Episode 80: Opening Doors, Literally and Figuratively

You're listening to Demand and Disrupt, the podcast for information about accessibility, advocacy, and all things disability.

Welcome to Demand and Disrupt, a disability podcast. I'm your host, Kimberly Parsley.

And I'm your co host, Sam Moore. I am at the Northwell Motel in beautiful Henderson, Ky. Kimberly is at Studio Parsley, the newly built Studio Parsley in Bowling Green. This is your. This is your second Demand and Disrupt episode to originate from there, isn't it?

Is it is. Is that what we're going to call it? Studio Parsley?

That sounds good to me. We toyed with several other names and potential, but, yeah, Studio Parsley just seems to have a pretty nice.

Yeah, we thought Demand and Disrupt our D and D towers. So, yeah, you know, we don't know. It's. We're workshopping this, y'.

All.

We're working.

You know, if you'd like to vote on this, you can send us an email.

Oh, they can tell us how they'll do that, Sam.

We can knock that out right straight. If you've got, you know, want questions, comments, show ideas, any of that stuff, or if you'd like to suggest a name for Kimberly's newly built Bowling Green studio, all you have to do is email demandandisruptmail.com.

that's what the folks can do.

But that's. That's the email address.

And stick around because we have a wonderful interview. I love all our interviews, but this one might be one of my favorites. Do you know why, Sam?

Why?

It's because we get to talk about dogs.

Yes. Near and dear to our hearts.

Both of us. Yep. Dog owners. The both of us. I am going to be talking to. To Tammy Herod. She is the founder of the volunteer chapter of the Canine Companions. And I'm also talking with Stephanie Putnam. And if you want to find out what a volunteer chapter is and what canine companions are, you just keep listening and Stephanie and Tammy will tell you all about it. And I learned so much. Oh, Stephanie and Tammy, but also their dogs, Garbanzo and Violet. Isn't that adorable?

Violet and Garbanzo. Those aren't your average dog names.

They are not, but they're lovely. I love Garbanzo. Isn't that great? I love that.

So right up there with Biscuit. Kimberly.

Okay, so, yes, Biscuit. Yeah. We're gonna have a moment of Biscuit Chronicles now. She has settled down. She has settled herself down a little. Except.

Except.

Except Biscuit does not handle change well. And I have since gone back to work in the actual office, the Bowling Green office. Of center for accessible Living. Moved.

You're not home quite as much.

No. Move locations to 1600 Scottsville Road, Suite 300. So we moved in. I'm now in the office part time, and Bisky's not handling it well. And she has decided that she's going to start burying things in the yard.

Oh, burying things in the yard?

Yeah. Not just her. Not just her things, you know, because we're used to that.

The rest of the parsley's belongings.

Apparently she needs to steal our socks.

Oh, socks, huh?

Yes, yes. She's gotten into the closets where the dirty clothes are and is getting socks.

So have you, like. Have you, like, uncovered socks from underneath the ground surface?

Well, so what happened was we caught her yesterday. We suspected this is. Was happening. And so we were outside on the back porch, and Michael said, biscuit, what have you got? You know, in that whole, oh, you funny dog. What ridiculousness is this? And I said, well, she's probably got a mole. And he says, no, it's not a mole. And he's like, oh, crap, it might be a mole.

You might be right after all.

Right. Which meant he's gonna go have to deal with it. So he walks out there to see if it's something he's gonna have to deal with and finds out, no, it's not a mole. But she had Michael's sock in her mouth. That he apparently has a very prissy feet. My husband, he has to buy these smart wool socks.

Also, they're like, thicker than your average.

Well, I don't know. They're not so much thicker. They're just comfier. And, well, they're more expensive is what they are, Sam, so.

Oh, yeah, I can see that.

Yeah. So. So we could. Smart wool. I mean, really, it comes from a sheep. How can it be smart?

How can it be any smarter than. Than regular. Regular wool.

Right. So. But okay, everybody likes what they like. So apparently we were not giving up the sock to the cause. And I get it. They're not cheap socks. So he runs out, chases the dog. Because now we're playing Biscuit's favorite game ever, which is chase me, chase me, chase me. And so, yeah, so that was. I mean, that was fun for me. Cause I just sitting there laughing, you know. Is this.

Yeah. Cause you weren't doing the chase and he was.

No, no. Yeah, I wasn't chasing. Not my sock was fun.

Yeah, you were just the spectator.

