hi all! we have a new, exciting, dynamic website we are building and a lot of information people have been asking for is finally getting added and is accesible! it is still a work in progress, and always will be, but it's moving forward and we're very excited about it!
don't miss my blog posts, pictures, and videos of the new puppies that will be housed there. visit it and make sure to sign up for the email updates to stay informed about what's going on...that feature is going to be so great in the days ahead!
thanks everyeone!LOVE,K
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
lakin
well, here's yet another big announcement. we are officially beginning the opening of our sixth paws4prisons program. this time, it's different, though. this program is opening at Lakin correctional center, a west virginia department of corrections female facility. that's right, a state institution. isn't funny how life makes you eat crow and do things you said you never would sometimes?
lakin has a dedicated wing consisting of 22 cells and 44 inmate beds that is dedicated to dog programming. a different program has operated there in the past. this facility, with the dedicated housing wing, yards, etc. is set up like no other facility we have. we loved it at first sight! we have obviously had several meetings there, and last friday dad and i had our first presentation to the population and small group meeting with the inmates who had been in the dog program before. they asked lots of great questions and we stated to educate them on our philosophy, training styles, requirements, etc. in addition to the big "philosophical" change over that will have to occur in the inmates staying in or joining the program, our year-long academic program is also a very new (and scary!) concept to them. hey, i can relate, i'm not exactly having a party being back in school these days! due to the impending litter, we have not yet set a date to move dogs to lakin and officially start the program. but they have been left with two of our initial academic packages for self-study as we start to work on logistics over here.
speaking of the puppies, they are due one week from today! i'm holding a little contest on our facebook page. the person who posts the closest guess to the date and time of the first puppy's arrival will get to choose a name once the naming theme and name list are revealed! start guessing! in the meantime, we'll be busy trying to get everything ready for them...but are you ever really ready for the baby?!
LOVE,K
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lakin has a dedicated wing consisting of 22 cells and 44 inmate beds that is dedicated to dog programming. a different program has operated there in the past. this facility, with the dedicated housing wing, yards, etc. is set up like no other facility we have. we loved it at first sight! we have obviously had several meetings there, and last friday dad and i had our first presentation to the population and small group meeting with the inmates who had been in the dog program before. they asked lots of great questions and we stated to educate them on our philosophy, training styles, requirements, etc. in addition to the big "philosophical" change over that will have to occur in the inmates staying in or joining the program, our year-long academic program is also a very new (and scary!) concept to them. hey, i can relate, i'm not exactly having a party being back in school these days! due to the impending litter, we have not yet set a date to move dogs to lakin and officially start the program. but they have been left with two of our initial academic packages for self-study as we start to work on logistics over here.
speaking of the puppies, they are due one week from today! i'm holding a little contest on our facebook page. the person who posts the closest guess to the date and time of the first puppy's arrival will get to choose a name once the naming theme and name list are revealed! start guessing! in the meantime, we'll be busy trying to get everything ready for them...but are you ever really ready for the baby?!
LOVE,K
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Saturday, April 9, 2011
O MY GOSH
okay everyone, this is one of the most exciting things yet...probably THE most exciting...and i know that's saying a lot.
there is a full page in may's issue of O - Oprah Magazine dedicated to paws4vets and the IKEA life improvement sabbatical contest!!!!! it is soooooo cool!
please run out and pick one up if you can!
today we have the bi-annual recertification of the va chapter ops dogs. on tuesday, LILLY gets her xray so i can count those puppies. my gut says there are a lot, because she is already extra big, but maybe they're just really fat, we'll see!
LOVE,K
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there is a full page in may's issue of O - Oprah Magazine dedicated to paws4vets and the IKEA life improvement sabbatical contest!!!!! it is soooooo cool!
please run out and pick one up if you can!
today we have the bi-annual recertification of the va chapter ops dogs. on tuesday, LILLY gets her xray so i can count those puppies. my gut says there are a lot, because she is already extra big, but maybe they're just really fat, we'll see!
