Tyndall member helps provide companions for disabled

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sarah McDowell
  • 325th Fighter Wing public affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  For people with certain disabilities, saying their canine was their best friend would be an understatement. Saying they are their eyes, ears, hands or feet might be the truth.

People with certain disabilities need a constant companion to help them do certain tasks, such as pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped objects, opening doors and drawers and flipping switches for lights or automatic doors. One Tyndall member has chosen to raise dogs for that task.

Anne Kimmit from the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency has become a part of Canine Companions for Independence by fostering and raising these puppies until they are the age they need to be to be trained. She is currently raising her sixth pup.

"I am responsible for teaching the puppy nice house manners such as not jumping on the furniture, sitting to be greeted and basic obedience," Ms. Kimmit said. "We teach simple commands like sit, stay, down, wait, off, jump, shake and speak. When the pup is returned to CCI at about 16 months of age, they teach the more advanced commands the pup will need to help a person with a wheelchair disability. We also take the puppy out in public a lot so it is exposed to a lot of different environments."

The biggest challenge when raising a CCI pup is potty training, she says.

"It involves a lot of middle of the night trips outside," Ms. Kimmit said. "But the CCI pups are very smart and catch on quickly, so it doesn't last too long."

All of this training happens so the canine will be ready for its eventual owner, someone with a disability, who requires a constant companion.

According to the CCI Web site, "Service Dogs enhance independence for people with disabilities. They do this by reducing reliance on other people to perform tasks that they have difficulty performing themselves."

The dogs begin their journey when they are born in the homes of volunteer breeders and caretakers. When the puppies are two-months old, they are taken to the Santa Rosa, Calif., Schulz campus that houses a full-time veterinary staff and kennel care staff. Following examination and vaccination, the pups are placed in the homes of volunteer puppy raisers, like Ms. Kimmit, through one of CCI's five regional centers.

The dogs are returned to their regional centers at approximately 14-months old and begin a six- to ninemonth program of advanced training. They are fully trained and introduced to the people who may become their partners.

The training of the diabled person with a CCI dog is called Team Training, and lasts for two very full weeks. At the end of the training, a public graduation ceremony takes place marking the beginning of a long-term relationship between the person and their dog, and between the team and CCI. Graduates remain in touch with CCI through regular follow-up programs, workshops and reunions, according to the Web site.

"For me, this program is a way to give something back," Ms. Kimmit said. "I like helping other people and I like training dogs, so this is a good activity for me. Raising pups became my cure for 'empty nest' syndrome when my son went off to college, too. CCI people are some of the nicest people I've ever met and it's really like being a part of a big family."