Yep. Spectator sport. Michael chasing the dog. The dog always wins, so eventually, I don't know how, but I guess she figured, well, I'm not going to get this thing buried. I might as well, you know, let the guy have it and live to fight another day. So. So we, we got the sock. We rescued the sock, took it back in.

Oh, so Michael probably slept better after the sock was recovered.

I don't know. But I tell you what it resulted in is you can buy CBD gummy treats.

Oh, yes, yes, for dogs.

Desperate times call for desperate measure measures. So we gave her four of those.

So you gave her four CBD gummies?

Yes, yes. Okay, now, not getting the dog high or anything. I mean, they're, they're made for dogs and four of them is what is recommended for her size.

So you gave her, you know, she didn't overdose or anything like that?

Goodness, no. Goodness, no. So, yeah, but now she's just. She's a little bananas is what she is. She's just a little bananas.

Well, you know, the important lesson here is, you know, don't leave hundred dollar bills laying around because, you know, she might snag those and hide them underground next thing you know.

Well, you know, a podcasting also doesn't pay well enough for that to be a problem here.

So.

Not yet. We gotta have, we gotta have something to shoot for, but.

Right, right.

I see. I say I am high. I get it now. You have a dog. And if people listen closely to the last episode, they're at the end. Wasn't the last episode at the.

At the end.

Oh, I know what you're talking about. Either, either last episode or two episodes ago. Towards the end, you can, you can faintly hear JoJo yapping in the background, and you can.

And I like dogs everywhere. And more dogs for me. That's my motto. So tell me about your dog, JoJo. Tell me about, tell the fine folks about JoJo, Sam.

I'll tell you, she's. She's one of a kind. You know, she. She doesn't. Her energy runs out faster than it used to naturally, with, with age, because she's going to be 14 in August. Kimberly.

Oh, my goodness.

Now 14 in dog years is. Hang on, 98.

I was about to say. That's math waiting to happen is what that is.

Years old. And I wouldn't have been able to come up with that number so quick if I had just figured it out for the first time. I thought about it before four, so that made it quicker. But anyhow, if she can still.

She's a little dog, right? She's tiny.

Yeah. She's still a little dog. Yeah. She's like, see about eight pounds, eight or nine.

Sam, you have a purse dog. I'm jealous.

Yeah, that total opposite of Biscuit, isn't it?

Yep, yep. Yeah.

Because biscuits are biggin. But, but anyway, yeah, she can still scoot in short increments. But like, like I said, her energy just runs out quicker than it used to because she's getting old. But you know, like Biscuit, she does not, Jojo does not respond well to people not being homeless as often because, you know, during the school year mom still teaches or. Well, she's an assistant part time and in Jefferson Elementary School three days a week. And so when she leaves, especially that first week of school when mom starts, she, she really lets me hear about it and she'll be barking at the top of her lungs and, and how. And like, you know, she's worried that she's been forgotten about. And so I guess she and she and Biscuit can kind of relate there because I know Biscuit hasn't been responding well to, to you being in the office part time.

Now dogs get real. I think they're routine oriented, don't you? I think they like they're routine.

They get used to you being in a certain place at a certain time. But anyway, you know, we were talking off air, Kimberly, about differences between big dogs and little dogs. And based on my experience, the, the biggest difference between big dogs and little dogs is. Or one of the biggest differences is the, the bark, like Jojo's bark is, is generally pretty high pitched and, and biscuits bark. It's been a while since I've heard it, but I'm, I'm betting Biscuit has a, a pretty low pitch bark.

Yeah, yeah, she's got a deep. She also will revert to like growl menacingly. Like really, really if something startles or she'll bark real big and it's, it's deep. But if she, she a lot, there's a lot of growling, you know.

Yeah, yeah, that's, that's, that's another thing to, to bear in mind for those of us who are, you know, blind or visually impaired. If you're taking a walk you hear a high pitched dog, that means it's probably a small one. Not necessarily harmless, but small.

Now did you ever have a guide dog?

No, I haven't. So not to this point, I guess. Never say never. I have learned that in life, but not to this point. And I've heard good and bad, you know, different strokes for different folks. Everybody.

Absolutely.

But I know you had a guide dog during Your college days, didn't you?

I did. I did. My senior year of college, I had a guide dog. It made campus much easier to navigate. I. Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot. If I actually went a lot of places now, I would absolutely have a guide dog. I've actually wondered, you know, could a guide dog handle me with my balance problems and stuff and, and I don't know. You know, I. It's never something that I need enough to actually look into it. But I did talk about. I did talk to Tammy and Stephanie off mic about.