LOVE,K
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011
today
well, today, allison april, CLAIRE and i attended the loudoun county chamber of commerce 2011 valor awards. we were invited by lisa, mom of NORMAN, the one and only wonderful mastiff on the northern va paws4people ops team. we were guests at the telos table, and got to attend this wonderful event honoring many brave first responders who saved lives in our community this year.
april came as a purposeful challenge to herself to get through many aspects of this event, but i will let her tell you about that herself when she gets a chance to on her own blog. i took CLAIRE to be april's substitute service dog for the day, as BOURKE is still working on his public access training and wasn't around for me to take this time. i think CLAIRE did the trick though!
we had a lovely time and CLAIRE was a great educator and ambassador, as usual. but tomorrow it's time to conquer homework, for real....
LOVE,K
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april came as a purposeful challenge to herself to get through many aspects of this event, but i will let her tell you about that herself when she gets a chance to on her own blog. i took CLAIRE to be april's substitute service dog for the day, as BOURKE is still working on his public access training and wasn't around for me to take this time. i think CLAIRE did the trick though!
we had a lovely time and CLAIRE was a great educator and ambassador, as usual. but tomorrow it's time to conquer homework, for real....
LOVE,K
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wilmington 5k!
well, this weekend we traveled down to wilmington for the 3rd annual paws4people wilmington 5k! the race and fun walk took place on campus at UNCW and was yet another huge success. with nearly 200 participants, all of our race tshirts were gone! we have a great time, lots of doggies came and had tons of fun, and angie, rachel, and their team put in more hard work than i can imagine making it better than ever. i already can't wait for next year, after our courses are in full swing, to have even more student and campus participation!
after some meetings last week, i have yet another huge announcement to make about a big, exciting expansion...although it is now official, dad is completing some more meetings this week to finalize plans and logistics, at which time i will announce it...i won't leave it hanging too long this time, i promise.
i can't believe it's tuesday, because of 4 days in wilmington it feels like monday, but it's better to be ahead than behind i guess. who needs monday anyways?! i'm in the third week of my master's classes online now, and i was one full week ahead on work in preparation for my trip this weekend...but now i'm not ahead anymore and that's stressing me out already! i much prefer to work ahead. today allison, april, CLAIRE, and i are attending an event which i will post about tonight, because i truly don't know what to expect so i'd rather tell you about it afterwards! then, i need to get busy and do a week or two's assignments so i can be ahead again, because this weekend is already booked, too!
lots to update you on in the coming days....consider the blog drought over! see you soon!
oh! and be sure to visit the paws4people facebook page to become a fan and see race pictures!!
LOVE,K
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after some meetings last week, i have yet another huge announcement to make about a big, exciting expansion...although it is now official, dad is completing some more meetings this week to finalize plans and logistics, at which time i will announce it...i won't leave it hanging too long this time, i promise.
i can't believe it's tuesday, because of 4 days in wilmington it feels like monday, but it's better to be ahead than behind i guess. who needs monday anyways?! i'm in the third week of my master's classes online now, and i was one full week ahead on work in preparation for my trip this weekend...but now i'm not ahead anymore and that's stressing me out already! i much prefer to work ahead. today allison, april, CLAIRE, and i are attending an event which i will post about tonight, because i truly don't know what to expect so i'd rather tell you about it afterwards! then, i need to get busy and do a week or two's assignments so i can be ahead again, because this weekend is already booked, too!
lots to update you on in the coming days....consider the blog drought over! see you soon!
oh! and be sure to visit the paws4people facebook page to become a fan and see race pictures!!
LOVE,K
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
action-packed tuesday
well, yesterday was quite busy. i was asked to speak at my alma mater, loudoun valley high school, in a seminar about alumni making a difference i have a presentation on the beginnings of p4p right there in a special education classroom at valley, and all that p4p has grown to encompass today. the students were great, and it was wonderful to see a lot of my old teachers again! the students were particularly excited to hear that they could sign up to come socialize the new litter of puppies, so i think we'll be getting a lot of extra help with that!
....that's right, i said new puppies! yesterday we did the official ultrasound and LILLY is officially pregnant! i don't try for a reliable puppy count until it's xray time (3 more weeks) but we know there are at least 4 babies in there as that's what we saw in one stationary view on the u/s. LILLY wasn't too fond of the machine, though, so she decided to stand, so we could only get a shot of one side at a time...like i said, not a reliable count!
so, this litter will be due on april 25! here we go again!!
LOVE,K
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....that's right, i said new puppies! yesterday we did the official ultrasound and LILLY is officially pregnant! i don't try for a reliable puppy count until it's xray time (3 more weeks) but we know there are at least 4 babies in there as that's what we saw in one stationary view on the u/s. LILLY wasn't too fond of the machine, though, so she decided to stand, so we could only get a shot of one side at a time...like i said, not a reliable count!
so, this litter will be due on april 25! here we go again!!
