Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound NEWS Email Edition 13 March 2015 The next meeting is Saturday, March 28, 2015 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. TACID (Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities) 6315 S. 19 th Street Tacoma, WA 98466 The Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound is a 501(c)(3) Organization. Our tax ID Number is 91-2080563. WA Secretary of State Charities Program Registration Number is 24995. Website http://www.assistancedogclub.org E-Mail Address assist_dog_club@hotmail.com Mailing Address Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound 2522 N. Proctor Street, Box #459 Tacoma, WA 98406 Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound Board of Directors Some Calendar Updates for Changes in Meeting Places, Days, and Times! There are so many exciting educational events and field trips coming up for the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound. Please take note of the time and location changes below: Saturday, March 28 11 a.m. 12 noon Training with Jeanne Hampl come early for registration and to pay $5 for the class 12:30 3:00 p.m. Member Meeting and presentation regarding Tacoma s Fair Housing Rights presented by City of Tacoma s Christina McLeod, Fair Housing Program Coordinator Saturday, April 25 11 a.m. 12 noon Training with Jeanne Hampl come early for registration and to pay $5 for the class 12:30 p.m. Meet at the West Pierce Fire & Rescue Station 31, 3631 Drexler Drive W., University Place 98466 for Fire Emergency Training with our service dogs Saturday, May 30 12 noon Meet at E. 25 th Street at the Sounder Tacoma Dome Station across from Freighthouse Square (2501 E. D Street, Tacoma 98431) for the Tacoma Light Rail experience with Tacoma s Customer Facilities and Accessible Services Manager, Michael Miller, and our service dogs. Lunch at Freighthouse Square after the Light Rail trip through Tacoma. President Pat Kessler Vice President/Treasurer Wayne Terry Secretary Diane Funai Assistant Secretary Sally Montejano Social Coordinator Fred Fuller Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 1
President s Corner Change by Darcie Boltz Nido Qubein said, Change brings opportunity. How true this is. This will be my last contribution to the ADC newsletter s President s Corner as I recently resigned from my position as President of the club and from the Board of Directors. I am grateful for the opportunity to address this newsletter s audience one more time before I move in other directions with my career. While making the choice to resign did not come easy, for me it was the right choice. ADC has taken up a big part of my heart and mind for the last four years. During my time serving as vice president, and then president, I have come to genuinely love ADC and have developed relationships with members that I value and treasure, especially with it s founder, Jeanne Hampl, who s mentoring of me has been a powerful force in my professional growth. ADC is an extraordinarily valuable resource to our local community and to the assistance dog industry as a whole. Especially now when partnering with an assistance dog is becoming an evermore-popular choice for persons with disabilities. It is phenomenal that specially trained dogs can do everything from guiding a blind person safely across the street, to alerting a person to a dangerous drop in blood sugar, to helping a combat veteran recover from a PTSD induced panic attack. In a perfect world, the popularity and prevalence of assistance dog teams would be something to celebrate. But, sadly, there is much to be concerned about. The assistance dog industry is growing rapidly while simultaneously in crisis. The issue of fake service dogs is getting more and more media attention, which creates hardship for handlers with legitimate assistance dogs. People s abuse of the rights afforded to assistance dog teams continues to create conflict. I believe that one of the most important issues that this industry faces is the threat that the growing popularity of assistance dogs poses to its most precious commodity: the assistance dogs themselves. Assistance dog welfare is a multifaceted issue that needs the attention of individuals such as: professionals in the assistance dog industry, human health care providers, legal advocates, veterinarians and assistance dog handlers. To put it diplomatically, the crux of this welfare issue is a general lack of awareness. At this time, I am putting much of my energy and attention to bringing education and awareness to the critical issue of assistance dog welfare. Media coverage of assistance dogs focuses on feel good stories about the power of the doghandler relationship. Of course, assistance dogs can be extremely beneficial and many would argue indispensable to people with certain disabilities. But, the authentic feel good stories are more few and far between than one might think. The winning combination of an assistance dog partnership is a handler that possesses the presence of mind to negotiate what is in the best interest of her and her dog, and a dog that is equipped for the job. When either the handler or dog or both are not fit for the partnership, outcomes range from disappointing to tragic. The biggest issue of all might be the diverse definitions trainers/owner-trainers/programs, etc., have of what it means for a dog or handler to be fit or suitable. A few years ago Jeanne Hampl and I were interviewed on The Dog Show with Julie Forbes when the Today Show did a story on a very young girl who was partnered with a goldendoodle named Mr. Gibbs. The girl had a rare lung disease that required she have a constant flow of oxygen provided by oxygen tanks. Mr. Gibbs wore a specially made backpack so that he could pack the girl s oxygen. This gave her the freedom to play and move about that she would not Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 2
