Meet that Raiser – Stephanie Corte

Name: Stephanie Corte
Occupation: Retired
Prison: Devens
Current Pup: Molly, 14 months

How long have you been a Weekend Puppy Raiser and how many dogs have you raised? (Include furloughed dogs and the one you are currently raising).

Molly is my first puppy and I’ve been a WPR for her since Nov. 2018.

What led you to Weekend Puppy Raising?

I heard about NEADS at a meeting of the Bereavement Group at Tufts Veterinary School in Grafton. When I heard about the WPR position I said, “sign me up”!

Ice Breakers

If you had your own talk show, who would your first 3 guests be?

1. My grandchildren. Children and teenagers are smarter than we sometimes give them credit for. My 16 year old grandson, Andrew, sometimes amazes me with his wisdom. Here I am thinking that he spends all his times playing video games and soccer when really he’s reading, listening, and taking it all in; sometimes wiser than his years. I’m impressed. My 5 year old grandson, Benjamin, is also surprising me all the time. Sometimes he asks questions not only of me, but of others. The other day he asked his mother about what “army guys” do, that can be a touchy subject, with all that goes on in the world, but my daughter handled it with ease, explaining that they keep us safe. And Ben is wonderful with Molly; very gentle.

2. David McCullough, the author. I am fascinated by his historical books. His research must take him all over the world and he can take a boring subject such as the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and make it interesting.

3. The Dalai Lama. A man of peace. What else can I say? Everyone should listen to his teachings and follow his ways. He has a very calming presence about him.

If you had one extra hour of free time a day what would you do with it?

I’m retired. My time is my own now that I’m not working. Granted, we all have things we need to do. If I had an extra hour a day I’d want to spend it taking a nap.

Would you rather be able to speak all foreign languages or talk to animals?

I think it would be amazing to talk to animals. There are so many times that I wonder what an animals might be thinking, especially Molly. Having her as my companion on the weekends would be even better if we could actually have a conversation.

If you could visit one place in the world where would it be and why?

I’ve traveled quite a bit in my life, and I’ve been to most of the places that I ever wanted to go, but I think Hawaii would be a nice place to visit. I’d like to see if it’s as beautiful as they say.

Are you a listener or a talker?

Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you that I am definitely a talker. But there are times when I prefer to listen and take in all that’s being said around me. How often is that? Not too often, but it does happen!

Tell us your favorite part about being a Weekend Puppy Raiser or your favorite memory with one of the NEADS pups.

My favorite part about being a WPR is seeing how the pup progresses in their training. Molly is my first, so I don’t have any other pup to compare her to. She is amazing! I love that I can take her any place that I go, now that she’s older. And she never complains about where we go or how long we are out and about. In fact, Molly would prefer to never stop “working”. We can go out or 7-8 hour and she’s still raring to go, giving me that look that says: “Where to next?” When we get home after a long day, such as our trips to Boston on the train, I’m exhausted and ready to collapse in my easy chair. She’s right there with the tennis ball giving me that look that says: “I’m ready, let’s go play!” She makes me happy and keeps me young at heart.

Read the entire Meet that Raiser series here.