:30 p.m.
�.yi.2000
7:30 p.m.
Aug. 15, 2000
7:30 p.m.
Linda Andrew
Judy Kay
Linda Cranston
Brad Knight
Valerie Przyb Ila
Rhonda Fischer
J.R. McLachlan
Nancy Mich()
Ansberth Willett
• Larry Brown
J.R. McLachlan
Winona Thompson
•
Aug. 08; 2000
7:30 p.m.
Aug. 01, 2000
5:00 p.m.
Aug. 01, 2000
7:30 p.m.
Aug. 15. 2000
9:00 p.m.
Aug. 01, 2000
8:00 p.m.
Aug. 01. 2000
7:30 p.m.
GiGTGOLi G
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