Canine Companions for Independence

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Canine Companions for Independence

• Erin Powers

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Organization Background

• CCI is a non-profit organization that enhances
  the lives of people with disabilities by
  providing highly trained assistance dogs and
  ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.

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Organization Background

• 1975 CCI was founded in Santa Rosa, California
• The regional headquarters are located in the
  Northwest Region, on the Schulz Campus

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Organization Background

• The NW region is responsible for graduates, puppy
  raisers, applicants and candidates, breeder
  caretakers, volunteers, donors and supporters.
• They serve the states of Washington, Oregon,
  Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, Idaho, and northern
  California and Nevada. 

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Organization Background

• There are now 4 other regions
• -- Northwest -- North Central
• -- Northeast -- Southwest
• -- Southeast

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Organization Background

• The North Central Region opened in 1987
• Since its opening, 362 human-canine teams have
  graduated in the region.

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Organization Background

• The Southwest Region opened in 1986.
• It serves the states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado,
  New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Southern
  California, Southern Nevada and Hawaii. 

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Organization Background

• The Southeast Region is located in Orlando, FL
• It serves the eight states of Alabama, Florida,
  Georgia, Louisiana,Mississippi, North Carolina,
  South Carolina and Tennessee.

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Organization Background

• CCI is funded by private contributions and
  receives no government funding.
• CCI graduates pay only a 100 Team Training
  registration fee that is reimbursed in supplies. 

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Assistance Teams

• There are four different types
• Service Teams
• Skilled Companion Teams
• Facility Teams
• Hearing Teams

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Service

• Adults and adolescents with physical disabilities
  who work with a Canine Companion to extend their
  abilities and utilize the dog to perform physical
  tasks such as pulling a wheelchair and retrieving
  dropped items.

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Skilled Companion

• A three-part team including a child or adult with
  physical, developmental or emotional
  disabilities, a primary caretaker, and a Canine
  Companion who helps with physical tasks and
  creates a bond of companionship, affection and
  love.

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Facility

• Adults who work as rehabilitation professionals,
  caregivers or educators and utilize a Canine
  Companion to improve the mental, physical or
  emotional health of those in their care.

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Hearing

• Adults who are hard of hearing or deaf who use a
  Canine Companion to alert them to everyday sounds
  such as doorbells, alarm clocks and smoke alarms.

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The Journey

• Puppies are whelped in the homes of volunteer
  breeder caretakers with whom the parent dogs
  live.
• When the puppies are two months old, they are
  brought to the Santa Rosa, California Schulz
  campus that houses a fulltime veterinary staff
  and kennel care staff.

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The Journey

• Following examination and vaccination, the pups
  are placed in the homes of volunteer puppy
  raisers through one of CCI's five regional
  centers
• The dogs are returned to their regional centers
  at approximately 14 months old and begin a six-
  to nine-month program of Advanced Training.

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The Journey

• They are fully trained and introduced to the
  people who may become their partners
• The training of the person in the use of one of
  our dogs is called Team Training, and lasts for
  two very full weeks

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The Journey

• At the end of the training, a public graduation
  ceremony takes place marking the beginning of a
  long-term relationship between person and dog and
  between the team and CCI.

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The Journey

• Graduates remain in touch with CCI through
  regular follow-up programs, workshops and
  reunions.

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Internship Responsibilities

• Grooming
• Baths
• Cleaning Ears
• Brushing Coat
• Trimming Nails
• Feeding
• Measuring out correct diets for each dog
• Enforcing wait/release commands
• Medications
• Giving pills and subcutaneous injections
• Updating of medical records

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Internship Responsibilities

• Cleaning
• Scooping,
• Power-washing (with chemicals)
• Degreasing of Kennels
• Exercising
• Taking dogs out to/watching over them in play
  yard in assigned groups
• walking boarding dogs
• writing incident reports

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Internship Responsibilities

• Watching Daily Training
• Helping with Team Training
• Assisting with Temperament Testing
• Listening to Selection Reviews

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What I Learned

• More about the Labrador and Golden Retriever
  breeds
• How to work effectively with co-workers
• How to properly give commands and leash
  corrections

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What I Learned

• How to correctly assist the disabled
• How marvelous it feels to help those in need
• The joy in seeing a successful assistance team
  match!

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Sources

• Canine Companions for Independence
• North Central Region
• Mary Beth Kopechek
• CCI Website www.cci.org