otherwise have. Not only was Mr. Gibbs wearing a special backpack, we was also wearing a prong collar while tethered to his child handler. The story was painful to watch. The girls family all aglow, TV show hosts smiling and tearfully moved by how precious this dog and girl were as a team; all the while Mr. Gibbs was terribly stressed, panting, lip licking and yawning. After the story aired, many of my friends posted it to my Facebook page and sent it to me by email, excited about how wonderful the story was. This was incredibly disturbing to me as many of them were dog lovers. Dog lovers were clueless about stress signals in dogs, and so blinded by emotion, that they didn t think to put themselves in poor Mr. Gibbs shoes. How would it feel to be tethered to a four year old all day wearing a prong collar? Not to mention the risks involved in strapping an oxygen tank to a dog. Once, I was in a Costco and ran into a man with a very nervous pit bull that was a trained diabetic alert dog. I stopped to talk to the man like I often do when I see assistance dogs that look stressed. I learned that the dog was actually purchased from a program as a youngster. The dog had major anxiety even then but the trainer who sold the dog told the handler that the dog would get over his anxiety one day and not to worry about it. Five years later this poor dog was in a Costco salivating, panting, and trembling with a handler, bless his heart, still trying to work his dog through his anxiety issue. A couple of years ago I received a call from a woman who was desperate for help for her daughter on the autism spectrum. I have received many calls like this from parents over the years but this one has always stayed with me. The woman told me that she had heard about programs that trained dogs to tolerate being tethered to autistic children to prevent them from running off, in addition to helping them stay calm. When, I explained to her that my program didn t do this particular type of training or provide service dogs to children, she plead with me to reconsider. The programs she had spoken with had waitlists that were over two years long and her family couldn t wait that long for help. In attempt to breakdown my resistance she told me about how her daughter would go into blind rages and hit family members, kick through doors and had even hit the family dog. This did nothing to persuade me to consider placing a dog with her child but it did give me the opportunity to compassionately explain why pairing her daughter with a service dog would not be good for the dog, her daughter or her family. She understood my perspective but she didn t completely buy into what I was telling her. If partnering her daughter with a service dog was such a bad idea then why were there programs out there willing to take her money and put her daughter on their waiting list? Unfortunately, I could share many more stories akin to the three I just shared and some that are far grimmer. The truth of the matter is: I don t think any of the people involved in these stories had animal cruelty as their intention. In fact, they seemed to really love dogs and to have a deep appreciation for them. So, why is there such a huge blind spot? I don t think there is an easy answer to that question nor do I think there is one right answer. It may be as simple as: As humans, we see what we want to see. Very rarely do we see things how they really are. I talk about assistance dog welfare every chance I get. And when I do, I most commonly hear some version of: Gosh I ve never thought about it that way. This upsets me! This is precisely why I say that the crux of the problem is indeed lack of awareness. Something needs to change. I can think of a number of ways to initiate change but the first and most important step is for more organizations and groups like ADC to form and raise awareness. ADC has certain requirements for members with assistance dogs such as x-ray proof that the member s assistance dog is free of hip and elbow dysplasia. This requirement serves to advocate for the dogs of our members. Dogs with dysplasia should not be assistance dogs, period. It isn t fair, yet handlers and trainers work dysplastic assistance dogs every day without knowing of the issue. ADC is a wonderful organization that I have been so proud to be a part of and serve. Other important work in the assistance dog industry will occupy the head and heart space once held by my work with ADC. I look forward to remaining connected with the good friends I have made in ADC and continuing to remain a member. I am confident that my replacement will lead the club in the direction it wants to go. Until we meet again... Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 3
The Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound s January Training Presented by Tanya and Jason Carter was Wonderful! With the help of Jason (Tanya s husband) and Elle (future Canine Companions service dog), Tanya demonstrated some of her training techniques and talked about the stages of training (introducing, working, and proofing commands). As members of the ADC heard about Tanya and Jason s conversion from making a one-year commitment to raising a puppy that had extended to a 15-year avocation, they were pleased to be introduced to Elle, their 11th puppy for CCI. Tanya went through their experiences and how much they have learned about training puppies and how each puppy since has challenged them in different ways. Each puppy arrived at about eight-weeks old and they started with potty training, simple commands, and a lot of patience. Then for the next year, they worked on about 20 commands, teaching etiquette in the house and out in public, and giving them lots of love. Finally when the puppies turned about 18 months old, they were sent back to CCI where professional trainers continued their training for six months. Jason and Tanya are keeping their fingers crossed that Elle will be one of the 40% that make it as a service dog. A Note from the Fred Meyer Community Rewards Staff Dear Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound, Thank you for your help in making Fred Meyer s Community Rewards Program a success in 2014! In the first year of the program, we donated $2.5 million to more than 6,000 nonprofits throughout Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The program worked so well so that we are excited to bring it back in 2015, with a budget of $2.6 million for the year. The Kroger Family of Stores is committed to bringing hope and help to local communities. We do this through a variety of activities, including charitable giving, sponsorships and the unique Community Rewards Program of Fred Meyer. We are also committed to carefully protecting our customers' personal information. In order to meet their expectation of privacy, we have adopted a simple policy to never share a customer's personal information. Our privacy policy applies to Community Rewards participation as well. As your neighborhood food retailer, we deeply value our ability to support local organizations like yours. With nearly 120,000 customers enrolled in Community Rewards and non-profit organizations continuing to sign up, we would like to ask for your help in keeping the program top-of-mind and encouraging your supporters to ensure that they are linked to The Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound. Your supporters (14 households) who shopped at Fred Meyer between 10/01/2014 and 12/31/2014 (Cycle 2014, Qtr 4) have contributed to your $37.30 total donation. Thank you for your support! Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 4
Training Tips The Retrieve by Jeanne Hampl, RN, NADOI If someone asks me what the three hardest things to teach a dog are, I always say loose-leash walking, a reliable recall, and the retrieve. Dogs pull on a leash because humans walk too slowly. So when we say that we are teaching loose-leash walking, we are really teaching a dog to adapt its normal pace to ours. The reason it is difficult to teach a reliable recall is that we are interfering with a dog s natural instinct to explore, smell, forage, and chase. Using the line of reasoning above, it should be easy to teach a dog to retrieve. All dogs will chase after prey. They will pick up prey or food. But why should they bring it back to us? The reason for prey chase is founded in the desire to eat, play, or practice hunting skills not to give up their prize to another pack member. When programs choose breeds for service dog work, they usually choose dogs like Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers that have been selectively breed to have soft mouths and to actually retrieve: that is, a willingness to return prey to a human. When I test potential service dog candidates, I always test the dog s willingness not only to go out after a thrown item, but also the willingness to bring it back to me. Teaching a retrieve is hard work so I prefer to start with a dog that at least has a play retrieve. The window of opportunity to teach a retrieve to puppies of any breed is from birth to 12 weeks. Pups at that age explore using their mouth, the Take It. They are motivated to carry the object around, the Hold. Lastly, they want to interact with their humans and are pretty willing to exchange the treasure for a better treasure, the Give. After the first 12 weeks, it becomes more difficult to capture a non retriever doing behavior that you can either shape or reward. The trainer/handler will have to decide what method they want to use to actually train the dog to do a working retrieve. Fortunately, there are books and some excellent on-line sites that will help the novice trainer. Books 1. Peggy Tillman - Clicking With your Dog 2. Sue Sternberg s booklets - A Guide to the Inducive Retrieve Revised and Serious Fun: Play Like a Dog On-Line 1. Shirley Chong s Inducive Retrieve at http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/retrieve 2. If you are not familiar with Sue Ailsby's level's training, now is the time at http://www.sue-eh.ca/ Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 5
The retrieve is made up of three basic parts: The Take It, the Hold, and the Give. It is the foundation of not only retrieving needed objects to hand, but is necessary for a dog to pull open a door, both interior and exterior, as well as cabinet doors. No matter how you choose to teach the retrieve, there are tips to make the dog more receptive to the objects. Unless introduced as one of their toys as pups, most dogs do not like to put metal in their mouth so I usually attach a leather piece to keys as a tab for the dog to pick up. If I need a dog to pick up flat think objects like credit cards, I add a piece of painters tape to make a tab for the dog. Once they are familiar with picking up the card, I slowly make the tab smaller. Some dogs are always more comfortable with a small piece of tape on the corner. I think it is a visual marker, but it also keeps the card from sliding on the floor. I will also fold up an edge of a piece of paper, as well as putting the paper off the ground on a stool or chair, so the dog doesn t use its feet during the retrieve. I also like to teach a dog to walk on leash with an object in their mouth. Once they are good at moving with their object, they seldom will release the object too soon when asked to Give. 2015 An Important Reminder Regarding Chemical Sensitivity and ADC Events Many people are highly allergic to perfumes and other scents. TACID is, for that reason, a fragrance-free facility. ADC, in an attempt to respect the needs of many of our members with chemical sensitivity, asks that you refrain from wearing any scented products while are you in the TACID Center or when you attend ADC events. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 6