LOVE,K
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Sunday, March 20, 2011
the really really really really big announcement
here i am, having to apologize for a long time between posts again. as promised in the title, i do have a really big announcement to make. i could have made it during this last week, as it was official and the materials were complete; but to be honest i was actually on a real vacation without any dogs, which is just about as rare and unheard of as it sounds, so i honestly didn't want to think about it :)
nevertheless, here i am back to the grind and ready to tell you all about it. now, as you know, i am very superstitious, and i do not talk about things until they are very, absolutely final. cryptic mentions of meetings and maybes have been made here on my lovely blog many-a-time, and i'm sure you find them most annoying; however, i believe in my skewed thinking patterns that i have to mention things so that they will happen, however not mention too much so as to jinx it, so to speak. therefore, i leave you in the limbo of half-truths. well, many of those have never been revealed, and that is because a vast majority of those occasions for the past two years have been meetings, briefings, presentations, and so on all leading up to this one project that i am finally, actually, no cruel jokes, ready to reveal.
paws4people is beginning an Assistance Dog Training Program and Certificate Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. This planned 4-course progressive program will be offered through the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences as an add-on program for students pursuing degrees in any field who wish to add the practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of Assistance Dog training and untilization as it relates to people with disabilities. These students will have the opportunity to cater their experience with Assistance Dogs to their chosen field, for instance Recreation Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Education, Gerontology, etc. so that they may then apply this knowledge to their career field upon graduation. Students who complete the Certificate Program will also be eligible to receive a paws4people Assistance Dog to use in their line of work. The first course will be offered this Fall 2011, and will be re-offered along with the second course in Spring 2012.
This is a revolutionary, ground-breaking program opportunity not only for the hard-working paws4people family, but the Assistance Dog industry as a whole. Creating more highly educated and knowledgeable advocates for Assistance Dogs and the people they serve is crucial to the progression of these life-changing and often life-saving animals we are so passionate about.
We have created a page of our site to provide information and updates as they become available on this program. To see the information on the first course check out www.UNCW.paws4people.org and be sure to check back often for more news and info!
LOVE,K
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nevertheless, here i am back to the grind and ready to tell you all about it. now, as you know, i am very superstitious, and i do not talk about things until they are very, absolutely final. cryptic mentions of meetings and maybes have been made here on my lovely blog many-a-time, and i'm sure you find them most annoying; however, i believe in my skewed thinking patterns that i have to mention things so that they will happen, however not mention too much so as to jinx it, so to speak. therefore, i leave you in the limbo of half-truths. well, many of those have never been revealed, and that is because a vast majority of those occasions for the past two years have been meetings, briefings, presentations, and so on all leading up to this one project that i am finally, actually, no cruel jokes, ready to reveal.
paws4people is beginning an Assistance Dog Training Program and Certificate Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. This planned 4-course progressive program will be offered through the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences as an add-on program for students pursuing degrees in any field who wish to add the practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of Assistance Dog training and untilization as it relates to people with disabilities. These students will have the opportunity to cater their experience with Assistance Dogs to their chosen field, for instance Recreation Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Education, Gerontology, etc. so that they may then apply this knowledge to their career field upon graduation. Students who complete the Certificate Program will also be eligible to receive a paws4people Assistance Dog to use in their line of work. The first course will be offered this Fall 2011, and will be re-offered along with the second course in Spring 2012.
This is a revolutionary, ground-breaking program opportunity not only for the hard-working paws4people family, but the Assistance Dog industry as a whole. Creating more highly educated and knowledgeable advocates for Assistance Dogs and the people they serve is crucial to the progression of these life-changing and often life-saving animals we are so passionate about.
We have created a page of our site to provide information and updates as they become available on this program. To see the information on the first course check out www.UNCW.paws4people.org and be sure to check back often for more news and info!
