THERAPY DOGS GRADUATE IN HAWAI'I

THERAPY  DOGS  GRADUATE  IN  HAWAI'I


Graduating season may be over, but a new

group of students is gearing-up for their 
graduation Saturday.    After completing two 
years of school, six service dogs are graduating
from Hawai'i  from Canines For Independence
training camp on maui tomorrow.  

.Dog trainer, Kimmy Seguin said, "We start off in kindergarten when the puppies are only eight weeks old and we train them just the basic commands. Then we jump on to basic training where we start training them all 90 commands."

The soon-to-be graduates are prepping to share their skills across the globe. One dog is headed all the way to Japan's Yokohama Children's Hospital.

Another will work at the Queen's Medical Center's Cancer Clinic and one more will stay on the Valley Isle as a courthouse dog.

Mo Maurer, the executive director said, "Most of our clients are quadriplegics and paraplegics."

Two of the dogs will help residents who live with disabilities including a 16 year-old boy with muscular dystrophy and a sixth dog will provide therapy at a Kahului assisted living facility where they can offer a helping paw when it comes to some of the things we take for granted.

"Opening the refrigerator and taking a drink out and taking it to the person," said Maurer.

Hawaii Canines for Independence is nationally accredited and has a 70% success rate.

"We will find out exactly what that person needs whether they drop their keys very often lots of different things we can do to specifically train that dog for that person with skills," said Seguin.

The dogs are also heavily involved in the community via special events and outreach including the Wounded Warrior project, scent detection and assisting with work place readiness.

"Good boy thank you."

After graduation the non-profit organization keep.

 tabs on the gradates by foullowing up within the first month, three and six months then every year after that.


Again, dogs provide for humans...and  give of themselves so  willingly, so generously.


We thank our Service Therapy Dogs!