Did you take notice that we changed our Mailing Address AGAIN? Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound 2522 N. Proctor Street, Box #459 Tacoma, WA 98406 We can t believe it! ARFS & CRAFT returns our nineteenth annual benefit for the Prison Pet Partnership Program at the Women s Correctional Institute at Purdy and the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound. Each year our silent auction of hand-made dog bowls raises funds and friends for these two non-profit organizations and the very special canines that they serve. Last year was once again a record year thanks to all of the great folks who donated fabulous bowls and the equally fabulous folks who bought them. The focus has always been pet dishes. This year, we would like to see all kinds of pottery as long as it can be functional, fanciful, funky, fun, and fabulous. The choice is yours. Each year entries range from practical put- em-on-the-kitchen-floor dog bowls to exquisite and artsy works of fancy. And yes, we do feature kitty bowls as well. Some folks even do soup bowls for pet owners! The Art Stop is an equal opportunity gallery. The Art Stop will continue the traditional (and of course highly coveted) Silver Biscuit Award. Hand-crafted of sterling silver by Tacoma artist Joan Joachims, the Silver Biscuit is awarded to the artist whose bowl is voted Best of Show by visitors to ARFS & CRAFT. In addition, a panel of celebrity judges will select The Pick of the Litter and The Metsli Award for Emerging Artists from our wide array of always fabulous entries. ARFS & CRAFT opens Thursday, April 16 th, during the Third Thursday Artwalk. As always, we will have service dogs as our guests and fortune cookies with doggy themes. Tacoma artist Lynne Farren has again created a wonderful new image for our poster and post card. Bowls will be sold at silent auction through Saturday, April 18 th. Please give this some thought and let us know by April 1 st if you will be entering a piece of pottery. If we can provide any more information on the event or the organizations it benefits, please give us a call. Bowls are due at The Art Stop on or before April 6th! Phyllis Harrison & Karen Doten artstop@hotmail.com or Phyllis@artstoptacoma.com Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 7
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS Mark Your Calendars! (All ADC Meetings are held at TACID for now unless noted otherwise) March 28 April 16, 17, & 18 April 25 May 30 June 27 July 25 July/August August 31 September 26 October 24 November 28 December 12 Fair Housing Rights presented by the City of Tacoma Arfs and Craft Downtown Tacoma University Place Fire Station 31 Field Trip with Training still at 11 a.m. (Everyone will leave after Training and meet at the Fire Station) Tacoma Light Rail and Freighthouse Square Field Trip at 12 Noon (No Training prior to this Lunch after the Light Rail) CGC/Discussion regarding Board Applications/Membership Packets Annual Picnic at Spanaway Park Newsletter and Meeting Minutes Hiatus Deadline for Board Applications AND Membership Packets TBA Annual Mandatory Membership Meeting and Potluck TBA - Possible date change Thanksgiving Day Weekend (to November 21?) Annual Christmas/Holiday Celebration at The Inn at Gig Harbor The mission of the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound is to provide a safe, supportive, and educational environment that will enhance the partnership of persons with disabilities and their assistance dogs. The Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound is a member of the Dogwise Affiliate Network. When you click on the links for books or DVDs listed on our website, you will be taken to those items on the Dogwise website. If you add them to your shopping cart, the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound will receive a commission at no cost to you! This is another way of donating to our organization. Your order and payment will be processed by Dogwise. Please remember that all proceeds from our Dogwise affiliation will go towards providing information and education both to people with disabilities partnered with a service dog and to the community at large. Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt can be purchased using our site. This book is an excellent guide for the Look at That method of correcting certain challenging behaviors that our dogs might adopt. Take a look on our website at: http://www.assistancedogclub.org/home/dogwise. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 8
