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Meet the Raiser – Cathy Weikel
Name: Cathy Weikel
Occupation: Primary Care Assistant
Current Pup: Charity, 1 yr old
How long have you been a Puppy Raiser and how many dogs have you raised? (Include furloughed dogs and the one you are currently raising).
I have been a Full-Time Puppy Raiser for ten months, and this is my first dog.
What led you to Puppy Raising?
After the loss of our family dog I was not sure if I was ready to commit to another 12 years right away. So I thought this would be a good way to get back into it. And I’m in deep!
Ice Breakers
If you had your own talk show, who would your first 3 guests be?
My mother (if she was still with us), my mother-in-law and my daughter Alissa.
If you had one extra hour of free time a day what would you do with it?
I would most definitely use it to read a book with a cup of tea.
Would you rather be able to speak all foreign languages or talk to animals?
I would rather be able to talk to animals then to speak all foreign languages. As it is I already have one sided conversations with animals, I just wish I knew what they were trying to say to me.
If you could visit one place in the world where would it be and why?
The one place in the world I really want to visit is Alaska. I want to see all of the beautiful landscape and wildlife Alaska has to offer.
Are you a listener or a talker?
I am most definitely a listener.
Tell us your favorite part about being a Puppy Raiser and/or your favorite memory with one of the NEADS pups.
My favorite part about being a Puppy Raiser is that I get to nurture and to teach this beautiful little puppy how to do all the things she needs to learn to help somebody in the future. And she actually helps people on a daily basis. There are people we come across while we are on a field trip or training and I can tell they could use a “pick me up.” During this pandemic, sometimes just receiving a “say Hello” from Charity is enough to change someone’s day for the better.
