Cathy Powell suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, and has a service dog, named Duffy. Â When she got Duffy to begin training him to be a service dog, she wasn’t planning on keeping him. Â However, after seeing how beneficial he is after her symptoms got worse, she’s decided that training service dogs is her calling.
“It’s amazing what a service dog can do — just absolutely amazing,” said Cathy.
Duffy IS an amazing help to her almost daily. Â Aside from just retireving something Cathy has dropped, he can get her water bottle for her, help her get dressed and even help her climbing the stairs. Â Oh yeah, he’s excellent at hugs.
“They can really be a comfort to you,” cathy said. Â “I’ll say, ‘Duffy, I really need a hug,’ and he’ll come up and lay his front paws on me.”
This is why she wants to share the improved quality of life that a service dog can bring to someone in need. Â Lucky for her, Duffy and Cathy’s other dog Lucy had puppies, so finding good dogs for training wasn’t going to be tough. Â However, eight pups are a lot to deal with, and that’s why Cathy is looking for other service dog trainers near by for help. Â But not just any old trainer will do.
“I am very specific about how I want my dogs trained,” she said. Â “It is a commitment.”
While Cathy knows the future puppy-raisers will feel good about helping others in need, she recognizes that giving up the puppies after two years is going to be the hardest part. Â She said “it’s because they are so stinkin’ loveable!”