LOVE,K
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Monday, March 7, 2011
miss LANGLEY
well, we got a little surprise last week. miss LANGLEY decided to get the inmates very worried with her tummy issue, and by the time she got through the vet, she was peppy with nothing abnormal, just a little digestive upset. well, dad decided to bring her home for the week, and showed up at 2200 with a huge puppy in his arms. my little LANGLEY, who had been the tiniest baby, is now 5 months old and about 30 lbs. that didn't stop me though, i still carried her around for about a day, just because i could [barely]. she is a very, very sweet girl, as ever. she integrated perfectly with all the dogs here and was just like a shorter version of everyone else hanging out...except she played a little more, laid down a little less, and is still in the "quiet means trouble" stage. it reminded me why taking puppies to the prison is a job perk :) but she was better than we could have expected.
thursday, we had 2 ITT sessions together in leesburg, with april and BOURKE and sonny and JAKE at panera and the outlet mall. both of the clients did wonderfully, but as usual i'd prefer to let them tell you about it, so keep an eye on april and sonny's blogs for their take on the day.
nevertheless, CLAIRE and LANGLEY joined us. they stayed in the car (the dog sanctuary on wheels) while we oversaw the ITT's, then dad and i went to starbucks will allison and took the girls in. this was LANGLEY's very first public outing ever...all eyes were on her. she was nosey and trying to smell everything inappropriate while we walked, but whenever i would stop i could easily refocus her into a perfect heel and sit, so we walked up to the counter one step at a time. she sat at attention while we ordered and then headed over to a table. she watched CLAIRE to the "go in" command under the table, looked up at me, and upon my command of "go in" she replicated her mom. there she laid for over an hour. she never relaxed or got to sleep, she stared at me most of the time. she only tried to stand up twice and was redirected so effortlessly i started to wish that we had 18 month-olds who were so cooperative ;) she never whined and was easily pleased with a froot loop every 5 or 10 minutes. we were so very proud of her! here is a picture of the baby, who looks pretty darn big, in starbucks
she went back to the prison yesterday, a roundtrip drive i got to do, in the snow no less! oh the joys of western md & north central wv! JACKIE and BIFF came back with me and are heading down with dad on his trip this week to stay at jesup and ft. stewart, respectively.
let another week begin!
LOVE,K
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thursday, we had 2 ITT sessions together in leesburg, with april and BOURKE and sonny and JAKE at panera and the outlet mall. both of the clients did wonderfully, but as usual i'd prefer to let them tell you about it, so keep an eye on april and sonny's blogs for their take on the day.
nevertheless, CLAIRE and LANGLEY joined us. they stayed in the car (the dog sanctuary on wheels) while we oversaw the ITT's, then dad and i went to starbucks will allison and took the girls in. this was LANGLEY's very first public outing ever...all eyes were on her. she was nosey and trying to smell everything inappropriate while we walked, but whenever i would stop i could easily refocus her into a perfect heel and sit, so we walked up to the counter one step at a time. she sat at attention while we ordered and then headed over to a table. she watched CLAIRE to the "go in" command under the table, looked up at me, and upon my command of "go in" she replicated her mom. there she laid for over an hour. she never relaxed or got to sleep, she stared at me most of the time. she only tried to stand up twice and was redirected so effortlessly i started to wish that we had 18 month-olds who were so cooperative ;) she never whined and was easily pleased with a froot loop every 5 or 10 minutes. we were so very proud of her! here is a picture of the baby, who looks pretty darn big, in starbucks
she went back to the prison yesterday, a roundtrip drive i got to do, in the snow no less! oh the joys of western md & north central wv! JACKIE and BIFF came back with me and are heading down with dad on his trip this week to stay at jesup and ft. stewart, respectively.
let another week begin!
LOVE,K
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Monday, February 28, 2011
early mornings
well, we had a great weekend! on sunday, we met sonny & JAKE & family for church @ ft. belvoir. since it was JAKE's first time and he will be a regular, we were asked to give a short presentation about paws4vets to help the congregation understand more about what we do. well, in addition to doing this at the 1100 service, we were also asked to do this at the 0800 service...which meant a 0400 wake up call! no lazy sundays here! bless their hearts, sonny and his whole family were up and ready to attend both services with us as well! we had a wonderful time, and JAKE and CLAIRE both did excellent. CLAIRE also graced children's church and sunday schools with her presence, and acted very much like a princess. she just loves kids and had a great time! we met many wonderful people who now better understand all the unique components of paws4vets. it was a great opportunity.
