Paws With A Cause
Ministers tend to be empathetic by nature. That results in my getting sucked into most any worthwhile cause that comes along. My latest crusade involves Paws With A Cause (PWAC). The organization was founded 25 years ago by Candye and Mike Sapp in Wayland, Michigan. Nearly everyone is familiar with seeing-eye dogs, but this organization trains canines to help people with other handicaps.
Recently, Paws With A Cause established a regional office in this area. I learned about this when Kathy Dwyer brought a puppy in training to my office. Her name is Sparkle and she is one of the most appealing dogs I have ever met. They could hardly have picked a better ambassador for their cause.
Sparkle is merely a puppy in training, but she already knows that when the PWAC jacket is put on her, she is on duty. Then, she obeys every command. When the jacket is off, the can revert to her normal puppy self.
PWAC trains dogs to assist those who have difficulties with the tasks we take so much for granted. They can open doors, answer the phone, pick up anything that has been dropped down to a dime or a credit card. Each dog is custom trained to the person they will serve. That involves a lot of time and money, but it can save as much as $16,000 a year in health care costs. Not to mention the values of companionship.
Sparkle recently left Bellingham to be trained at the home base back in Michigan. Obviously, the organization maintains strict confidence as to whom the dog is being trained for. There was a celebration at Barkley Village, the neighborhood shopping center, to give Sparkle a rousing sendoff. Frankly, most dogs don't make it through the arduous training. Everyone in Bellingham who has met Sparkle is rooting for her.
I took some photos of Sparkle's sendoff.
Sparkle has the jacket on and knows that she is on duty.
Volunteers raise the puppies until they are ready to be trained and it is not an easy thing to let go. They make the sacrifice for a higher purpose.
Rico is a partially trained dog and can answer the phone, among his many other talents.
Rico demonstrates how he can take off Kathy's shoe and hand it to her.
Rico recently walked through Bellevue Square Mall with his basket and collected $600 in donations in under an hour. I think I'm in the wrong business.
11:33:36 PM 
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