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"I just couldn't believe it," says Kathy Dunn. "Here's this man kneeling
down beside my wheelchair in Econo Foods asking if I could use a service
dog. I thought -- how serendipitous!"
Physically challenged by multiple sclerosis (MS) and reliant on a wheelchair for mobility, Kathy had attempted to acquire a service dog through a national organization. The waiting list was over two years long. The 'man' told her this service dog would be available in one month. |
The 'man' Kathy is referring to is Brad Jackson, a physical therapist on the rehab unit at MGH. Brad is director of the Upper Michigan Dog Therapy Project, a non-profit organization which specializes in developing certified dog therapy programs for health care facilities. It assists individuals in acquiring service dogs.
Brad was thrilled to tell Kathy about the opportunity to receive a service dog specifically trained to push her wheelchair. The muscle fatigue associated with MS can make self-propulsion of a wheelchair exhausting.
One month later, Kathy has a new companion, Rufus -- a yellow lab and golden retriever mix. Besides helping push a wheelchair, Rufus will also be a lifelong friend to Kathy and her family. Kathy, who has always been active outdoors, describes the sense of mobility with Rufus as "incredible."
Rufus' excited tail wagging as he pushes Kathy's wheelchair conveys his thoughts on the matter.
Rufus was trained by Dennis Hoeppner of Canine TRALE Runners in Trout Creek. A C5 quadriplegic, Dennis has trained about 30 dogs for this purpose. Funding for the dog's instruction was arranged cooperatively by a grant from Wisconsin Central Railroad and efforts of state Senator Don Koivisto and the TRALE organization -- a group which promotes multi-use, assessable recreation trails in the forests of Upper Michigan.
Jackson is working on the growth of the Upper Michigan Dog Therapy Project. The project is piloting its first certified dog therapy program on the Rehab Unit. He is excited to bring its services to other facilities and individuals as soon as possible.
Special thanks goes to Shari Smith, CTRS, Lori Depitro, OT Aide, Brenda Salisbury, PT, and Sue Kapala, a Marquette-area dog trainer, for their assistance with the Upper Michigan Dog Therapy Project.