JAKE and sonny are doing wonderful together. JAKE is so very dedicated to watching sonny's every move, and is readily figuring out how to assist sonny without any words needing to be spoken. he's truly and amazing dog and has found just the right place!
on friday, i was featured as the guest blogger on disability.gov, you can read my blog here. that was another exciting opportunity as well!
on to a busy monday with a very important meeting with someone you have all heard about for some time now....hopefully she and i will have something to tell you about it afterwards!
LOVE,K
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JAKE and sonny are doing wonderful together. JAKE is so very dedicated to watching sonny's every move, and is readily figuring out how to assist sonny without any words needing to be spoken. he's truly and amazing dog and has found just the right place!
on friday, i was featured as the guest blogger on disability.gov, you can read my blog here. that was another exciting opportunity as well!
on to a busy monday with a very important meeting with someone you have all heard about for some time now....hopefully she and i will have something to tell you about it afterwards!
LOVE,K
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Friday, February 25, 2011
LILLY reel
well, another week stuck behind the computer for the most part, so not too much excitement to report.
well, i guess that's never quite true. on monday, we took ROWAN to the airport and flew her out to her new adopting home on the west coast. she arrived and is doing well! also on monday, we took JAKE to live permanently with sonny! that team is really something to watch, let me tell you. JAKE has found just the right place. you can read sonny's updates to hear all about it!
also, LILLY went to meet her boyfriend, BEN (yes, for all of you detail-oriented followers, that was CLAIRE's baby daddy, too haha) and they bred successfully...well, as successfully as we can know about now. in a few weeks we will do the ultrasound and know for sure if the next litter is on its way. i can't wait! and i have some new plots and plans for this litter, just you wait and see!
have a fabulous weekend!!
LOVE,K
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well, i guess that's never quite true. on monday, we took ROWAN to the airport and flew her out to her new adopting home on the west coast. she arrived and is doing well! also on monday, we took JAKE to live permanently with sonny! that team is really something to watch, let me tell you. JAKE has found just the right place. you can read sonny's updates to hear all about it!
also, LILLY went to meet her boyfriend, BEN (yes, for all of you detail-oriented followers, that was CLAIRE's baby daddy, too haha) and they bred successfully...well, as successfully as we can know about now. in a few weeks we will do the ultrasound and know for sure if the next litter is on its way. i can't wait! and i have some new plots and plans for this litter, just you wait and see!
have a fabulous weekend!!
LOVE,K
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Friday, February 18, 2011
sickness
well, here i am being a lowsy blogger again! i suppose that's because nothing has happened in the last week nearly as exciting as going to fox news. that and i'm very very sick. that kind of sick where every time you answer your phone, people tell you how sick you must be. truly pitiful. i have conquered a large amount of computer work...i was up against some tight deadlines and, as usual, worked better under pressure. so, at least i can feel accomplished this week, even if not glamorous or exciting!
the only other thing i have to report is that my beloved alma mater, has featured me on the site again. just a little shout out, but somehow every time we can be linked with wvu it makes me just as excited as being on national news :) take a quick peek. and another!
enjoy your weekend!
LOVE,K
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the only other thing i have to report is that my beloved alma mater, has featured me on the site again. just a little shout out, but somehow every time we can be linked with wvu it makes me just as excited as being on national news :) take a quick peek. and another!
enjoy your weekend!
LOVE,K
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Friday, February 11, 2011
FOX News!
well, in case you haven't heard yet, WYATT and i got to be on FOX News! the big, cable one! my dad, WYATT and i made our way into the heart of dc. we made our way into the building and were taken to the green room. i got a nice hair and make-up touch-up, but WYATT was clearly already handsome enough as they said he didn't need anything! then, wendy from IKEA arrived with the sweetest gift basket for me! she stayed to help us along with the interview, it was such a help to have her there! soon enough we were taken into the studio and mic'd up, and WYATT got to sit in his own chair, as everyone quickly determined he was much too refined for the floor. he has a way of making himself a rock star, but if you've ever met him you already knew that! i was interviewed by kimberly guilfoyle, but i couldn't see her, i talked to a black screen and heard her in my ear. that was a little strange at first, but it went so quickly i forgot right away. WYATT stood up right on cue when kimberly asked about him, although he had no bug in his ear! below is a picture of us in the green room, and here is the link of the interview! it was so much fun, i hope we get to do more soon. thanks to IKEA!!
