Friday, March 05, 1999
Handicapped dog goes to therapy school
BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ALEXANDRIA — A stray dog roaming Campbell County in January with its puppy didn't have much chance of surviving before she was struck by a car, but after being struck and having all the nerves severed in one front leg, she had no chance at all.
That is, until she was brought to the Campbell County Animal Shelter where shelter workers including Sharon Browning made a decision to give the dog another chance.
Now, Tripod, as she was named, has begun training that Ms. Browning hopes will allow the dog to visit injured and disabled persons in hospitals and nursing homes.
“She did such a great job of caring for her puppy, we felt we had to try to save her,” Ms. Browning said of the mixed-breed dog she adopted. “In most cases, she would have been destroyed because of her leg. But I hope we can make her a poster dog for other handicapped animals.”
Ms. Browning and others at the shelter thought at first that Tripod's handicap only extended to the foot, but a veterinarian determined that all the nerves in the leg were dead. There was no way to fit her with any sort of artificial limb.
Now healthy except for the inability to use one front leg, Tripod is being tutored by Jeff Finlay who operates Superior Canine in the Cincinnati suburb of Springfield Township.
“It's up to Sharon what the dog will learn,” Mr. Finlay said. “Her goal is to make it a therapy dog. Therapy dogs must be under much more control than just a pet, going farther in obedience training. A therapy dog must remain obedient with all sorts of distractions. The underlying goal is ensuring that the dog's social skills are developed with a variety of people and in a group with other dogs.”
The first step is to evaluate the dog's skills and ability to learn and be trained. If all the training goes well, Tripod would then undergo certification before being able to visit people in institutions.
“She would be evaluated in specific situations, with the evaluator posing as a patient in a hospital or home,” Mr. Finlay said. “the dog must have impeccable social skills.”
Ms. Browning said the shelter workers were never able to find Tripod's owner, but they did find a home for her puppy.
She also plans to establish a non-profit organization to be called the Tripod Foundation to raise money to save other disabled animals, especially dogs.
Ms. Browning said Cincinnati attorney Stanley Chesley, who worked with the Campbell County shelter in helping a dog that had its throat cut a few months ago, has agreed to help set up the foundation.
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