About that.

Yeah, about. About. Of course, now Canine Companions does not

do

guide dogs for the blind or seeing eye dogs. Dog guides. However, people say I'm different. They. They don't do that. They do service dogs for people. Well, with all manner of. Of, you know, disabilities. I think they, I don't know, you

know, maybe people that struggle with anxiety and that sort of thing.

I don't know that they do that. Now. We'll have to listen on the interview and then you'll. Everyone can reach out to them and because it's, it's very, it's very personalized and what you, you fill out the application telling them what your disabilities are. And they, I think they have experts who look at that, expert dog trainers and go, would a dog help. Help with this? You know, how can we help with this? And so they sort of assess your

needs and, and determine how appropriate a companion dog would be.

Yeah, yeah. How much. Yeah, a companion dog would be. And I mean, lots of good work and lots of ways to get involved, too, with the volunteer effort that Tammy talks about in the interview.

Yeah. You could even start your own chapter if you were passionate enough about it.

If you were.

Yeah.

Just like Tammy did. She's a volunteer and she founded the chapter. And lots of things people need, like when people have medical problems, they're in the hospital, somebody needs help and help take care of that dog, you know, for them.

I think our man, Our man Dave ran into these folks at Slugger Field when he was at a Louisville Bats game one night, didn't he?

I think he did. I think that's how. Because I had been trying to get in touch with him for a while and having trouble because I had a. I had not a good email address. And then Dave, our man Dave, always. That's why he's the executive producer, right?

He.

Yes, he. He just, he conquers barriers and, and, you know, runs interference for us all the time. That's why, that's why we keep him on board. Here.

That's why. Sure. That's why we do. And. And he. He said, hey, I think I. I think I got another email for the. The Canine Companions folks, and lo and behold, he did.

So kudos today. But you could find out about these people and what Canine Companions is all about. And like I said, if this. If this ch. If there's any questions for you, then, you know, just feel free to send them to us and we can relay them to the guests or you can contact Tammy and Stephanie directly. Either way.

Yes, I'll put the. I'll put those contact details in the show notes. And. And they have an active Facebook presence and all that.

Biscuit. Biscuit, I'm sure, listens to this podcast, so, you know, if he. If he. Or if she hears this, she's gonna start barking ferociously with excitement, I'm sure.

Also, Biscuit listens to nothing, not least of which commands that I give her. She. Biscuit listens to nothing.

So she just talks in dog language? She doesn't listen.

She does. Yep. She's just there. There's. I'm not sure how much is going on actually, in. In the brain of Biscuit. I'm.

I. I mean, it's hard to tell. So we may not always want to know what all's going on.

Well, that may be true. That may be true.

It's a. It's a pretty complex brain, I'm sure. But I know that she will enjoy having a. A full bed come August. That. That'll be, like, luxurious for. I'm sure.

Well, before we go off to listen to my interview with Tammy and Stephanie, tell me how your birthday trip to Louisville was.

It was great. It was definitely celebratory. Great. Way to cap off my birthday. I. I went to a Louisville Bats game and had a bunch of fun there. Dave Mathis was there, too, and we. We. We didn't cross paths, but we thought about it. We thought about each other and, you know, it's always the thought that counts. Kimberly.

Right.

Right.

So we. We had the A ball. The weather couldn't have been better. The bats lost, but it was still fun. And I got to spend time with one of my college buddies and. And his dad and. And so we. We really enjoyed ourselves. And I got visit with my cousin Eric and. And his wife. They met mom and I for lunch during the day.

Oh, that sounds like a great trip on Saturday.

So, you know, it's. It was sort of. It was a mutual benefit from all night because we got to mix family and friends and and it's sort of become a tradition the last few years around my birthday. So this year I just figured, if it ain't broke, let's don't fix it. And so it was just as much fun as. As it always has been.

Sounds great. Sounds great. Sorry you and Dave couldn't. Couldn't meet up to your next time. Y' all have to send you with some traveling equipment so that you can have an impromptu demand and disrupt interview with Dave.

Yeah. Or maybe, you know, one of these days we'll get to actually record an episode from there. Kimberly.

We just might.

We.

We definitely would be all over that. And, you know, there's not nothing wrong with nothing wrong with hoping it up, is there?