LOVE,K
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LOVE,K
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Monday, February 7, 2011
leaving SKYLAR
well, yesterday was the day i left SKYLAR with annie for good. she wasn't sad to see me leave, but they never are! i think they will make a great team. annie is doing a great job learning to work with SKYLAR and SKYLAR already hates when annie leaves her sight (we are doing a modified form of umbilical cording to do what fits best for annie, as we would adjust with any client). annie has agreed to blog, so when she gets a chance to get started, you'll find her blog here. but, it's also been added to the friendfeed, so you will see her updates when you check in there, along with all of our other bloggers'. off to get some work done in the charlotte area today...more secrets, for the time-being!
LOVE,K
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LOVE,K
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Saturday, February 5, 2011
SKYLAR's big day
well, yesterday SKYLAR and i made the drive down the raleigh area. little did she know she was arriving at her new home. SKYLAR is not a fearful dog, not even tentative really, but she is very observant and slow to accept new things. she must do it in her own time. she is very analytical. so, i didn't know quite what to expect of her arriving in a whole new environment with a family of 7 people to meet and greet. but, as the dogs usually do, she far exceeded my expectations. she walked in with a gaping, panting smile and tail wagging low. she smelled, she went and sat in front of each person to be greeted, she was happy as could be. it was almost too easy. annie, SKYLAR's new handler, and i began working on the things SKYLAR needed, what her body language was telling annie, and what her new routines should be. after about 2 hours, i was ready to leave, without the slightest worry. she really outdid herself. so, with SKYLAR laying sprawled out with annie on her bed, i simply walked out for the night without the slighest care on SKYLAR's part. i'm now about to head over to see how the night went and work on teaching annie more of what SKYLAR knows, wants, and needs; but i think it will be pretty seamless. again, it seems as though the dog knew exactly what she wanted at the bump, and we were just smart enough to listen :)
LOVE,K
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LOVE,K
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Tuesday, February 1, 2011
BRINKLEY
well, i promised to share the ups and downs.
yesterday, as the big IKEA announcement came and we were flooded with congratulatory emails and calls, there was a vast lack of celebration in our house. after 2 weeks of being sick, we found out that our BRINKLEY had cancer, that was spread much too far, and that we could not fix it or even keep her comfortable. so, in a matter of hours, we had to make the decision to do what was best for her. BRINKLEY was the only puppy we kept from our first litter, of RILEY and BRIELLE. she was unassuming, and i do not think she ever did a wrong thing in her life. she was quiet, indescribably overly-affectionate, and wanted nothing at all but to give and receive love. she has never been quite as happy though, since we lost BRIELLE 2 1/2 years ago. so, it brings me a lot of happiness to know they are together again.
i could go and and on about how wonderful she was, but it is never truly enough. so, we will carry on knowing we did what was best for her as she always did for us. i promise to bring better news next time i write.
LOVE,K
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yesterday, as the big IKEA announcement came and we were flooded with congratulatory emails and calls, there was a vast lack of celebration in our house. after 2 weeks of being sick, we found out that our BRINKLEY had cancer, that was spread much too far, and that we could not fix it or even keep her comfortable. so, in a matter of hours, we had to make the decision to do what was best for her. BRINKLEY was the only puppy we kept from our first litter, of RILEY and BRIELLE. she was unassuming, and i do not think she ever did a wrong thing in her life. she was quiet, indescribably overly-affectionate, and wanted nothing at all but to give and receive love. she has never been quite as happy though, since we lost BRIELLE 2 1/2 years ago. so, it brings me a lot of happiness to know they are together again.
i could go and and on about how wonderful she was, but it is never truly enough. so, we will carry on knowing we did what was best for her as she always did for us. i promise to bring better news next time i write.
LOVE,K
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Monday, January 31, 2011
WE WON.
it is official, it's announced, i woke up this morning and i wasn't dreaming. i know this because there were still 6 dogs as excited as ever - but they were only excited for breakfast, playing in the snow, and having me taxi them all around to their work and vet appointments today - so i knew this was still real life....full of dogs and no time to stop and take it all in. but i will try, really, i will! i know, i know, you don't believe me. and you're probably right. i'm already too focused on what all we can start and finish and accomplish to realize how freaking exciting this is. but it'll soak in, i think.
