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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIthaca Journal Article - Canine Companions and DACpet, a friend and a I iteline highly trained dog opens new horizons :or disabled woman ly BETH SAULNIER oumal Staff Diana Pogson's dog Clarke is more than just i woman's best friend. The 3- year -old yellow Labrador retriever is Pogson's "canine companion," a highly trained animal who helps the physically disabled Itha- can much like a seeing -eye dog would guide a blind person. "She's the most polite dog I've ever met," Pogson said as Clarke lay beside her wheelchair in the dining room of her Crescent Place home. "She's a very well- trained, won- derful dog." Pogson, who has multiple sclerosis, took Clarke home in November after two weeks of training on Long Island. But she needs more lessons with Clarke before Canine Companions for Independence — the non - profit organization that trained the dog —will allow Pogson to take her out of the house unsupervised. "Additional training would allow me to go to the mall and go downtown and do all sorts of things with Clarke," said Pogson, 44. To help Pogson pay for the training, the youth group at her church, Forest Home Chapel, will hold a spaghetti supper benefit or Saturday. "We had our eye out for a service project foi the youth to do, and we thought this would be the perfect thing," said youth group leader Vera Versteeg. "They get the reward of beinl of service to someone, especially someone the. know." Pogson attends services at the United Methodist chapel each Sunday. When her trainer accompanies her, Clarke sits by Pog- son's wheelchair as she greets church -goers and hands out the chapel newsletter. "She goes under the pew in front of me," Pogson said. "She wonders what on earth everyone is doing when they're singing hymns." Her trainer, Mary Eldridge, has worked with Pogson and Clarke occasionally over the past few weeks. Eldridge charges $25 for each training session, which can last from one to three hours. Eldridge estimates the first month's inten- sive training will cost $450. After that, she plans to take Pogson and Clarke on several weekly outings so Pogson can practice control- ling the dog outside the house. "Mostly, it's working with Diana to get her to understand how to relate better to the dog and be a more commanding personality," said Eldridge, a trainer for the Ithaca Dog Training Club and the owner of Sugar and Spice Grooming. • must endure long and rigorous traininCanine coin anions m p AFTERNOON WALK: Diana Pogson gets pulled by Clark, her Canine Companion, as neighborhood friends shad Murpny, teir, areu Mike Albanese walk alongside. The two boys frequently take walks with Pogson and help to exercise Clark. Pogson, who has had multiple sclerosis for 19 years, is unable to work. While she was once well-known locally for her handmade dolls, it's now a struggle for her to remove a dog treat from the zipped pouch she wears around her waist. But some of the strength and dexterity Pog- son lost has returned in the form of her 65- pound, amber -eyed companion. The dog knows more than 60 commands, which Pogson must practice daily. Clarke 's tal- ents include opening the refrigerator, retriev- ing things from the kitchen counter and pulling Pogson's wheelchair with a special harness. Pogson's house has a fenced -in yard, so Clarke can go out whenever she wants. Each afternoon, two neighborhood boys come over to play with Clarke and take her for a walk at nearby South Hill School. "She's a lot like me. She tends to be sort of B10FILE Name: Diana Pogson Age, 44 Address: 105 Crescent Place Family: Husband, Greg, a substitute teacher; two grown sons. Canine Companion: Clarke. 3, a female yellow Labrador retriever. quiet," Pogson said of Clarke, who sleeps on a foam dog bed in Pogson's first -floor bedroom. Just as Clarke cares for her master, a por- tion of Pogson's day is spent attending to the dog — Clarke's grooming brush protrudes from a pocket on the back of Pogson's wheelchair. As Pogson sings Clarke's praises, her left For: Diana Pogson, who has multiple sclerosis and needs more training with her companion dog, Clarke. When: 5 -7 p.m. Saturday. Where: Forest Home Chapel, 222 Forest Home Drive. Price: $5, under 5 free. hand hangs down by the metal wheel of her chair. Within seconds, a light blonde head comes up to nuzzle it. "It's a really wonderful thing for her and for me," Pogson said of her relationship with her new companion. "If I'm upset, Clarke comes up and licks my tears away." By BETH SAULNIER Journal Staff If Clarke were human, she'd probably have a Ph.D. The nearly white Labrador retriever is a highly skilled "canine companion," versed in dozens of commands. To prepare for her job as service dog for disabled Ithacan Diana Pogson, Clarke went through more than two years by the non - profit Canine Companions for Independence program. The organization, based in Santa Rosa, Calif., has placed more than 700 dogs with disabled people around the country since it was founded in 1975, said Canine Companions spokesman E. Mark Hartman. Potential canine companions are chosen from the organiza- tion's pedigreed breeding program. At about 8 weeks of age, they're placed with volunteer "puppy raisers," who begin their basic training. Puppy raisers are encouraged to socialize the dogs by spending as much time with them as possible, even tak- ing them to work. At 13 -16 months, the dogs are returned to one of four Canine Companions training centers, located in Santa Rosa; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Delaware, Ohio; and Farmingdale, Long Island. There, they receive eight months of intensive training before being matched with disabled people. "They're exceptional animals in their own right," Hartman said. Canine companion dogs must meet exacting standards — only 40 percent of the puppies graduate from the program, he See TRAINING, 4A '�A City/Regional/Continued Story 1&aining (Continued from Page 3A) said. The organization trains dogs for four different kinds of duties: * Service dogs, like Clarke, assist people with physical disabilities. • Hearing dogs alert people who are