Check us out on Facebook! Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound 690 Likes and growing! Stop by, hit LIKE, say hello, and be prepared to find the latest news and excellent tips not only regarding service dogs, but dogs in general, regarding health, training, care, etc., like the latest stories from: Canine Connection LLC PTSD Dog Komo News More and More People Claiming Their Dog is a Service Animal I Love Responsible Dog Breeders Ten Things People Believe About Service Dogs (That Simply are Not True) https://www.facebook.com/pages/assistance-dog-club-of-puget-sound HEALTHY PAWS PET INSURANCE & FOUNDATION To get a free quote from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance & Foundation, copy the link below the picture. Healthy Paws is a local insurer with national ratings. All requested free quotes will result in a donation towards a homeless pet's medical care. Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound will receive a $35 donation if you decide to insure your service dog or other pets with Healthy Paws. Also, please feel free to pass this information on to everyone that you know! WHOEVER uses THE BELOW LINK and insures their pets through Healthy Paws, the ADC will also get a $35 donation. http://bit.ly/assistancedogclub Does your dog jump on people? Is your dog whiny? Does your dog refuse to Stay? Having problems or issues? Here s your chance to submit your questions and concerns and get personalized answers! Send your questions to jshoffman509@reagan.com A certified trainer will share the the answers with all of us in our new monthly column Ask a Trainer Ask a Trainer Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 9
TEN SURPRISING TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE WITH DOGS By Jill Cheli as seen online at AKC Dog Lovers on February 13, 2015 1. That cookie you re eating? The one I m staring at like I m about to die of starvation? Here s a secret. I really don t need it, and it might be bad for me. Tummy upset is the least of the problems. You could be starting me on a lifelong begging habit, which is really obnoxious and makes me no fun to be around. Hungry eyes! We dogs invented them. Eat your own cookie, and then give me my own later. 2. Being fat is no healthier for me than it is for you. I may look cute waddling down the hall, but excess pounds stress my joints and may shorten my life. But, what do I know? I live in the moment, so I rarely consider stuff like the consequences of eating a whole pot roast. Portion control is an alien concept for dogs. It s up to you to watch my figure. 3. Want to splurge and buy me a Chewy Vuitton Purse? Go right ahead, if it makes you happy. But don t be offended if I ignore it in favor of a battered, stinky tennis ball or your sneaker. We dogs go crazy over the strangest things. So keep an eye out for playthings I ll really love. Hint: They are likely to look ugly and smell bad, and they don t usually come with a big price tag. 4. My mom and dad may have been Golden Retrievers, but I am an individual. Just like you, I inherited traits from my parents, but my personality is unique. My brothers and sisters may be more outgoing and adventurous, or perfectly calm snuggle buddies. Don't assume that all dogs from my litter will have the same temperament or act exactly like other Golden Retrievers you've shared your home with before. 5. If you don t want me on the couch, or someplace else, tell me and the sooner the better. Like children, we dogs thrive on structure, rules, and boundaries. Use a lot of treats and happy dances to teach me to respect the house rules. If you really mean what you re saying and don t waver, I ll learn to keep all four paws where you want them to be. 6. Work makes me happy. Find some way for me to be useful. It could be serious and important, like carrying your medicine or searching for survivors. Or it could be something fun, like running agility or being your dance partner. As long as we are a team, any labor is a joy. 7. Learning is one of my favorite things, and I ll never outgrow it. The littlest things can bring a big round of applause giving a paw, sitting pretty, taking a bow. If there s one thing we dogs love, it s applause. And, while it s easiest to teach a puppy, there s no rule that says learning has to end at maturity. When I m old, I ll really appreciate the extra attention and, of course, treats. 8. Pain is something I hide really well. People say it s a throwback to our wild ancestors, for whom being weak or injured could mean desertion by the pack. It s up to you to look for subtle signs: a slight favoring of a paw, a little less gusto at dinnertime, or a hesitation when chasing a ball. Anything that varies from the norm could mean that I hurt and need your help. 9. You re going to learn as much from me as I do from you. Every time you teach me a trick, or refine my manners, you become a better teacher. Even when things are hard or unpleasant, you re still learning, perhaps more than you do with the fun stuff. Did it take a year or more to convey the idea of housetraining? Look what that taught you about patience and persistence. The hardest lesson of all will be about loss. Our lives are so short that the chances are great we will leave this earth before you do. You ll have to learn to work through the sorrow and move on. 10. Remember, even after I m gone, I ll always be with you. I ll be in the memories of our favorite walk, or when we came blasting through the finish line at a perfect agility run, and every day you came home and I got to greet you at the door. And, I ll be there in the wagging tail and bright eyes of your next puppy. Once we re in your heart, we ll never leave you. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 10
This Month s Member Spotlight Fred Fuller and Jazz Congratulations to Fred Fuller and Jazz for winning the STAR (Service/Therapy/Assistance Recognition) Award on January 9, 2015 at the Old English Sheepdog Club of Greater Seattle Specialty Show. This award recognizes OES/Owner teams for community service who are currently working as service dogs, therapy dogs, Uniformed Services K-9 dogs, or Search and Rescue dogs. To qualify, teams must have had training for their work and be registered members of a canine service organization. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 11