Nope, nope. Nothing wrong. We will manifest it. Right, Right. All right, gang. Well, stay tuned for my interview with Tammy Heron and Stephanie Putnam from Canine Companions. Welcome, everyone. I am so thrilled to be joined today by Tammy Herrott and Stephanie Putnam. And they are going to talk to us about Canine Companions. And anybody who's been a longtime listener of the show knows that I love dogs. So I have been trying to get them on the show for so, so long, and I am just, just thrilled. Welcome, Tammy and Stephanie.

Thank you so much for having us here. We're so happy to be here today.

Wonderful. So, Tammy, I'm going to start with you. You are the chapter leader and president of this volunteer chapter, is that correct?

Yes, yes.

Okay.

Leaders. We have five other chapter leaders as well.

Okay, wonderful. So tell me about Canine Companions.

Yes, Canine Companions. Our mission is to give expertly trained service dogs to people with disabilities, children's, adult, veterans with PTSD, facility dogs, just the gamut. We are in all 50 states. We're a non profit organization, and all of our dogs are given free of charge.

Wow. Okay, so where are the dogs trained?

Well, at the beginning, they are born in Santa Rosa, California. And then around eight weeks old, they are shipped across the United States to their volunteer puppy raisers. And they train them with basic skills cues for up to 16 to 18 months and socialize them. And then they are returned to our region in Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, for six to nine months of professional training. And 45 to 50% of our dogs make service dogs. And then the ones that do make it are matched with recipients like Stephanie and I.

Because you are a handler, right? Of a dog?

Yes, I have. I have Violet. She is my second service Canaan companion service dog.

Oh. And what kind of dog is she?

Violet is a cross between a Labrador retriever and a Golden Retriever. She's 46 pounds, but she's very mighty, even though she's small. Don't let her fool you.

That's adorable. You're gonna have to send me some pictures. I'm gonna try to put some pictures in our show notes because, you know, dogs. The world needs dogs. All the dogs. Absolutely. So tell me then, what is the process for someone who's eligible to apply for a canine companion?

A person with a disability is eligible from age 5 on up. They are eligible to apply age 5 at the parent or the caregiver, whoever the child lives with can apply. And then adults, children, adults, veterans, anyone with a physical disability, or not even a physical. It could be a hearing. So just all persons with a disability can apply?

Yeah, we tend to serve. It looks like about 65 different disabilities through canine companions.

Wow. So what is the screening process like?

You first, you go to k9.org and you can download an application off of the website, and you start filling out the paperwork. You can obviously have someone help you fill out the paperwork. And it begins with this application. And the application is a little bit of a getting to know you process. Also information for a potential recipient and someone coming through into the processes for the trainers and people who are in the graduate services and in the services departments for reviewing these applications and finding what type of dog is going to best suit your needs and your goals.

Okay. Okay. And so, Stephanie, let's talk about. Tell me about yourself.

I met. So I came over to Kentucky from California for a spinal cord injury research program over at University of Louisville. And I actually came here with my first service dog that I received in 2012 in Santa Rosa, California, at the headquarters. I applied for her immediately after my injury. Usually wait about two years, and we do have a decent waiting list. But it's always important to put that application in because you never know there. You know, there can always be an opening for. For what your needs are. And I heard about it through. Well, I remember when I was first injured, I said to my mom, okay, does this mean I get to get a service dog? And she said, oh, my gosh, I don't know. She's like, okay, I don't want to have to take care of it. And as I went to. I ended up in Denver, Colorado, for. For my rehabilitation at Craig Hospital. I met a puppy raiser there, and she had this fluff ball, adorable golden retriever with its little cape on, and they have these little yellow capes. And she told me all about canine companions. And I fell in love with It. And I think for me, at that moment, I just started my master's program in San Francisco. And I really knew, as a newly born C4 quadriplegic on a ventilator with no hand function, I knew I was going to need something that could take care of itself. And I also knew I needed to find an organ that would be able to support me through the entire process. And even better was once I was finding out from the person I was speaking with, that canine companions could be a part of my life for the rest of my life. And not only could they be there for that first dog, but then they could be there for that second dog. And as my mom got to know her, then they talked about it and they said, well, you really don't receive these dogs until they're two years of age and they're already trained. So the real part is actually when you get to training camp for two weeks and you go and you. I took my caregivers with me, and it was out of campus and kind of staying in these dorms, and it was wonderful. I mean, the best kind of college there could possibly be, because all you do is have puppies all around you.

Oh, go to these classes.

