Partners and Paws Summer 2020

PA RT N E R S PAWS A N D Helping people with disabilities better experience the world through partnership with a service dog

More than Assistance Team Hannah & Fancy dedicated to The Hittman Family Foundation in honor of their generous support

We have known Hannah for a long time. She is an extraordinary young woman. In 2010, she was matched with her first Saint Francis Service Dog, Hope. With Hope by her side, Hannah graduated from high school and then Bridgewater College with a degree in International Studies, made the move to Washington

D.C., and began her career as an analyst with the United States Department of Defense.

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Hannah and Fancy

Hannah and Fancy continued from cover

Due to the continued spread of COVID-19, we have not been able to hold the Level 4 test for Hannah and Fancy. We are looking forward to proceeding with their testing and certification when it is safe to do so and as restrictions are lifted over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, Hope passed away in April, leaving a hole that is impossible to fill. Hannah tells us that Fancy has been a faithful, fun girl during these challenging times, saying, “She has kept me laughing during these times of high stress. Her creativity and goofiness help keep my days light...She’s injected a dose of get-up-and- go that has made me want to go after the things that I want to do.” Their growing relationship reminds us that the partnership between human and service dog brings more than assistance. Over the next 8-10 years, Fancy will be with Hannah to retrieve dropped and out of reach items, assist with holding and carrying things, and many other direct skills that provide Hannah with increased independence and self-sufficiency. She will also carry on Hope’s legacy as a source of inspiration, joy, and love for Hannah, who says, “It is difficult to gauge how she will change my life over the coming years, but Fancy will be bringing the positivity and the go-get-em’ attitude I need to keep up. While we’re finding our new adventures, she’ll help keep me safe by ensuring that I reach far, but not too far.”

In 2019, Hope retired from her work as a service dog, but Hannah was just starting out in her career and young adult life. Hannah became a candidate for a successor dog, which is a dog placed with an existing partner of Saint Francis when their service dog is ready to retire. Successor dogs are important in ensuring that our partners can maintain their independence with the help of a working service dog. The matching process for successor dogs can sometimes be more involved than matching a new team, because we want to make sure that the new dog fits in the existing team’s established style and relationship.

Fancy was puppy

raised in our Prison Puppy Program and trained by our staff trainer, Debbie

Clifton. Both her puppy raiser and Debbie describe Fancy as a real sweetheart who is always eager to please and loves to work. Debbie also noted Fancy’s position work as being excellent, a quality that is very important for our partners who utilize wheelchairs. A service dog’s understanding and obedience in where they are positioned in relation to their partner and their environment is important for

Fancy’s puppy portrait and in training with our staff trainer, Debbie.

the safety of their partner. When moving and maneuvering through tight or enclosed spaces with a wheelchair, it is especially important. Fancy was prepared to be matched with a partner in winter of 2019. After a series of matching interviews, where Hannah worked with a few of our dogs while our training team observed, it was apparent that Fancy was the perfect fit to join Hannah and Hope. Having passed their Level 3 test at our ten-day intensive Team Training, where they learned to work together with the help of our training staff, Fancy moved to the D.C. Metro area with Hannah and Hope to continue learning to work together in preparation for their Level 4 test and graduation.

“She’s injected a dose of get-up-and-go that has made me want to go after the things that I want to do.”

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Embracing Challenges

and finding ways forward

We used to bounce ideas off each other in the hallways and check our thinking by dropping by each other’s offices. We knew if one of us was having a bad day, if someone’s allergies flared up, if there was car trouble. It was all erased. My worry was that without the structure of our building and our routines, we would lose our center of gravity. We would lose our connection to one another. Instead, we adapted. Quickly we tried (and in some cases, just as quickly abandoned) a multitude of new technologies to find a replacement for face-to- face interaction.

The past few months have provided that opportunity, and I have been happily surprised. I didn’t comprehend how deeply staff members trust one another, how good natured, flexible, and resourceful they would be. I didn’t realize how much we could depend on our volunteers to stand by us. (We’ll see you soon!) I didn’t expect Bland Correctional Center, which houses the Prison Puppy Program, to be as stalwart a partner to Saint Francis as they have been. I didn’t know that donors would step up and stick with us when the chips were down.

I have always been proud of Saint Francis Service Dogs. I am proud of our mission to enrich the lives of people with disabilities, of our commitment to warmth and professionalism, of our core value of treating everyone regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation/ identity, imprisoned or free, disabled or not – with respect and dignity. I am proud of the quality of our dogs – both in the superlative quality of their training and in their very characters – each dog unique but all chock-full of love and joy to share. I have never been as proud as I am now. It has certainly been an unnerving time for all of us, and it has presented a multitude of unforeseen challenges. We do a lot of planning here. We didn’t plan for this. Every single aspect of operations at Saint Francis is different than it was a mere three months ago. Our workplaces, our protocols, and our habits have all changed. So many things we took for granted – including the way we communicate and the way we interact with people every day – are turned on their heads. We used to catch up in face-to-face meetings, talk shop over lunch, have impromptu brainstorming sessions while exercising dogs in the fields.

We figured out how to work away from the office. We built new communication pathways and found new ways to maintain connections with each other and with our partners. (We got used to being on camera.) These discoveries are changing not only the way we work now, but how we are going to continue to improve long after this crisis is past. There are circumstances that come along once in a while that strip organizations bare, so you can see what they are made of.

It would have been much better if this hadn’t happened, but it did. At Saint Francis we have embraced this challenge and used it to push ourselves to find new ways forward, to innovate, to be resourceful, and to embrace change. We will continue to use the challenges presented to us to make ourselves stronger, more emphatic, and better. Thank you for being there with us and for us. I hope we make you proud.

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Are you interested in being a part of the journey?

vi r tual

September 13 at 7:00 pm on Facebook

As we have continued to monitor the spread of COVID-19, we have made the decision to hold graduation virtually this year, and we are so excited! Join us on Facebook on September 13 at 7pm to watch our class of 2020 graduate, become certified Saint Francis Teams, and celebrate their journey in arriving at this point.

There are Two Types of Puppy Volunteers

Go to: www.facebook.com/SaintFrancisServiceDogs to like our page and watch the event on September 13

As a PUPPY RAISER , you help Saint Francis by taking a puppy into your home. You introduce the puppy to the big world and teach the puppy basic manners and commands. As a PUPPY SITTER, you offer your home to puppies that need a weekend getaway or a vacation for a week or two. We support our Puppy Volunteers at every step of the way! If you can provide a safe, comfortable, loving home for our puppies to learn and grow in, please consider becoming a Puppy Volunteer today! For more information: visit saintfrancisdogs.org/volunteer email volunteer@saintfrancisdogs.org or call 540-342-3647

Thank you to our graduation sponsors:

Congratulations, Saint Francis Class of 2020!

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Saint Francis and COVID

At Saint Francis Service Dogs, our goal is to protect the health and safety of our partners, dogs, volunteers, staff, and community; to do so with thoughtfulness and compassion; and to ensure every measure we take serves the common good.

How are we doing? It’s impossible to count how many times our Saint Francis friends and families have asked that question in the past few months. Knowing that we have such a strong village of support makes navigating these interesting times so much easier. Our mindset from the onset of the COVID-19 crisis has been to keep totally focused on our mission goals: to continue raising and training our Saint Francis puppies and dogs and to continue supporting our Saint Francis candidates and partners. Luckily, we are blessed with operations, philanthropy, and administrative staff members who are imaginative, flexible, and unfailingly good

humored. Just like the millions of teachers who had to become experts in distance learning overnight, our trainers examined their lesson plans, training protocols, and socialization strategies and distilled them to their cores. Conference calls, cloud file sharing, and abundant Zoommeetings took the place of traditional face-to-face class sessions, interviews, and outings. What began as a short-term bridge to “back to normal” has actually turned into an imaginative and rich interactive model that has strengthened our educational program and diversified our operational reach.

We continue to follow the recommendations set forth by the CDC, WHO, the Virginia Department of Health, and our veterinary advisors, in our office and training spaces - which means (among other things) an increased cleaning supplies budget and acclimating our puppies and dogs to their humans wearing masks and standing far apart! They are taking all of the changes in stride – of course! Now, make no mistake: we are all SO eagerly looking forward to the day when we can once again comfortably gather and share space in 3D. Saint Francis is a hands-on, convivial family, and being apart isn’t easy. We’re confident, however, that even after we’re embracing our new normal, the lessons that we’ve learned in the past few months (and the ones we are sure to continue to pick up) will make us stronger, smarter, and more resilient as an organization.

So, we’re doing pretty well, thanks! How are YOU doing?

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Donor & Volunteer SPOTLIGHT

So here I am 4 ½ years later. I have now raised Hansen (he became a service dog), Oz (he decided he wanted to be pampered pet that gives lots of love to his family), Mitz (he’s in advanced training), and the latest pup is Teak. Most recently, I was invited to join the Saint Francis Board of Directors – again, jumping right in, without hesitation. During my time with Saint Francis, I have found the organization to be extremely well run by a very dedicated team of staff and volunteers. Everyone gives freely and generously of their time and knowledge for the purpose and benefit of raising our service dogs. Little did I know what a significant impact a service dog can make to someone until I started seeing how our dogs contributed to the wellbeing of their partners and improving the quality of their lives. There is still much I am learning about Saint Francis – our long term strategies, how our funding works, how we recruit new volunteers, the commitments we make to our partners and our dogs - the list goes on. One truly amazing and heartwarming aspect of Saint Francis that I discovered during my first year of puppy raising is that we give our fully trained dogs to our partners for free. We spend over two years to train a dog to be a certified service dog, and then, after appropriately “matching” the dog with partner, we give the dog away. We are able to do this because we have a very dedicated group of friends that contribute generously of their time and their money to our mission. The bond that so many of us have with our pets is what led me to become a part of Saint Francis. Whatever brings you to Saint Francis, thank you for being a part of the journey.

by Steve Strauss

During the summer before my 4th year of college at Hampden Sydney, I got my first dog (an English Setter) and tried to train her to be a bird dog. Well, she became a great pet and lived to be 16 years old. After our kids shed their diapers, we got our second dog – a Brittney Spaniel. She was a wonderful loving member of our family. After the kids graduated and moved out, Hershey passed after living the pampered life for 15 years.

Steve & Mitz | Heather Rousseau, The Roanoke Times, used with permission. Originally featured in “See a movie and learn about local service-dog nonprofit” by Dan Casey Lori and I talked about getting another dog, and we wrestled with the decision of having a 15 year commitment at this point in our lives. Then, through sheer luck, I stumbled upon Saint Francis Service Dogs. The idea of raising a puppy that had a higher calling just felt right, and I knew that the commitment would only be for about one year. With that, I jumped right in, and within 30 days of my first phone call, I found out that I would get a puppy to raise on January 5, 2016. Hansen, a sweet yellow lab, was handed over to me, and we embarked on a great journey where we trained one another. I learned so much about what a dog was capable of. In the beginning, I was not aware of the depth of the organization and the support I would receive with Hansen’s upbringing. I just jumped all in. And yes, they took a chance on me as well.

“The idea of raising a puppy that had a higher calling just felt right.”

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A PUP’S

progr es s

Hey Everybody! I have some really exciting news…

I graduated from the Puppy Program and am now in the Advanced Training Program. Thanks to all of the love and support I got when I was little, especially frommy Puppy Raiser, Daniel, I graduated with high honors! According to my new trainer, Tiffany, I was ready to jump right in to learning the advanced curriculum. I have been doing just that for about six weeks now, and I’ve got to tell you, I’m having a blast! I have a new family at Tiffany’s, and at this point, we are doing swimmingly. I say "at this point," because the first few weeks were a bit of a learning curve for all of us. For example, during my first week at home, these people acted like they’d never seen a “zoomie” before! Obviously there is no better way to express abandoned delight with a situation than tucking tail and zooming. Needless to say, I taught my new family all about zoomies from the get go. As for me, I learned about house rules and manners, like when and where zoomies are appropriate, which is in the big backyard! About three weeks into advanced training, my family took me camping. Talk about delightful! I got to go on adventurous hikes every day. I met ponies, listened to waterfalls, and I even learned to swim! At nighttime, I stretched out and rested next to campfires then slept in a cozy pop-up camper. You’ll be very proud to know that with all of those exciting adventures, I only had one “inappropriate” zoomie moment, and it was really the ponies’ fault. I swear! Tiffany takes lots of pictures and is always taking videos. I think she shares them with other trainers, because she always says, “Today, we’re working on...” After she says “work,” we do some really fun games, and I get lots of love and sometimes tasty treats, too. She seems really happy, but I do think she’s a bit confused. She doesn’t seem to know the difference between work and play. That’s okay. She’s still got time, and I’m happy to keep “working” with her.

Sophia

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Behind THE SCENES

training for daily living

Advanced Training takes place in the second year of our dogs’ training. Building upon the foundation established during our Puppy Program, our trainers work with their dog one-on-one through the course of the year. Most also live with their dog full-time. During this training, dogs learn all of the tasks and skills they will need to help their future partners. With “get it” and “put it in” commands, dogs can do things like help with laundry, throw things away, and retrieve dropped or out of reach items. With the commands of “tug” and “bump,” dogs can open and close drawers, doors, and refrigerators, fetching items, supplies, or medicine. “Get the phone” signals the dog to quickly bring a phone to their partner. In some cases, these can be life-saving tasks. Our trainers work hard, and our dogs work (and play) just as hard to learn these skills, which ultimately provide their future partners with the support and assistance to live more independent lives.

Trainer, Robby working with his trainee, Walker.

Your Legacy.

Their Future. Make your giving go further.

Consider including Saint Francis Service Dogs in your estate plans.

For more information, contact: Amy Milberger Director of Philanthropy (540) 342-3647 ext. 409 amilberger@saintfrancisdogs.org

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Tribute GIFTS

February through May 2020

Memorials Abby Alice Dugger

Dolly Capt. Thomas Batzel Ethan Marcella Murray Linda Farnsworth Jennifer Dickerson John “Dick” Fore Jan Fore Frannie Diane and Bob Hayes

Maverick Nancy Cunningham

Bunny Kathie Childers Heather Burns Mary Ryan

Max Richard and Sherry Chriss Micah, Lyric, and Selu Lynda McGarry

Annette Agee Danny and Frances Hudson Billy Andrews John and Matilda Bradshaw

Sarah Connor Mr. and Mrs. William Knott Sam and Sally Craver Luther and Margaret Beazley

Lance Moore Kathryn Figg, Debra Moore, Buzz and Donna Powell

Andy, Athena, BeeBees, Bella, Bennie, Cassie, Ember, Fargo, Gabbi, Gilly, Henrietta, Izzy, Katie Rose, Lasha, Looper, Molly, Nappy, Nikki, Professor, Puffy, Riggins, Rocksy, Samson, Shilah, Smidge, Sophie, Sully, Titan, Winston, Zeke Dr. Courtney Wiegard

Lucy Davis Pamela Hanks Dr. Mark Finkler Heidi Krisch

Michael Mulkey Karan Mulkey

Fritzie Pat Stockton

Carolyn Norris Lisa Faist and Bill Nash

Cody Frye and Emeril Donna Akers

First Edition Book Club Mimi Butler Brenda and Steve Hawks Patricia Davidson Ike, Watson, Lyle, and Hank Deborah Duerk Lindsay Karpinski, DVM Brenda Davis

Earl Armstrong Angela Hannah

Phil Partington Carol Downey, Faye Gargiulo, Lynn James, Diane Lovecchio, Janet Taake, Kelly Taylor, Rhonda Waldrop

Roderick Garnett John and Delores Griffin, Reba and Michael Weeks

Baron, Harley, and Sawyer Ernie and Kim Littlefield

Pickles Jim and Erma Miller

Beamer and Pepper Clifford Murray

Grady Judy and Bob Griffith Alan Green and Joe Jo Larry and Patricia Rakes Harley Don and Janet McKibben

Franny Polinski Marilyn and James Curtin

Belle Patricia Stockton Bertie Susann Peppes

Lilly Pritchard Dr. Bridget Hickman

Logan Kenny Robert and Wendy Bye

Tom Rappold Linda Perdue

Lincoln Linda Ives and Steve Lucado Haley McCormick and Charlie Maude Coggin

Blue Nan, Bill, Max, and Pepe

Henri Christy Izard

Opal Reed Narlene Dulaney Dottie Richardson Jody Hornick

Madge Bounds Nancy Andrews, Susan and Bill Blaylock, Chan and Kae Bolling, Bill and Judy Booth, Dan and Suzanne Brown, Sharon Carroll, Jerry and Jane Cheadle, Mr. and Mrs. Ian Crookenden, Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Duckwall, Mark and Beth Finkler, James and Christine Harkness, Christy Izard, Jennifer Jamison, Carol, Dev, and Meredith Jarratt, Pegram and Bonnie Johnson, Junior League of the Roanoke Valley, Kenneth and Lisa Laughon, Fielding and Sissy Logan, Don and Carolyn Nolan, Carolyn and Blackford Noland, Anne Parrott, Nancy Ruth Patterson, Charlotte Porterfield, Nelson and Martha Teague, Patrick and Richard Tison-Murray, Ellen White, Lainy and Lee Wilhelm, Stephen and Ruthmarie Willson, Mrs. Lee Hardin Woody

Nellie Marie Henry Robert Cicconetti

Mitty Linda Barnett

Elaine Hilliar Bill Nash and Lisa Faist

Roxie Joseph and Lorraine Dugan Sammy Jennifer and Gary Koogler

Mitz Kathie Childers, Roger and Bev Henderson

James Holliday III Diane Gillespie, James’ teachers at UMC, Meagan Jones, Adena Okes-Hawkins

Orca Carroll La Haye

Homer and Ren-Tiger Judi and Lee Walter

Scout Leslie Babcock

Our Doctors and Nurses Linda Perdue

Donnis Honeywell Nelson and Brenda Greene

Leon and Sandra Sekur Marlene Bennett Heidi Sheehan Leslie and Kim Voudren Raymond B. O’Shinski Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Polinski

Kristen Pilarski Aileen Pilarski Leonard Shank Amy Thurston Shia and Rainy Sandi Gross

Angie Howes Tricia Cronise

Aubrey Brown Nancy Smith

Alice G. Huff Virginia and Donald Lynch

Mason Buck Dr. Bridget Hickman Joyce G. Campbell Robert Campbell Charlie and Gabe Steffan Welch

Pete Humphries Jeff and Katie Highfill Jefferson Susan Humphries Ralph Jenkins Patricia Dickens Jigsaw Joy Hutchinson Gordon L. King Carol King

Russell Shockley Sandi Adkins

Gracie Risi Dave and Christine Risi

Leigh Brill Singh Howard Boggs, The Covenant Choir

Krista Holloman Sinnott Bryan Holloman, Mark Holloman, Sandy Holloman

Robert L. Sowell Robert Campbell Theo Rebecca Perdue

Gene Smallwood Kirk Smallwood

Coco Roger and Dorothy Nichols

Robby and Walker Ryan and Katie Read

James Arnel Conner JE and Ruthie Conner

Tigger Mary Branch

Mother Wood Sandi Adkins

Jeff Connor Debra Given Mary Cook Angela Wilson

Ladybug and Denali Jacob and Bridget Meneghini

Sam Woody Bob and Bonny Lee, Diane Strickler

Janet Wynot Gloriadene Lancaster

John Legg Helgard Legg

Helen Young Gloriadene Lancaster Honorariums Stephen J. Aukward Judy Conley

Cabell Youell Boo Evans In Recognition Of Henry and Samson Wyatt and Patricia Shields Tyler O’Rourke Mr. and Mrs. Otto Strauch

Helen K. Crumpacker Susan Berryman, Barbara Brown, Leckie Conners, Sue Davenport, Buzz and Donna Powell Robert DeBlasio Deborah Duerk, Susan and Dan Cutillo, David and Julie Macpherson, Laurie Macpherson, Pam Macpherson, Patti and David Mathes, Mark and Amy Milberger, Holly Rutledge, Kris Sorensen, Bruce and Rebecca Tuttle

Loo Loo Charlotte and Bill Kagey Lucky Judy and Bob Griffith Lucky the Lab Anne and David Bialek Mackenzie Patty and Stephen Lemon

Kellie Bock Paul Bock Buck Donna Akers

Tag Deborah Broce

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Board of Directors

Ways to GIVE Thank you for your support. Gifts can be made in multiple ways:

Courtney Wiegard, DVM President

PHONE: (540) 342-3647 ext. 409

MAIL: Saint Francis Service Dogs PO Box 19538 Roanoke, VA 24019

Anne Jenkins Secretary

Jeffrey Barbour, CPA Treasurer Mark R. Finkler, DVM Veterinary Advisor

ONLINE: saintfrancisdogs.org/donations

Saint Francis Service Dogs is a secular, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to help children and adults with disabilities live more independent and self-sufficient lives through partnership with a professionally trained service dog. An envelope is enclosed for your convenience, if you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to support the mission of Saint Francis Service Dogs.

Craig Balzer John Carlin Sally B. Craver, MSW

Carol Downey Jo Lynn Draper Nancy Hack Annette Kirby Paula Mitchell Jim Petrine Krista H. Sinnott

A financial statement is available upon written request from the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs.

Steve Strauss Nadia Summo Robert Villamil Kathy Baske Young

Newsletter Credits: Copy, Art Direction, Design, and Photography prepared in house by Saint Francis Staff unless otherwise noted.

printing and mailing provided in part by Wordsprint.

THE BALABAN CENTER FOR SERVICE DOG EXCELLENCE PO BOX 19538, 8232 ENON DRIVE, ROANOKE, VA 24019 TELEPHONE: (540) 342-3647 | FAX: (540) 342-0906 www.saintfrancisdogs.org