A Few Annual Painting Party/Potluck Photos Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 12
Are We There Yet? by Sue A. Hoffman Are we there yet? That infamous, annoying question arises several times from the back seat of most family vacations to grandma s house or to Disneyland. In my case, it s a daily question of an almost recently formed dream of planning another life in another location for me and my husband, Jeff. It s been almost two and one half years since we bought an older home in a 55 -years and older gated retirement community in Nampa, Idaho. It s the kind of sleepy community where some of the original homeowners still live (but most of them have moved on or passed away), a few still are employed out in the real world, and the rest are just enthusiastically involved in the day-to-day activities at the Community Center where they have potlucks, game nights, Bible studies, musical jam sessions, arobics, foot care (it s old people ), or whatever else people decide to do. They can also lounge around at the pool or just go visit each other riding around in their golf carts. That s not too hard to do in that area of high desert placed between two mountain ranges with 100 more days of sunshine each year than the Pacific Northwest. We ve been plotting and planning this move for awhile, making several trips over the past two-plus years making improvements in the house and redoing the yard. The last trip finalized all the plans by having the new carpet installed and laying new wood laminate floors throughout. We even replaced the old wooden fence in the backyard in hopes that the four-foot height limitation will keep Kody in check. We have been blessed that Ruby has found a new home. Whether our house sells or not, all of our worldly possessions of the past 39 years of married life will leave Auburn and head over three mountain ranges to our new home in April. We ll still be here until Jeff retires, either camping out at our house or in an apartment somewhere for a few more months. We re going to miss our Washington friends and acquaintenances alike, but we do have a wonderful guestroom to share for anyone who would visit us. Just know that in my heart and mind I ve left Washington, and I will be asking daily, Are we there yet? until we show up permanently for our next adventure. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 13
Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound 2015 Membership The Assistance Dog Club (ADC) of Puget Sound is primarily an organization that provides support to individuals with disabilities partnered with a service dog in the Tacoma/Seattle area of Washington State. At the beginning of each August, the ADC begins the Annual Membership Drive. We encourage both our current members and friends to begin to think about next year s memberships so that they can choose the membership option that would most suit their needs. A notice will be sent out when the Annual Membership Drive begins. If you have not received a notification, please contact us at that time so that the information can be emailed or sent to you. Each year, Membership Packets are sent out to current members as well as to those who have indicated an interest in membership in the ADC. If any of our readers are interested in membership, please note the different categories listed below. Partner Membership ($40 per year) is for a person with a disability partnered with a service dog (SD) or a service dog in training (SDIT). ADC submits enrollment to IAADP for Partner memberships ONLY in the month of September. A person applying for a new Partner membership must attend two (2) meetings and have a sponsor before submitting a membership application. Partner membership benefits include: Being able to vote on ADC issues Newsletter subscription Eligibility to become a Board Member* ADC Chat Group IAADP membership (for memberships submitted in September) Friend Memberships are for those individuals who are friends and supporters of the ADC and who are not partnered with and SD or SDIT. Friends can choose to have a Partner Membership only in the month of September during the Annual Membership Drive. If the Partner Membership is chosen during September, $40 will include the subscription of the IAADP Forum Newsletter as well as the following benefits. Otherwise, the standard Friend Membership is $30 and includes: Being able to vote on ADC issues Newsletter subscription Eligibility to become a Board Member* ADC Chat Group IAADP membership (for memberships submitted in September) A Monthly Newsletter Subscription (without Partner or Friend Membership) is $25. *A member in good standing must attend a minimum of four (4) meetings per year to be eligible for nomination to the Board. A business meeting includes the regular monthly meeting that begins at noon and includes the ADC program that follows. This newsletter is dedicated to all of the supporters of the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound, its members, and their dogs. Owning an assistance dog takes work and perseverance only made easier through a group effort. The coming together of individuals is testament to the fact that support of the human spirit can conquer all challenges that we face. It is only through education that we continue to grow. It is through the on-going support of one another that we develop confidence in our journey. Published through the generous support of the Dimmer Family Foundation 14