There were six people in my class looking for service dogs, and we all had different abilities, facing different challenges, and we. I think. I think one of the most reassuring things for my mom and my potential caregivers were that I was. I was there to be trained how to utilize the service dog. And not only that, for them to be able. The trainers, to be able to start to customize that dog to my needs and to. To specifically what I was going to need. And at that infantile stage of my. My spinal cord injury, I was still learning what adaptivity was and what it looked like to make a leash, for instance, adaptive to fit around my wrist because I didn't have hand function. So I think there. There were a lot of interesting connections, and it was very heartfelt with the trainers and those experiences because they really. They work with so many different people. I didn't have to invent anything. They were like, oh, okay, let's put a ring around this part of the collar so that she can slip it over more easily by hooking her thumb through. Or let's teach the dog how to do a step, like step up on the foot plate of my wheelchair to get its head closer to her so that she doesn't have to reach, since I couldn't move very well. So for me, I think, you know, that process and understanding that the people I was working with and these trainers knew I needed to figure out how to open up a kennel. And they were providing this outlet for me to be able to find independence. And that independence creates a superpower within you. It creates great, great empowerment and confidence. And I think in that first, this happened to me a second time also after I received my successor service dog, Garbanzo. I really. That was a kind of. It's been a different phase in my life afterwards, this much later. But I just. In that first stage of disability and learning that I really felt so supported by the team of people that were working with me and cared for, and also knowing that if I ran across any problems or needed any help with anything or needed to figure out a way to do something so that I could be the one that was controlling the process, that they would be able to figure out a way to do that and work with me. And if they can't figure it out, they find a way and they have incredible resources to dip into. So it was. I mean, it was impressive.

You know, I was just, Just listening to you. It seems so amazing to be able to go somewhere and not have to have all the answers.

Absolutely, absolutely. And that's a part of it. I think there's a big fear behind you. Look at. Oh, my gosh. You know, okay, well, that here, you know, a service dog can bring these improvements to your life. And. And then you start to think, well, what all can they do? It's just a dog, right? So then, you know, when you're not a part of that world and you're just coming into it, you have to learn. Just like when you're in disability for the first time and you haven't grown up with it, you do have to learn. You have to learn. Okay, well, if I lean too far, right, and I try to pull the door and I don't have my belt on, I'm going to pull myself out of my wheelchair and then I've got a problem or. Or these other pieces, but then you start to learn. So with my service dog, I mean, that she could. She could open doors for me. I mean, literally and figuratively. And so through using a tug rope, she was able to open the doors for me and she could open my fridge door, she could get snacks off the ground. And I think what really, like, I think it was a part of securing that bond and that relationship was understanding for me that I didn't have to ask a caregiver for help and also not having to ask someone to Pick up the remote control 100 times in a row because I dropped it. My dog comes to me smiling. His ears are flapping. He is joyful. He's got the biggest grin on his face. He's like, oh, you dropped something. Let me go get that. Let me go get that.

I need.

He just.

He knows.

And he's so happy to get to work and do that. Instead of, you know, looking at my caregiver. My caregiver is like, oh, God, she dropped it again. What's wrong with this girl? She's so annoying. And so I think for me, at that point, you know, I was 25. I just turned 25. And so it's like, about 26, I think. I. I just. I was in a new environment with school and, you know, traversing these streets. And I just know the second that I had this dog with me, it wasn't like having a dog. And I have been with horses my whole lives and worked with animals my whole life, and I. I really felt this level of connection and being able to depend and also just being able to have this. This brilliant light next to me. And I speak about that because knowing what it's like going to school at that moment without a service dog, a lot of people look at me, and they, you know, are kind of frowning, or they would kind of shun away from me because they didn't want to look at me because it was difficult. It was very difficult. I had doctors that would look at me and they would cry and be like, my God, your future is bleak. This does not look good for you. But the second I had that dog with me, people were coming up to me, and they were not afraid of me. They wanted to say hi, and they had smiles on their faces, which just made my smile brighter and bigger. And it just helped me to. To kind of just harness that joy, that joy that these animals give you. And when you are facing tough stuff with disability, you need joy in your life. You need this, and these animals bring it to you, and they become a part of your heart and soul.

Oh, that's beautiful. Now, you just said harnessing joy, so I have to ask, is that, like, the tagline for canine companions? Because if it's not, it should be.

I agree with you. It probably should be.

I believe we just created a tagline right there. I believe we did. So, Stephanie, you said your dog's name is Garbanzo?

