Paws With A Cause

Helping her......

Bronte was the fourth puppy we raised for Paws With A Cause, a program that trains service dogs for the disabled. The puppy pictured at the top is Bronte at just about 8 weeks old. The lower photo shows her (lower dog) with her litter mate Brinks on an outing to the Frederick Meijer Gardens at about 8 months of age (thank you Lynn Begin for this photo). Bronte has returned to PAWS for formal training - and has recently been placed with a client as a hearing dog. Our newest puppy, Sypher, got to meet Bronte before she left.... it's amazing how much they change in just one year....

Bronte and Sypher - the beginning of our time with Sypher, the end of our time with Bronte.

How it all began......

OK, I can't really say how it ALL began, as it's been a while. I just knew I wanted to help others and with being a newlywed college student with a job, finding time to go somewhere several times a week didn't fit into my schedule. I needed something I could bring home with me. Little did I know it would bring puppy breath and potty training with it! Perhaps we saw the puppies on one of the many educational events Paws has - I don't recall exactly. I do however remember bringing home a male Golden Retriever named Trapper. Trapper was successful in his training and is now a certified service dog. We get wonderful letters and updates from his client. After raising Trapper, we took a small break and then raised a male black lab named Lazer. He is also a certified service dog. Trapper and Lazer both accompanied me to college classes while I was busy studying. As I began hunting for a career, we decided to take another break, as puppies can be A LOT of work.

After a few years, I began to wonder about how Paws must keep up with the demand for successor dogs for clients as well as the need for dogs for new clients, and I knew I just had to do my part, so we brought home a female 3/4 Golden Retriever, 1/4 lab puppy named Jazz.

Above - Jazz enjoys a day at school - she often took trips with my husband to the high school he works at.

Jazz was a great puppy, eager to please and quick to learn, making her a true joy to raise. It was a simple decision to raise another one, so along came Bronte. She was also a breeze of a puppy.

How it all works......

As Paws Foster Puppy Raisers, we agree to take a puppy from Paws and raise it for approximately 12-14 months. During this time, we focus on obedience and expose her to as many things as we safely can to help prepare her for a career as a successful working dog.

During our time with our puppy, we attend weekly obedience classes and also take our puppy as many places as we are able, such as local stores, schools, restaurants and businesses. Since foster puppies do not have the legal access rights certified dogs do through the Americans With Disabilities Act, we always ask permission as not every business welcomes our pup. We do however frequent those that do for our shopping needs.

When the time comes, approximately a year later, we return our puppy to Paws Headquarters where she will complete her formal training with the staff trainers. They will put "finish" on the basics we taught her, as well as train her for the specific needs of her future client.

Giving back......

Probably the most frequently asked question or frequently heard statement is "how can you stand to give her up after a year?" or  "I could never do that." It's simple, so to speak. We're not giving her UP, we're giving her BACK. She is not our puppy to keep, and we know that. I once heard a saying that I tell people when they ask, and that will soon adorn my living room wall, surrounded by photos of my foster puppies. I wish I could give credit to the person who said it, as they were right on, but alas, I do now know who it was. They said "Some people wait their whole lives for a miracle. We get to raise them one at a time." I couldn't agree more! Does that mean there aren't tears at turn in time? Of course not. This puppy has been part of our family for a year. But, like good parents, we have tried our best to provide them with the tools to be successful and make the right decisions, and then we send them off to college to make it on their own. And Julie at Paws is always happy to make sure there's another puppy at home needing your attention if we think we'll suffer from empty nest syndrome!

We also recently added a "keeper" dog to our family. Aspen is a Saint Bernard. She is great for keeping our foster puppy company, and I love BIG dogs. Though she is a Saint Bernard, she is on the small side, currently weighing about 80 pounds. I hope she grows some more, the big teddy bear that she is!