Community Corner
Hard to say goodbye....But Wellesley Hills Volunteer Puppy Raising Family
...is ecstatic Assistance Dog Nashua is now working with physical therapy patients at Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore
(Photo: Occupational Therapist Jamie McGuire and Nashua)
Wellesley Hills, MA - Canine Companions for Independence – a national non-profit organization that provides assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities – is proud to announce that Occupational Therapist Jamie McGuire of Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland has recently received a Canine Companions Facility Dog.
Jaimie was matched with Nashua, a two-year-old Labrador/Golden Retriever cross who has been trained to respond to over 50 advanced commands that are useful to a person with disabilities. Nashua can turn light switches on and off, open and close doors and retrieve dropped objects. But Nashua’s new job will be assisting Jamie as a motivational tool for patients who are recovering from strokes and traumatic injuries and undergoing physical therapy.
Much of the thanks for this successful match goes to Canine Companions for Independence volunteer puppy raisers Molly and Lauren Micou and their family of Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts (The teen-sisters volunteer team are four-time Canine Companions for Independence puppy raisers currently raising puppy Holland). Molly and Lauren raised Nashua from an 8 week old puppy, and said goodbye to him after a year and a half. The Micou’s worked tirelessly with Nashua, teaching him basic commands, and the all-important socialization skills. When he was old enough to begin advanced training, Molly and Lauren returned Nashua to the Canine Companions Northeast Regional Headquarters on Long Island where he worked for 6 months with the organizations nationally renowned instructors, learning over 50 advanced commands.
Jamie and Nashua were matched after completing Canine Companion’s recent Team Training Class, an intense, two-week course held at the organization’s Northeast Regional Center in Medford, NY – one of six such centers nationwide. The Northeast Regional Center serves a 13-state area from Maine to Virginia.
Each student who attends Team Training – held at each center four times a year – is paired with a fully trained, working assistance dog, like Nashua, and is taught to work with his/her canine companion. The training course consists of daily lectures, exams, practice and public outings.
Jamie and Nashua are settling into a routine back home in Baltimore. Jamie says, “Nashua is a very special dog who is making an amazing difference in people’s lives. I hope to have many wonderful years with him. I can’t thank the Micou family enough”.
ABOUT CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE: Canine Companions for Independence is the largest non-profit provider of trained assistance dogs with six regional training centers across the country. Established in 1975, Canine Companions provides highly trained assistance dogs to children and adults with disabilities and is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. There is no charge for the dog, its training and on-going follow-up services. For more information, visit cci.org or call 1-800-572-BARK.
