Greta, Sally, Sandy, and Pumpkin
Sandy and Sally R., customers of VCI Mobility and service dog owners, both know a thing or two about the impact a service dog can have in the life of a person with a disability. In honor of International Assistance Dog Week, Sandy and Sally took time to share with VCI Mobility how their service dogs, Pumpkin, a black lab, and Greta, a yellow lab, have become an integral part of their lives.
Sally, who is visually impaired, used Guiding Eyes for the Blind (Yorktown Heights, NY) to find her guide dog, Greta, who has spent the last 8 years by Sally’s side, helping her maneuver through everyday life.
“I feel that having a guide dog gives me an edge over traveling with a cane,” Sally said.
Sandy worked with Susquehanna Service Dogs (Harrisburg, PA) to get his service dog, Pumpkin. For the last 4 years, Pumpkin has been helping Sandy with daily tasks, such as picking up dropped items, opening and closing doors, and other chores that Sandy has had trouble doing since his post-polio syndrome worsened.
Pumpkin
“I feel that Pumpkin is an extension of myself as we work together to perform tasks I need to do each day,” Sandy said.
Although Sandy and Sally found “the girls,” as they refer to them as, from different organizations and about 4 years apart, their dogs are actually related! Guiding Eyes for the Blind assists smaller organizations such as Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD) with their dog breeding and as a result they were able to determine that Greta and Pumpkin have the same father.
“In an odd twist of fate, Greta and Pumpkin are half-sisters,” Sandy said.
The coincidence of Greta and Pumpkin being related is very rare because individuals do not get to pick their service dogs; instead, it must be determined that they are right for each other. The process of obtaining a service dog starts with an application outlining the disabled individual’s needs. The next step involves a home visit. From there, the right dog is selected and training begins.
“It may take several months to 2 years waiting for the right dog,” Sandy said.
Greta
Sally trained with Greta for 2 weeks at home, and Sandy had to spend 3 weeks training with Pumpkin at SSD. While they are working, Greta wears a harness and Pumpkin wears a jacket. The harness and the jacket signify to the general public that they should not distract the dogs from doing their job of assisting their owners.
“When not working, our dogs are well-behaved pets who enjoy playing and hanging out with us at home,” Sandy explains.
In addition to providing needed assistance to their owners, “the girls” also greatly enhance and enrich Sandy and Sally’s lives. For instance, the dogs act as an icebreaker in social situations by being a conversation starter for individuals who might otherwise might feel uncomfortable being around people with disabilities.
The dogs also keep Sandy and Sally active because the dogs need to work to stay alert. They’re also kind enough to share their canines with the community. For the past 2 years, their dogs have served as pet therapy volunteers with Heartland Hospice, visiting residents at a dementia facility several times a month in the hopes of bringing a smile to their faces and a little joy to their lives.
Happy International Assistance Dog Week to Pumpkin, Greta, and all the other amazing service dogs in the world – job well done!