Yes, Garbanzo ii. So my first dog was Kaz ii. And the way they named these dogs is per litter, they go through the Alphabet. And so sometimes you might come up to a dog and get a dog that is from whatever letter of the Alphabet and it might be the 20th dog. And usually they retire the name after that. But if that tells you anything of how many dogs canine companions has brought along, I mean, it is. It is. It is a large number. And so for me, yes, And I did not choose that name. So he was part of the G litter, and I call it the G unit. And he is. He was named Garbanzo ii. And funny story, when I saw him in his kennel and they told me, and they brought this dog out and they gave all the other dogs, you know, they. They brought their. They brought them out to their potential people that might be working with. And. And they bring him out, and I'm like, how am I gonna. This name. This name is a mouthful. Because my first dog was one syllable. It was Kaz. And that was saying their name. And then you might see a command like Cass sit. Or CAS get. Or castug. And I was like, how am I gonna. Like Garbanzo, come here. Like, I was like, this is. This is a lot. This is a lot to remember. But after getting his name wrong a few times, I wrote it on my hand and then I remembered it. And so now his nickname is Garb. Garbie.

Well, we have that in common because my. My dog. My guide dog that I got in 1996 was named Garnet also because she was a G litter. So that is pretty standard. I got her from Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York. So shout out to guiding us. And so which is. You all canine companions does not train guide dogs for the blind. So just everything else down.

Actually down in San Rafael, so very close to Santa Rosa in California. They. That is where guide dogs to the blind. And if they have a dog that is to be guide dog for the blind, they will send them over that way. And likewise. So they kind of all work together since they don't cover that area.

That's great.

That's great.

So I want you to tell me, either of you, a little about the. About the training. Where's the nearest training where? I'm in here in Bowling Green, so. And Tammy, you're in Louisville. So where is the nearest training. Training school area? And what. What happens in training?

Are you talking about professional training or what the puppy raisers do?

I'm talking about what. What I guess you and Stephanie went through to get your dog.

Okay, so that's in Columbus, Ohio. That's our region. Is Called the north central region. And so we had to go up there for two weeks. And those dogs were up there for six to nine months for professional training.

And that's when they work with their trainers to teach them commands and things. Is that right?

That's correct. Our dogs.

And so is there like a training center there?

Yes, right there on campus. State of the art training center. Our new campus is about five years old now and there's dorms. It's. It's lovely. Anyone can come and tour it and attend graduation every three months and tour. And if you come before a graduation or in between, they will also give you a guided tour.

And so they active kennels on there. And usually these puppies during their lives with the volunteers are then matriculated into, into these kennels and the professional training and the trainers, they will come out and they will. I almost like, I think of it in terms of the horse training, but they, they really sharpen them up. They, you know, they make sure that they're ready to go. They're also always evaluating these dogs and thinking about their potential partners that are on the other end.

And so do they, do they go through testing the dogs to see if they, I don't have the temperament or the, the physical abilities. Is there any kind of testing like that that they go through or are they just watching them through their whole lives?

Absolutely, there's testing up there. They get them. The first thing they do is evaluate their overall health, make sure their hips are good, their eyes. They evaluate them all the time. Monthly, they send out progress reports to the puppy trainers, puppy raisers. And so they're always evaluating.

Awesome.

And so what if someone's listening? Who? Now you, you said how someone who is listening and might feel like, okay, they're, they're ready to take that step to get a dog, they would go to the website. Right. And apply that way.

Correct.

And what about someone thinks, you know, I think I might like to do some puppy raising. What's the process for that?

Same thing, they would go to k9.org/raise and it would take them straight to the page to apply and also to learn more information about it.

Okay. Okay. And so they would raise dogs at their house, right? At their own home?

Yes, they would. Yes.

And that would be like housebreaking, socializing.

Yes. And then there are weekly and monthly consecutive dog training online lessons from our puppy manager in Ohio. So they're never alone. And there's also puppy raisers right here in Louisville. And we definitely need puppy raisers and if you know of anyone that's interested, you can send them my way. And chapter leader, I would be happy to assist them and helping them to apply or even join in our chapter.

And you can even co raise. We also have college students that raise puppies. There are prison puppy raising programs as well, but definitely for volunteers or people interested. I ran into someone the other day at the store and she was like, I don't know what to do with this next part of my life. And I said, well, have you thought about raising a puppy? Because it is fun. We were talking about it. And Tammy, if you can tell Kimberly about kind of the co raising and that now you can raise kind of in the beginning or the middle or you can be a finisher.

Yes, most definitely. Co raising is very effective. And also if you want to just raise the puppy for eight weeks, just be a beginner puppy raiser and then someone else could take the rest of the way. That is an option. Or if you would like to raise it the entire 16 to 18 months, that's good. Or just raise towards the end. There's all different ways of raising these wonderful dogs. We call them future service dogs.

Wow.

We also have roles for anyone who wants to get involved from puppy sitting. So in my case, it might be if I had to go into the hospital for a little bit or if, if someone who was raising a puppy wanted to go on vacation, it would be very possible for there to be someone who takes a class and they become a puppysitter. And so that person can sit a puppy or it can, they can look after a graduate dog like mine. There's also roles for people transporting puppies. I think they try to keep it right around three hours or under if you're driving dogs. And they usually transport them in pairs. But you know, we have to find a way to get these puppies to the puppy raisers. So if you think about the logistics of it, and all of this is done through volunteers. So from people flying puppies out of Santa Rosa, across the United States, over to here, or flying from here to New York or to any of those six centers, there's, there's all of these different, different pieces that have to come together so that, that the volunteers can, can get to the places they need to be and do what they need to do to impact the lives of someone like me.

I have never thought about those things before. Yeah, Honestly, I've never thought about all that goes that goes into that. And if a dog is deemed, for whatever reason, too shy to Whatever that they don't, they don't make it. Then you said what happens is they go back to their puppy raiser. If the puppy raiser wants to takeover ownership, is that right?

That's correct. That would be a change of career dog. Uh huh.

Okay. And what, what else could that mean for the dog?

Well, Canine Companions also has a new program. It's a therapy dog program and can. And Companions would access this dog to see, assess this dog. Excuse me, to see if they might qualify to be a canon Companions therapy dog. So that's another option right there if the dog is not a service dog.

So that would mean they would go into like hospitals, nursing homes, things like that.

Yes.

Just understanding that there's, you know, I think because so much effort and all of the love and volunteers that work really hard to put everything into these dogs that Canine Companions tries to extremely. They put all of the effort in to try to help give that dog a purpose. So if that dog can be put in a different category, either from being a service dog to being a facility dog or going into a different category, they'll work on that first so they can maintain, you know, just if that training can be still resumed and applied and if there are ever issues, you know, it's possible that that dog might be able to fall into a different category. But outside of that. Yes, the Puppy Raiser generally has the first right to see the dog if they want to, if they want to have that dog back. Or like I said, there's probably usually a list of 10 plus people that would love to have a career change dog.

Yeah. And you know, these dogs do love to work. I remember with my, my guide dog, she would see the harness and get so, so excited. Excited. And you know, that's one of the ways that, you know, when your dog is getting ready for retirement is they're not so excited to see the harness come out or you know, to get that clue that they're.

Yes, I was really working. Yeah, my dog, my first night, she went until she was 13 years old. She was amazing. Yeah, she, she was awesome. And then, you know, I kind of got the clue that it was probably time. And it actually happened in a moment in time in my life that it worked out that I was able to then retire her. And I waited a short period before getting my service dog. I actually ended up on bed rest for about a year and from a skin sore. And so I knew I needed to wait and I needed to get strong again before I could receive that second dog. And when Graduate services. They reached out to me and they said, oh, hey, Steph, are you ready? And I was like, finally. You know, I. I had to get that muscle back to get back up into the wheelchair to get strong enough to be able to go to training camp and do all of that. I. I got there, and I, you know, I was like, yeah, no, I'm ready. I'm ready to get back to that. That second dog. But I'm looking at the future of the service dog I have now with Garbanzo, and I can see a room where, you know, I'll probably retire him closer to when he's 10 years old, and then bring in a second dog and work with both of those dogs. You know, I'll retire him, and then he won't be a service dog anymore. And then the new dog that I'm working with would become that service dog. So I think you have. You really have the option to do it either way. The overlap, for me, I'm realizing after that last experience would be extremely important to my independence and maintaining that independence. So for me, it's really about functional skills at that point. Like, I need to have this dog so that I can go get cans off the shelf at Kroger and do the things that I want to do independently and be able to, you know, have the dog take my jacket off or help me get dressed or provide that assistance during the night that I need. If I have to tug a pillow out from underneath me or I drop something on the floor, I need that. I need that 24, 7. And I don't have enough waiver services to get caregivers all the time, and dogs are far less annoying, so. Sorry, caregivers?

No, I. Dogs are the best. Dogs are the best.

Tammy has an experience, I think. Tammy, you did it differently, correct?

I did. So I retired Gage when he was 11, actually, at team training is when I retired him. And then I continued on in team training with Violet. And so Gage stayed with my dad.

We.

My husband and I were up there, and then Gage, when Violet and I returned home and Tony. Gage became a puppy again. He got to play with Violet, and she just did something for him, and he lived for another year. So he passed away at 12, and we just really miss him. But, yeah, overlap, because I know I never want to be without a service dog. The help that they give you is phenomenal, and the companionship is like no other.

Yeah. Well, Tammy, did you find that Gage also helped to, you know, train Violet a little bit?

Yeah, a little bit. I Mean, he really just want to play with her.

Yeah.

Because they talk about that, too, is sometimes the influence of them seeing the other dog work it. You know, the other dogs are like, hey, get it together. You know, you got to pick this up for her. There's. There's a little bit of that that goes on where they're like, they heard the other dog into. Into kind of trying to. Nope, nope, we got it. We got. We got work to do. We got to do this.

But Kimberly, what's really cool, these dogs, they're off different sizes. And Gage was 68 pounds. He was one of the biggest ones in team training that graduated. And then Violet loomis. Violet was 46 pounds, like I mentioned earlier. So, I mean, there's quite a difference. And that took a. A little bit for us to get used to, but we are so used to her size, and she's just wonderful.

Oh, that's. That's sweet. Another. Another dog with a G name, Gage. I love it. We've got three now.

Yeah.

50, 46 pounds. That's the smallest service dog size I've ever heard. That's.

That's one of this. That's probably one of the smallest that they place. But I'm lucky that I was matched with her because. Ah, a perfect match.

Awesome. That's amazing. So tell me some about the. The volunteer chapter locally or I guess in Louisville. Is it state or just like Louisville wide? Tell me about that.

Yes, the community's Louisville. We're right here in Fern Creek is where our hub is, actually. Louisville, I should say. And. But we reach out to different areas, but mostly we do events right here in Louisville. We're like, we're going to Bowling Green in July for Possibilities Expo, But.

And I will come and say hi to you while you're there.

Oh, excellent, excellent. Look forward to meeting you in person.

Yes, go ahead.

Sorry, but if anyone interrupted you of wanting more information about our chapter, please give them my email, my phone number. Be happy to talk to them. We need new members. We need people to help us with outreach, to get the word out about this wonderful organization, about what they do to enhance people with disabilities, the lives that they change with these dogs.

You have an active Facebook group, is that right?

Yes, we do. We have a Kentucky Volunteer chapter can and Companions page. Anyone can join that. Just go to the search button, type that in, it'll come up and tap join.

Okay. Okay, wonderful. I will put that in our show notes and more about. About the organization and just dogs. The world needs more dogs. Doesn't it just dogs for everybody.

And can I tell you about our biggest event of the year?

Oh, please do.

Huh.

Well, June 13th at Huber's Winery in Borden, Indiana, which is right across the river from us, we are having our. A live auction. We're having a. It's our fundraiser and outreach event. And Stephanie is going to be our guest graduate speaker, who is exciting. Yes. And we're also going to have a puppy raiser speaker and lots of good food and live music. It's going to be outside at Huber's Winery. Everyone is invited to come. It's free of charge to attend. And you will meet other dogs. The Indiana chapter will be there with their dogs, future service dogs in training. And there will be other graduates, too. And you can talk to any people can talk to any of us if they want more information. So that's what it's really about. That's what our chapter is about, the mission, given that information and fundraising for this wonderful organization.

Wonderful.

I am always open also to just speaking to anyone about service dogs and why I made the decision to go with canine companions versus other outfits. And I have friends that have chosen other. Other outfits as well. And. And I've seen a lot of different things. So I just, you know, I always want to put it out there if someone's, you know, heing and hawing about that decision, what it looks like, and from a very unbiased standpoint.

Wonderful. Well, thank you all so much. This has been so in enlightening and I bet you will have an influx of people who've listened to this to be puppy raisers or to use a service dog. Thank you both so much for joining me today.

Well, thank you for having us.

All right, thank you to Tammy Herrod and Stephanie Putnam. Demand and Disrupt is a production of the Advocado Press with generous support from the center for Accessible Living, based in Louisville, Kentucky. Our executive producers are me, Kimberly Parsley and Dave Mathis. Our sound engineer is Michael Parsley. Thanks to Chris Ankin for the use of his song Change. Don't forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. And please consider leaving a review. You can find links to our email and social media in the show notes. Please reach out and let's keep the conversation going. Thanks, everyone.

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