hearing- impaired to such sounds as an alarm clock, a telephone or a child's cry. • Social dogs are trained as com- panions for people with developmen- tal disabilities, or are placed in institu- tions to work with those with emo- - tional problems. • Specialty dogs help people with multiple disabilities, such as someone who is hearing impaired and uses a wheelchair. Most canine companions are gold- en or Labrador retrievers. Border col- lies and Pembroke Welsh corgies are also used as hearing dogs. Once the dogs are matched with ,their masters, the pairs undergo more training to learn to work together. In November, Pogson spent two weeks in Farmingdale for "boot camp" train- ing with Clarke. "They work you so hard," Pogson said. The pairs typically have a trial peri- od during which they are not allowed to go out unsupervised, according to Canine mfortnWon Information: If you're interest- ed in applying for a `canine companion," volunteering as a puppy raiser or making a donation, call Canine Com- panions for Independence's northeast regional training center. Phone: (516) 694 -6938; the phone line is TCD compatible. local dog trainer Mary Eldridge. Some pairs, like Pogson and Clarke, require further training before the restriction is lifted. "She's extremely excited about the dog," Eldridge said of Pogson. "It means an awful, awful lot to her." It costs more than $10,000 to train each dog, Hartman said. But those who receive the dogs are required only to pay a $25 application fee and $100 training fee; the organization relies on donations for the rest. There's a long list of people wait- ing for a canine companion; Pogson applied three years before she was matched with Clarke. "I was very excited," Pogson said. "I had waited such a long time." Education expert is critical of Cuomo's school -tax plan Gannett News Service ALBANY — Gov. Mario Cuomo's plan to allow local school districts to raise money through a countywide income tax is riddled with problems, an education expert said at a forum Wednesday. A surcharge on existing state income taxes would be a better approach, suggested Albany Law School Professor Bernard Harvith, who is also a member of the Bethle- hem Central Board of Education. "It would be better just to raise taxes at the state level," Harvith said. But that idea was rejected by Cuomo's top education advisor, who pointed out that Cuomo has said repeatedly he won't raise the state income tax because it would hurt the state's ability to retain jobs and attract new ones. Cuomo has proposed allowing school districts to levy income taxes on a county-wide basis in exchange for freezing or reducing the property MONITOR lWo teens charged in Lansing burglary Two teens were charged with bur- glary in a break -in in Lansing Wednesday night, New York State Police said. Brian N. Dearden, 17, of Locke, and a 14- year -old from Lansing, whose name was withheld by police because of his age, were both charged with second degree burglary, a felony, state police said. The pair allegedly broke into a house on Conlon Road and took sev- eral items, state police said. Both teens were caught and the stolen items were recovered, police said. Dearden was released to be arraigned in the Town of Lansing Court. The 14- year -old will appear in Tompkins County Family Court on April 3. OBITUARIES TAXES taxes on homeowners. Speaking Wednesday at a forum on public issues sponsored by Albany Law School, Harvith said the theory is sound, since income is a better indica- tor of ability to pay taxes than proper- ty, and a countywide tax could be used to equalize the amount of money spent on students. But he said he saw these problems with the idea: • "It's not clear what would hap- pen to renters," since they would not directly save money on property taxes but would have to pay the new income tax. • It would be difficult to phase in since property taxes the districts now levy in September wouldn't be collect- ed until the following April under the Cuomo plan. That might mean some people would have to pay double in the first year. "It gets tricky," he said. Etna teenager charged with speeding today A 16- year -old Etna youth was charged with speeding at about 1 a.m. this morning in Ithaca, the Tompkins County Sheriffs Department said. The youth, whose name was with- held by deputies because of his age, was clocked going 95 mph on the 1300 block of Route 79, deputies said. After a chase, the driver stopped the car in the road and both he and his passenger ran away, deputies said. Ithaca Police Department officers assisted deputies in searching the area and both driver and passenger were caught, deputies said. The driver was charged with speed- ing and unlicensed operation of a vehicle. The passenger, Charles Green, 20, of Enfield, was charged with underage drinking, deputies said. Both were issued appearance tickets and released, deputies said. F e A C F fi t I assistance to reduce dom closing and mortgage cost homes anywhere in the a Persons and families i homeownership who cur work in Tompkins Count aged to submit a preap assistance. To be eligit must meet certain incorr one person, under $21,0 sons, under $24,000; th under $27,000; four pej $30,000; five persons, ur, and six persons, under $3 For a preapplicatior information, contact Be' for Tompkins County at you live within the City c wish to purchase a homf contact Ithaca Neighboi ing Services at 277 -4500 tions will also be availz offices of local banks. BIRTHS TOMPKINS COMMUNITY SHIBITOV — Valer Sullivan, 615 Lansing Rc a daughter, Molly Emn 1993. IACOVELLI — Larry Salotti, 168 Troy Road, 4, 1993. SOLVESON — Fre Bonnie Inman, Route 90 Locke, a daughter, Brit March 4, 1993. STANTON — Kevin Blackman, 6323 Count Ovid, a son, James Hai 4, 1993. ALLISON — Matthe Battista, 107 Cascadill Jackson David, March 5 GARRISON — Willia Gould, 304 Valley Road son, Eric Daniel, March PIERCE — James ar Buchanan, 83 Caroline Brooktondale, a son, D March 5, 1993. TAYLOR — Ronnie Pratt, 315 N. Fulton St., Michael, March 19,199 FRANCES T. WEATHERBY Funeral services will be ating. Spring buria MCMURRAY, PA— Frances T. held at 8pm Fri, March 26 at Willow Glen Ceme Weatherby 84 of 110 Scar- the Rhn�lP_r„•.� T_