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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>Subject:</B> East Valley
kids get K9 Buddies<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
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<P>I am a little confused and hoping the reporter got this wrong. Why
are<BR>these dogs qualified to acompany their handlers to
theaters?<BR><BR>Arizona Republic, AZ, USA<BR>Thursday, September 27,
2007<BR><BR>2 East Valley kids get K9 Buddies<BR><BR>By Ray Parker<BR><BR>Blind
youths 1st in state to receive program's special dogs<BR><BR>Strangers and
friends all want to know the same thing after meeting<BR>13-year-old Lauren
Andera and her new companion: "Aaaawww, can I pet him?"<BR><BR>"He's furry and
playful," explained the Chandler resident, who got down on<BR>the floor for a
closer conversation with Mocha, a 4-year-old black Labrador.<BR><BR>Mocha, a
registered K9 Buddy, doesn't have to do anything special while on<BR>the job -
lick, bark, pant - but that's just fine.<BR><BR>"Mocha was the first canine
companion in Arizona," said Lauren's mother,<BR>Maureen Andera. "We would love
to see this program expand for other<BR>children."<BR><BR>Two East Valley blind
children, Lauren, and Mesa resident Joshua Smith, 10,<BR>were the first in
Arizona to receive a K9 Buddy through Guide Dogs for the<BR>Blind and First
National Bank of Arizona.<BR><BR>Both owner and pet completed the Guide Dogs' K9
Buddy training in San<BR>Rafael, Calif., which qualifies the pair to enter
public areas, such as<BR>movie theaters,<BR>restaurants and, with a parents'
permission, public schools.<BR><BR>The dogs come from the Guide Dogs' colony,
but are not qualified to work as<BR>regular mobility assistance
dogs.<BR><BR>Blind children are eligible to receive a fully trained guide dog
once they<BR>turn 18, but with the new K9 Buddies, blind teens ages 14-18 can
get a<BR>jumpstart<BR>on having a four-legged companion.<BR><BR>"It gives him
someone to be involved with and teaches him how to be more<BR>responsible. It
makes him feel he has a friend," said Michelle Smith, the<BR>mother<BR>of
Joshua, who lost his eyesight three years ago because of a
retinal<BR>disease.<BR><BR>The K9 Buddies are black and yellow Labrador
retrievers, golden retrievers,<BR>and Labrador/golden cross breeds. Most are
young dogs that are unsuitable to<BR>be guide dogs for medical or behavioral
reasons, but still make excellent<BR>companions.<BR><BR>"One of the things I
like to do is run really fast and when I have Mocha, it<BR>makes me feel like
she guides me and it feels like I'm more safe when I<BR>run,"<BR>said Lauren, an
eighth-grader at Hamilton Prep.<BR><BR>Mocha was tested for temperament,
obedience and how he handled surprises,<BR>such as loud noises. Having a pet
partner, Lauren's mother explained, helps<BR>her<BR>daughter feel more
secure.<BR><BR>"She has a truer sense of security . . . and the confidence to go
places,"<BR>Maureen said about her daughter, who was born prematurely and whose
medical<BR>care resulted in her being blind.<BR><BR>The K9 Buddy program costs
about $5,000 per dog.<BR><BR>Elizabeth Lamb Sawyer, who oversees charitable
giving for First National<BR>Bank of Arizona, insisted on sponsoring the animals
after learning about the<BR>K9<BR>Buddy program. More recently, the bank donated
another $15,000 toward the<BR>program.<BR><BR>Those interested in the K9 Buddy
program can visit<BR>www.guidedogs.<WBR>com.<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/0927cr-dogs0927.html">http://www.azcentra<WBR>l.com/community/<WBR>mesa/articles/<WBR>0927cr-dogs0927.<WBR>html</A><BR><BR>[Non-text
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