what i really want to say is THANK YOU. the biggest thanks of all, of course, to God, for continuing to grant us the opportunities that keep making this all possible. as usual, saying thank you isn't enough. everyone who reads this, sees this, who puts in ridiculous hours to something p4p-related only to maaaybe get an occasional "thank you" on my blog, if i even remember to do that, i really do realize thank you isn't enough. but 2011 is shaping up differently, it really is. from this big, unbelievable reveal to projects and partnerships that i still supersticiously won't reveal, it's going to be something very different. thank you for sticking along for the ride, or for joining the ride, but most of all thank you for always keeping the faith and keeping your eyes on what is really important - the dogs and the people they are serving - even when i might get too overwhelmed to keep my eyes there myself. we all do this because of you, for you, and with you, and i am SO DARN EXCITED to use this IKEA prize to make that better than ever.
well, you know me, it'll be one heck of a year and probably nothing any of us anticipate right now. but i promise to keep you updated and maybe even give you a few laughs at my expense along the way.
so, on that note, i'm off to get started :)
LOVE,K
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what i really want to say is THANK YOU. the biggest thanks of all, of course, to God, for continuing to grant us the opportunities that keep making this all possible. as usual, saying thank you isn't enough. everyone who reads this, sees this, who puts in ridiculous hours to something p4p-related only to maaaybe get an occasional "thank you" on my blog, if i even remember to do that, i really do realize thank you isn't enough. but 2011 is shaping up differently, it really is. from this big, unbelievable reveal to projects and partnerships that i still supersticiously won't reveal, it's going to be something very different. thank you for sticking along for the ride, or for joining the ride, but most of all thank you for always keeping the faith and keeping your eyes on what is really important - the dogs and the people they are serving - even when i might get too overwhelmed to keep my eyes there myself. we all do this because of you, for you, and with you, and i am SO DARN EXCITED to use this IKEA prize to make that better than ever.
well, you know me, it'll be one heck of a year and probably nothing any of us anticipate right now. but i promise to keep you updated and maybe even give you a few laughs at my expense along the way.
so, on that note, i'm off to get started :)
LOVE,K
Click to Help
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
smilebox!
well, to say i have been boring lately is an understatement. dad and i have been working on some suuuuper long intricate documents for a new, exciting project...but of course, supersticious me will not reveal that until it's finalized. yesterday was pretty dynamic. we got some good news about 2 different upcomming projects...but, you know. COMING SOON! I PROMISE! haha, anyways, one thing i can actually tell you is that allison and rachael of our va chapter have put together yet another wonderful online newsletter to update all of our supporters about the goings-on in our biggest ops (operational...in other words, the dogs and handlers who make social therapy, educational assitance, and rehabilitative visits, rather than service dogs) chapter. please read it! you can make it full screen and save your eyes with the little square with arrows down in the bottom left. enjoy~
LOVE,K
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LOVE,K
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011
our puppies' daddy
hey there! just wanted to post this video article about the kennel/breeder of our lst litter (and next litter's) daddy, BEN. they are great people with great dogs and we are so grateful they love to help us and tell everyone about us!
LOVE,K
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LOVE,K
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another plane trip
well, another exciting week. after a nice long weekend, part of which i actually spent on a little getaway just for fun (with no dogs!), it was back to work in a very serious way. it was time to get MONKEE "MO" to her new home with trisha and ed in nebraska. nebraska, you say? yes, i know, not really in our realm of operations. but as a friend of buf's family, the midwest connection really isn't that random! MO will eventually have puppies, with our new nebraska crew will whelp, then we will transport them to one of our training locations.
well, it was MO's first time in the airport, and as i say, you can't really train for an airport. security, boarding, these are things you can't really replicate, you just have to jump in and do it. MO wasn't a fan of the fact that she couldn't get any of her own space in the crazy security line with people constantly inching closer to her in every direction. after her pat-down, though, she was happy as could be. with the re-design of dulles, and the fact that we cannot take escalators with a dog, we had to take about 10 different elevators to our gate. thankfully for MO, me, and our departure time, MO didn't mind the crazy elevators one bit! we were on time, but the flights weren't. after ice delay, we finally boarded, but got to sit on the runway for 2 hours due to mechanical problems. that turned our 3 hours layover in kansas city, where we were meeting trisha, into a 30 minute layover before my flights back started. talk about stress! we did a quick switch of MO, which was all she needed, as they'd met and fallen in love months ago, and i was racing off to another terminal, check-in, and security as i had to switch airlines. after a super long layover coupled with another delay coupled with delayed landing due to fog, i finally arrived home! on my way back, i got word from trisha that MO was home, too, and was happily smelling around and settling in. everyone was happy!
on one last note, i know everyone is curious, but i haven't heard anything about IKEA contest yet; and probably won't until the 31st with everyone else, i speculate. this waiting game is getting rough, but fingers crossed we have one! regardless of the outcome, thank you so much again for everyone's immense help and support. it never ceases to amaze me how many friends and supporters we have!
