A New Leash on Life for Lizzie
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ails ß F R O M M I N N E S O T A For Friends of Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota Spring 2007 Vol. 18 Issue 2 In 1988, Lucky, pictured above, was the first dog HSDM adopted from an animal shelter. She was homeless and was scheduled to be euthanized that day. Lucky served as our demonstration dog for 11 yearsT. She is symbolic of our commitment to save homeless dogs while fulfilling our mission to serve people with disabilities. A New Leash on Life for Lizzie Marylin Lindgren and Lizzie by Julianne Larsen Marylin Lindgren of Granada, Minn., Marylin’s phone is right by her always had dogs in her life. Until she front door, and Lizzie sometimes met Lizzie, however, she says she became confused: was she alerting didn’t know how much work was Marylin to the phone or the door? A involved in training a Hearing Dog. smoke detector was also nearby, further adding to Lizzie’s In fall 2005, Marylin contacted uncertainty. “It took a lot of Hearing and Service Dogs of patience and encouragement to help Minnesota (HSDM) after learning Lizzie understand that she had to about the organization from a friend. clearly indicate the source of the Marylin was accepted into the sound,” Robin recalls. program contingent upon HSDM staff finding a field trainer in her She adds that Lizzie is a very area. After much searching, Robin intelligent dog who gets bored Peoble agreed to drive an hour each quickly. “Practice sessions had to way to work with Marylin in her be short and rewarding for her,” home. Robin explains. “It took some creativity and patience, but Marylin The next step was finding the right stuck with it.” Although Marylin dog. Marylin lives in a very small Marilyn and Lizzie praises Robin for her guidance, house, so she needed a smaller dog. Robin gives the credit to Marylin and Lizzie for persevering. As luck would have it, an HSDM that the little dog had enormous trainer attended an Animal Humane potential. Lizzie had found a career! Marylin says she can’t imagine her Society seminar on evaluating shelter life without Lady Liz in it. “I’d like dogs. One of the dogs was a Jack After a brief stay in an HSDM foster everyone involved with HSDM to Russell Terrier mix, found as a stray. It home, Lizzie was placed with know that I am very thankful for was clear to everyone at the seminar Marylin. They had a slow start when Marylin’s basement flooded, and she Inside This Issue was forced out of her house for a From the Executive Director ............ 2 month. Once those issues were under Clark Halligan & Fonzie .................... 3 control, training began in earnest. THOSE WHO MADE THIS Lions Roar!......................................... 3 PLACEMENT POSSIBLE Debbie Fauber & Camille ................. 4 Lizzie showed great promise as a Heel & Wheel Fundraising Walk ...... 5 Dog Source Hearing Dog, and the team made The Animal Humane Society Home & Garden Show ...................... 5 great strides in the early stages of Frances Matejcek .............................. 5 training. She quickly learned to wake Veterinary Services Greg Lawson & Oreo ........................ 8 Elm Creek Animal Hospital New Board Member .......................... 8 Marylin when her alarm clock rang Volunteer Spotlight ........................... 9 and to alert her when someone Foster Home Volunteer Recognition Luncheon ... 9 knocked on her door. As the Kathy Galiger Puppy Raisers ................................. 10 telephone, intruder and smoke Development News ......................... 11 detector sounds were introduced, Field Trainer Animal Hall of Fame ........................ 11 however, some problems began. Robin Peoble From the Executive Director Volume 18 Issue 2 Al Peters & Demonstration Dog Beau invite people to learn about our important work. Tails From Minnesota Published quarterly for friends and supporters of Second, the foundation recently made Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota Join Us! A New and a significant grant which will pay one Improved Heel and Editor/Layout/Design year of salary and benefits for a new Alan M. Peters Sue Schuster Paige Kite Wheel Event staff position here at HSDM. We will At Hearing and Service Dogs of Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota soon hire a marketing/communica- is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life Minnesota (HSDM), our Heel and tions specialist to put our communi- for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or Wheel Fund-Raising Walk committee cations plan into practice and to assist disabled by creating mutually beneficial members have designed a new and with the year’s key fund-raising and partnerships with specially trained dogs. improved event for 2007! marketing events. Supporting the Hearing Dogs are adopted from local animal initial cost of a new full-time position shelters, placed with deaf or hard-of-hearing