The Perfect Pairing- PSU Lettermen and Wine Event
Background
Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD), a program of Keystone Human Services, has been improving lives for nearly a quarter century.
Before “Don” was paired with his Service Dog, “Rudy,” his wife, “Barbara,” was terrified every day when she left for work. Would Don be okay today? What if he fell and couldn’t get to the phone? Don has multiple sclerosis. Barbara has to work to pay the bills, but not a day would go by when she wasn’t worried if she’d come home and find Don in trouble “again” because of his disability. Now that Rudy is in their lives, she knows Don has the help that he needs to get through his day without her. Rudy is trained to bring the phone to Don, to turn lights on and off, to open and close doors, and to provide him with balance support as he moves around his home. And Don’s attitude has improved since being partnered with Rudy. He feels much more capable and independent with the assistance of his faithful (canine) companion.
SSD is currently placing between 20 and 25 dogs per year. There is an average of 80 people on SSD’s waiting list at any given time. SSD makes breeding decisions on the type of service dog needed based on this waiting list, begins training the dogs as early as one day old, and trains each dog for the specific and unique needs of the individual they will be paired with. It takes two years of socialization, assessment, and training for a service dog to become equipped for their life as a working dog.
SSD’s program consists of 9 full time employees and over 200 volunteers. SSD’s volunteers provide an average of 32,000 hours a month which includes volunteer puppy raisers. On average SSD has 100 dogs in various stages of training at any given time.
SSD also has a strong presence in local communities providing opportunities for animal assisted intervention at places like Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute and Holy Spirit Hospital Partial Hospitalization Program, as well as providing an average of ten demonstrations a month at various venues to educate the community about how service dogs change lives, service dog etiquette, and service dog laws.
SSD teams impact not only the individuals matched with service dogs, but each person that they come in contact with every day. SSD clients and their families tell of the significant changes not only in their lives but also share the way people in their communities have grown from the educational opportunities that stem from the service dog partnerships.
Need
SSD relies on approximately 80% of its funding for operations from donations, grants, and fundraisers. It requires $30,000 for each working dog raised, trained, and placed - we ask only $5,000 from each person receiving one of our service dogs. Additionally, we provide scholarships for persons unable to afford $5,000 based on U.S. poverty guidelines.
Upcoming Event
To raise money for Susquehanna Service Dogs we will be holding a Wine Event on Saturday, June 23rd from 4:00 – 8:00 PM at The Vineyard of Hershey. The winery is located at 598 Schoolhouse Road in Middletown, PA. Tickets are $20 per person/$35 per couple. Tickets may be purchased by contacting Kerry Wevodau at SSD at (717) 599-5920, ext 2.
Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD), a program of Keystone Human Services, has been improving lives for nearly a quarter century.
Before “Don” was paired with his Service Dog, “Rudy,” his wife, “Barbara,” was terrified every day when she left for work. Would Don be okay today? What if he fell and couldn’t get to the phone? Don has multiple sclerosis. Barbara has to work to pay the bills, but not a day would go by when she wasn’t worried if she’d come home and find Don in trouble “again” because of his disability. Now that Rudy is in their lives, she knows Don has the help that he needs to get through his day without her. Rudy is trained to bring the phone to Don, to turn lights on and off, to open and close doors, and to provide him with balance support as he moves around his home. And Don’s attitude has improved since being partnered with Rudy. He feels much more capable and independent with the assistance of his faithful (canine) companion.
Bethany was involved in a single car accident that left her in a coma for 7 weeks. She needed to relearn to walk, talk and even how to brush her teeth again. She was very active prior to her accident but her Traumatic Brain Injury made her walking very unstable along with bouts of vertigo. SSD Bridge helps in so many ways. He wears a walking harness with a handle that Bethany holds onto providing her with extra balance and according to her, better than any cane ever could. He walks beside Bethany, always checking in on her to see if their speed needs adjusted and other little clues he needs to do his job. SSD Bridge picks things up for Bethany when her hands fail her or she is too unstable to bend over, saving her from dizziness and falls that happen when her head dips too low. According to Bethany, Bridge not only meets her physical needs, he also anticipates her emotional needs as well. Once at a doctor’s office discussing some unpleasant tests she would have to undergo, Bridge went from sitting curled up at her feet to laying with his chest across her lap stopping the panic attack beginning deep in her chest. Later in the same appointment the nurses were having difficulty drawing the large amount of blood needed for tests and once again Bridge popped up from being curled on the floor to putting his front paws on her lap and giving her the briefest kiss to let her know he was there and things would be ok. Bethany says, “He is filled with love that can only be the result of being raised and trained with love. SSD is amazing!”
At a graduation ceremony for a class of canine and human partner teams, a young boy, “Mark,” who has Autism, proudly awaited his turn to receive his diploma with his new four-legged friend “Ella” by his side. Family members, friends, corporate sponsors, and SSD staff were intermingled around tables, all there to witness this joyous celebration. Mark, in his anticipation, was repeating his dog’s name over and over. “Ella, Ella, Ella.” One of the sponsor reps asked a staff person if that boy ever “gives it a rest.” The staff person explained, “You don’t understand. Before partnering with Ella, Mark almost never spoke. Hearing his voice is music to our ears.” Before Ella came into his life, Mark would often run away from his family’s home, a behavior typical for someone with his disability. His parents had to take turns sleeping in his room every night to make sure he felt safe. Now Ella sleeps in Mark’s room, on his bed, cuddling right up against his legs. And Mark doesn’t run away any more.
SSD provides support to each team for the working life of the dog including the retesting of each service dog on an annual basis. This support is provided to ensure that the partnerships are successful and the individuals are reaping maximum benefit from their dog.
SSD is currently placing between 20 and 25 dogs per year. There is an average of 80 people on SSD’s waiting list at any given time. SSD makes breeding decisions on the type of service dog needed based on this waiting list, begins training the dogs as early as one day old, and trains each dog for the specific and unique needs of the individual they will be paired with. It takes two years of socialization, assessment, and training for a service dog to become equipped for their life as a working dog.
SSD relies on approximately 80% of its funding for operations from donations, grants, and fundraisers. It requires $30,000 for each working dog raised, trained, and placed - we ask only $5,000 from each person receiving one of our service dogs. Additionally, we provide scholarships for persons unable to afford $5,000 based on U.S. poverty guidelines.
SSD’s program consists of 9 full time employees and over 200 volunteers. SSD’s volunteers provide an average of 32,000 hours a month which includes volunteer puppy raisers. On average SSD has 100 dogs in various stages of training at any given time.
SSD also has a strong presence in local communities providing opportunities for animal assisted intervention at places like Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute and Holy Spirit Hospital Partial Hospitalization Program, as well as providing an average of ten demonstrations a month at various venues to educate the community about how service dogs change lives, service dog etiquette, and service dog laws.
SSD teams impact not only the individuals matched with service dogs, but each person that they come in contact with every day. SSD clients and their families tell of the significant changes not only in their lives but also share the way people in their communities have grown from the educational opportunities that stem from the service dog partnerships.