LOVE,K
Click to Help
well, it was MO's first time in the airport, and as i say, you can't really train for an airport. security, boarding, these are things you can't really replicate, you just have to jump in and do it. MO wasn't a fan of the fact that she couldn't get any of her own space in the crazy security line with people constantly inching closer to her in every direction. after her pat-down, though, she was happy as could be. with the re-design of dulles, and the fact that we cannot take escalators with a dog, we had to take about 10 different elevators to our gate. thankfully for MO, me, and our departure time, MO didn't mind the crazy elevators one bit! we were on time, but the flights weren't. after ice delay, we finally boarded, but got to sit on the runway for 2 hours due to mechanical problems. that turned our 3 hours layover in kansas city, where we were meeting trisha, into a 30 minute layover before my flights back started. talk about stress! we did a quick switch of MO, which was all she needed, as they'd met and fallen in love months ago, and i was racing off to another terminal, check-in, and security as i had to switch airlines. after a super long layover coupled with another delay coupled with delayed landing due to fog, i finally arrived home! on my way back, i got word from trisha that MO was home, too, and was happily smelling around and settling in. everyone was happy!
on one last note, i know everyone is curious, but i haven't heard anything about IKEA contest yet; and probably won't until the 31st with everyone else, i speculate. this waiting game is getting rough, but fingers crossed we have one! regardless of the outcome, thank you so much again for everyone's immense help and support. it never ceases to amaze me how many friends and supporters we have!
LOVE,K
Click to Help
Monday, January 10, 2011
annie & contest
hey all!
well, i promised i'd update you on annie's bump. i have been able to de-brief with the family and now feel like we have a plan so i can go public! annie bumped with TANNER, ROWAN, and SKYLAR. all three of these dogs have shown us they are too shy, analytical, or otherwise a little bit inappropriate for public access service work. therefore, bumping them with annie who needs a RAD dog and more of a social therapy capacity was the next step for them. TANNER was much too leary during both bump opportunities. ROWAN did not appreciate the setting at all, and resorted to fear barking, oh my! but, last but not least, SKYLAR came in and warmed up very quickly. before we knew it, she was belly-up next to annie making a new best friend. so, it was official for us.
after discussion with annie's mom, annie was very happy with this choice as well. so, the plan is to schedule time to go down and begin transfer training, likely sometime in february.
lastly, you probably know what i'm about to say....the ikea contest ends a week from today. we are still in first place, but the 4th place contender moved up to 2nd overnight, and so we can only hope they are not gaining on us too quickly. please, please spend this last week voting and asking your friends to help us, this opportunity is unlike any other for us!!!! PLEEEEEASE VOOOOOTE!
LOVE,K
Click to Help
well, i promised i'd update you on annie's bump. i have been able to de-brief with the family and now feel like we have a plan so i can go public! annie bumped with TANNER, ROWAN, and SKYLAR. all three of these dogs have shown us they are too shy, analytical, or otherwise a little bit inappropriate for public access service work. therefore, bumping them with annie who needs a RAD dog and more of a social therapy capacity was the next step for them. TANNER was much too leary during both bump opportunities. ROWAN did not appreciate the setting at all, and resorted to fear barking, oh my! but, last but not least, SKYLAR came in and warmed up very quickly. before we knew it, she was belly-up next to annie making a new best friend. so, it was official for us.
after discussion with annie's mom, annie was very happy with this choice as well. so, the plan is to schedule time to go down and begin transfer training, likely sometime in february.
lastly, you probably know what i'm about to say....the ikea contest ends a week from today. we are still in first place, but the 4th place contender moved up to 2nd overnight, and so we can only hope they are not gaining on us too quickly. please, please spend this last week voting and asking your friends to help us, this opportunity is unlike any other for us!!!! PLEEEEEASE VOOOOOTE!
LOVE,K
Click to Help
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