Devin Bates: This week is International Assistance Dog Week, and one local organization is showcasing the special bond their dogs have with trainers and clients.
Meghan O’Brien, a trainer at NEADS World Class Service Dogs, wanted to become a dog trainer because it combines two of her favorite things: working with animals and helping people.
Sue Tabb and Kendra Petrone talk with NEADS Trainer Michelle Kati.
Susan Dunne | Hartford Courant: The eight-week-old puppies from NEADS World Class Service Dogs may look like average frisky Labrador retrievers, but these cuties have an important purpose. The dogs will have careers helping people with physical, neurological and psychological special needs go through their day-to-day lives. They need proper training, however. The Massachusetts-based NEADS is expanding and needs volunteer puppy raisers as soon as possible. The nonprofit wants to recruit Connecticut residents to take the playful pups home and devote 12 to 16 months to turn them into disciplined companion animals…
Full story on HartfordCourant.com.
Tiziana Dearing, host of WBUR’s Radio Boston, looks into the world of Service Dogs with Cathy Zemaitis, Director of Development at NEADS, and KateLynne Steinke, former Paralympic rower for team USA, who has a NEADS Service Dog, Jones. Listen starting at minute 12:40 here:
Reporter Jessica Hill interviews NEADS client KateLynne Steinke with Service Dog Jones and NEADS CEO Gerry DeRoche.
Rescue’s assistance for Ms. Kensky includes opening doors, fetching objects, calling for emergency help and many other tasks. At the same time, Rescue also provides Ms. Kensky and her husband, Patrick Downes, with invaluable emotional support and comfort that has helped transform their lives after the tragedy.
At the park, Rescue the black Labrador chases balls down and leaps with athletic abandon.
He came into Kensky ‘s life six months after the Boston Marathon bombing. Full Story
by Robin Young, Here and Now, WBUR
Here & Now has spent the last year following Bailey, a budding service dog raised by the Western Massachusetts-based NEADS organization.
During the week, NEADS dogs are trained by, and live with, prison inmates (under the expert guidance of professional dog trainers). Then, on weekends, the dogs go to families. Bailey started his life with inmate Bernard, but after committing an infraction, Bernard lost Bailey, who was transferred to inmate Antonio.
In this segment, Bailey meets his new owner, Ashley, who has weakness in her arms and also uses a wheelchair. Here & Now‘s Robin Young reports.
Listen to the previous segment here: