By Shawn Hogendorf, Staff Writer 

When Jamila and the 14 other graduates of an exclusive Ohio-based “college” walked across the stage of the Dublin Community Recreation Center in Dublin, Ohio on May 16, Pete and Sue LeRoy sat in the audience, knowing that the lives of 15 people were about to change forever.

There were no tassels, graduation gowns or long-winded commencement speeches to be had on this day, but rather 15 wagging tails, canines outfitted in blue service capes and plenty of 5-foot-long leashes to go around.

This graduation ceremony not only celebrated an accomplishment and marked the end of an intensive training program – of which only 30 percent actually graduate – but it also kicked off the start of a unique partnership.

Jamila, now named Ella, sits with
her new owner after graduating as
a service dog from Canine
Companions for Independence in
Ohio on May 16. Jamila was one of
15 dogs to graduate from the
program. (Submitted photos)The Prior Lake couple took their seats next to 14 other puppy raisers, 15 highly skilled canines, a group of volunteers and 15 graduates, who would be paired with their Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) assistance dogs on this very special graduation day.

The group of graduates and “proud parents” first watched video of the final two weeks of training between the canines and their new owners. Then it was time for the graduates’ names to be called.

As Jamila was called to the stage, Pete and Sue grabbed the leash of the golden retriever-yellow Labrador mix and walked with her for the last time before proudly passing the leash to her new owner – symbolizing the young canine’s transition from a dog in training to an assistance dog – and officially marking the start of a long and valuable companionship.

“The graduation ceremony is a time to congratulate and to be proud of the achievements everyone has done to make the ceremony happen,” Sue said. “It’s a group celebration between the puppy raiser, the graduate, the CCI staff and the volunteers, as the graduate teams move forward with a new confidence for their future.”

The graduations occur at least four times a year in the north central region, which includes Minnesota. The ceremony marks the end of a rigorous, two-week team training program in which the highly trained assistance dogs are partnered with a child or adult with a disability for assistance in everyday life.

Five of the canines were put in facility-dog placements where they will work alongside a trained person in rehab centers, nursing homes, hospitals and schools, Sue said. Seven of the dogs were placed as successor-service dogs, replacing a previous dog no longer able to work due to age. Three of the four-legged companions will become new service dogs for those who need them.

The CCI graduation class of May,
2009.Jamila, who has been renamed Ella by her new owner, will provide companionship and pick things up for her owner, who uses an electric wheelchair and recently moved to an independent living center. The estimated cost of a fully trained CCI dog such as Jamila is $45,000, Sue said. The new owners are not charged for the service dog.

All the funding to breed, raise and train the service dogs comes from fundraising efforts from private sources, special events and grant writing, said Kelly Galindo, a development associate for CCI. CCI is a nonprofit organization that receives no government assistance, she said.

So just what did Jamila learn after graduating from a $45,000 training program?

Jamila knows more than 40 different commands. She can push, pull, retrieve items that fall on the floor, push elevator buttons, open doors, go potty on command and turn light switches on and off. She is also very gentle, loving and willing to please, Sue said.

All these things considered, Jamila will give a person with disabilities an increased independence, along with unspoken companionship, she added. 

Jamila was the fourth service dog the LeRoys have raised for CCI, but only the second to graduate from the intensive training program. The couple is currently raising its fifth service dog, another golden retriever-Labrador mix named Mica, who is just 4 months old and can already understand several simple commands.

Pete and Sue began their experience with service dogs in 1988, when their son Scott, who had muscular dystrophy, received a service dog named Rex.

The couple saw the special companionship between Rex and Scott and how it changed their son’s life, Sue said. That companionship was also seen by others and eventually documented in a book titled “My Buddy,” written by Burnsville author Audrey Osofsky and illustrated by Ted Rand.

CCI gave Scott confidence, independence and a companion with the service dog, Sue said. As a friend, Rex would eat, sleep and go to school with Scott.

“Sometimes, when a person in a wheelchair or with a disability is in public, people give them an ‘I-feel sorry for you’ look,” Sue said. “The dogs are tangible evidence that something great happened to a boy in a wheelchair.”

The dog also becomes an ice breaker, Pete added. People come up and ask questions about the dog and make the owner feel comfortable.

The process of training service dogs begins with raising the puppies, which are bred in California. The puppies are sent to CCI training centers and then sent to raisers for the first 18 months.

As with any new puppy, the early stages, such as breaking the puppy from chewing, are the most challenging, Sue said.

“As raisers, it is our job to help teach them some manners, such as not to lick, how to come, walk by your side without pulling and toilet on command,” she continued. “We teach them quite a few things before they return [for training], such as lap, up, side, under, here, sit, stay, down, heel, let’s go, hurry, speak, jump, roll, get dressed, bed, kennel, car and visit, which is my favorite as the dog puts their head on your lap. But these are just a few things we teach before turning them in.”

But it’s not all business when it comes to puppy raising.

When the service dog isn’t wearing the cape, which indicates he or she is working, the LeRoys play with the dog just like any other puppy before being sent off to “college.”

“Raising a puppy is very rewarding,” Sue said. “And there is a need for puppy raisers.”

For more information about service dogs and how to become involved in becoming a puppy raiser, visit Canine Companions for Independence Web site at www.caninecompanions.org.

Since 1987, CCI has placed 652 dogs, and 313 service-dog-and-owner teams are active today. In the north central region, there are currently 130 puppy raisers and 600 volunteers for CCI.

Shawn Hogendorf can be reached at (952) 345-6374 or shogendorf@swpub.com.