clients It will include team prizes, increased is difficult for a small organization and specially trained to alert clients to important length-of-walk options, and entertain- sounds in their environment. Service Dogs are like ours. Support from the Phillips trained to help people with physical disabilities by ment. We expect a significantly Foundation during the first year of pulling their wheelchairs, picking up or carrying larger number of people to participate transition is critical to helping us objects, opening doors, flipping light switches and in this year’s event. In turn, we grow and meet the needs of the performing other daily tasks. Dogs, training and supplies are provided to each client free of charge. expect a threefold increase in funds organization. raised. The funds go to train assis- Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota tance dogs for those who need them. Finally, the Phillips Foundation has 2537 25th Avenue South Minneapolis MN 55406 funded a positioning study for 612-729-5986, 612-729-5914 tty/fax If you’ve participated in our past HSDM. The study will help us assess e-mail [email protected] events, please join us again this year. our readiness to raise the money website www.hsdm.org If you haven’t yet participated, please necessary to purchase a permanent Board of Directors try it out. I guarantee you’ll have a facility for our operations. Standard Mary Quist: President wonderful time! And please consider Carlos Villalpando: Vice President office or industrial space doesn’t John Parzych: Secretary registering as a team—of co-workers, meet many of our unique needs, so Monique Morton: Treasurer friends from church, or members of Jill Brant Sara Braziller continuing to rent is not a good Kara Fairbairn Dawn Kessler your Lions club. Walking as a team option. Acquiring our own space and Maureen Pranghofer encourages participation and makes customizing it to the special require- Len Washko James Willems the process even more fun! ments of training and kenneling will Staff allow us to better use donated re- To reach a staff member via phone, dial The dedication and phenomenal 612-729-5986. When you hear the greeting, press sources and more efficiently create the extension number, then the pound (#) key. planning skills of our volunteers— the Assistance Dog teams that fulfill Laurie Carlson Event & Volunteer Coordinator. combined with your participation— [email protected] ext. 4 # our mission. Rob Carrick Puppy Program Coordinator. will make this event a success. Please [email protected] ext. 3 # join us on Sept. 15, 2007, at Lake Janet Cobus Development Director We’re grateful to the Phillips Foun- [email protected] ext. 8 # Phalen. I look forward to seeing you dation for its ongoing support of our Mona Elder Client Services Coordinator then! [email protected] ext. 7 # mission. With its help, and yours, Audrey Galm Administrative Assistant we’ll continue providing the gifts of [email protected] ext. 1 # Organizational Growth in independence, freedom and peace of Kim Hyde Director of Training 2007 [email protected] ext. 5 # mind to people with disabilities and Julianne Larsen Hearing Dog Coordinator In our most recent issue of Tails [email protected] ext. 2 # their families. I invite you to share Birdie Murphy Training Assistant From Minnesota, I mentioned some ideas, expertise or resources that [email protected] of our plans for 2007. With the help Shelly O’Brien Administrative Assistant might help us acquire a permanent [email protected] ext. 0 # of the Jay and Rose Phillips Founda- home for HSDM. Please contact me Lee Perish Account Assistant tion, we are taking three significant [email protected] 612-729-5914 tty directly at 612-729-5986, extension Al Peters Executive Director steps toward fulfilling those plans. 6#, or [email protected]. [email protected] ext. 6 # Rita Jesse Graduate Presenter We are completing our first organiza- Thank you for joining in our work. Dawn Carlson, Meghan Doyle, Angela Olson tion communications plan. It details Kennel Assistants the actions necessary to better communicate with all of our constitu- fl‹ ents, and it suggests new ways to 2 The Fonz! Clark Halligan and Fonzie byJohn Kohagen Clark Halligan of Glencoe, Minn., the delight of his owner. began the process of acquiring a Service Dog after his doctor at the Clark says he hopes others will be Veterans Administration Medical inspired to get a service animal after Center told him he would benefit they meet Fonzie. (He encouraged a from one. Clark, who was injured in friend to contact HSDM.) In public, the service, has severe degenerative Fonzie is a furry advertisement for disc disease, congestive heart failure the power of service animals. The and a seizure disorder. After being team demonstrated their abilities for on the waiting list of another a Rotary Club. Clark has no miscon- organization for a long time, Clark ceptions, however, about who the applied to Hearing and Service star is.