[Cagdu] FW: East Valley kids get K9 Buddies

Fri Sep 28 14:19:53 PDT 2007

Subject: East Valley kids get K9 Buddies

I am a little confused and hoping the reporter got this wrong. Why are
these dogs qualified to acompany their handlers to theaters?

Arizona Republic, AZ, USA
Thursday, September 27, 2007

2 East Valley kids get K9 Buddies

By Ray Parker

Blind youths 1st in state to receive program's special dogs

Strangers and friends all want to know the same thing after meeting
13-year-old Lauren Andera and her new companion: "Aaaawww, can I pet him?"

"He's furry and playful," explained the Chandler resident, who got down on
the floor for a closer conversation with Mocha, a 4-year-old black Labrador.

Mocha, a registered K9 Buddy, doesn't have to do anything special while on
the job - lick, bark, pant - but that's just fine.

"Mocha was the first canine companion in Arizona," said Lauren's mother,
Maureen Andera. "We would love to see this program expand for other
children."

Two East Valley blind children, Lauren, and Mesa resident Joshua Smith, 10,
were the first in Arizona to receive a K9 Buddy through Guide Dogs for the
Blind and First National Bank of Arizona.

Both owner and pet completed the Guide Dogs' K9 Buddy training in San
Rafael, Calif., which qualifies the pair to enter public areas, such as
movie theaters,
restaurants and, with a parents' permission, public schools.

The dogs come from the Guide Dogs' colony, but are not qualified to work as
regular mobility assistance dogs.

Blind children are eligible to receive a fully trained guide dog once they
turn 18, but with the new K9 Buddies, blind teens ages 14-18 can get a
jumpstart
on having a four-legged companion.

"It gives him someone to be involved with and teaches him how to be more
responsible. It makes him feel he has a friend," said Michelle Smith, the
mother
of Joshua, who lost his eyesight three years ago because of a retinal
disease.

The K9 Buddies are black and yellow Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers,
and Labrador/golden cross breeds. Most are young dogs that are unsuitable to
be guide dogs for medical or behavioral reasons, but still make excellent
companions.

"One of the things I like to do is run really fast and when I have Mocha, it
makes me feel like she guides me and it feels like I'm more safe when I
run,"
said Lauren, an eighth-grader at Hamilton Prep.

Mocha was tested for temperament, obedience and how he handled surprises,
such as loud noises. Having a pet partner, Lauren's mother explained, helps
her
daughter feel more secure.

"She has a truer sense of security . . . and the confidence to go places,"
Maureen said about her daughter, who was born prematurely and whose medical
care resulted in her being blind.

The K9 Buddy program costs about $5,000 per dog.

Elizabeth Lamb Sawyer, who oversees charitable giving for First National
Bank of Arizona, insisted on sponsoring the animals after learning about the
K9
Buddy program. More recently, the bank donated another $15,000 toward the
program.

Those interested in the K9 Buddy program can visit
www.guidedogs.com.

http://www.azcentra
<http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/0927cr-dogs0927.html>
l.com/community/mesa/articles/0927cr-dogs0927.html

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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