News
On-site training/rescue activity
June 05, 2008
We are currently cycling all of our dogs in Special Needs training through our on-site training program, one at a time. Each dog spends approximately 10 - 14 days with us in order to work on obedience, public access and the retrieve. This has proven to be very beneficial to our clients, and will continue until all of these dogs have been with us for a few weeeks. We currently have Luke (Denise Lanier) with us from Hollywood, Florida, and have recently worked with Caleb (Becky/Kersten Harmon from North Richland Hills) and Bailey (Barrie/Ryan Yarborough from Fort Worth). We have an additional five dogs in training which we will work with through the summer. Since our inception in January 2006 we have certified an additional five teams, and this brings our 2 year total to thirteen teams which we have assisted in obtaining their dog training goals.
The volume of K-9 Rescue activity has really picked up during the past few months, with an average of one - two rescue/placements per week. Almost all of this activity can be attributed to the internet, specifically from our web-site and membership with Petfinder. In most cases we ask the current owner of the dog to hold on to them while we post them on our Petfinder site. We require that these dogs be current on their shots at the time of release. We then screen the inquiries to assure that the dogs are in fact being adopted into a good situation, and then we place them respectfully. We fully expect this activity to continue as we grow as an agency. The procurement of a facility will further enhance our ability to house dogs in training and rescued.
Please address inquiries for information as to how you can help to the agency through the contact page accordingly, as all of our services are provided at no charge to our Special Needs clients, as well as our rescue clients.
Owner Training
March 13, 2008
The Owner Training method of acquiring and certifying Service Dogs continues to be the main focus of Shadows for Life. This will continue to be the case until such time as a facility is obtained and traditional methods of training may be incorporated into the processes. We have improved the overall process by utilizing training resources located in close proximity to the owner and dog team, and this has helped significantly! Two new teams from Garland, TX have recently started the training, and both are progressing well ahead of the norm.
Although this method has limitations, benefits have been recognized in every situation incurred to date. In one case, a seven year old with autism was able to get completely off of his medication with the introduction of a well behaved dog which he spends a great deal of time with.
Please contact the agency if you are interested in our services or if you may have any questions regarding the agency.
2008 Agenda
January 14, 2008
As we embark on our third year as an agency, we have many objectives to address in our CY 2008 business plan and agenda. First and foremost, this is the year that we hope to be in our own facility, which will greatly enhance our ability to provide rescue and special needs housing and training for the dogs. Even with very limited space we were able to successfully place over (25) pups/dogs during calender year 2007.
Fundraising activities will be held on an on-going basis, as determined by the Board of Directors. We have also recently had an influx of inquiries over the past several weeks from potential volunteers. It is very heartwarming to hear from these total strangers who recognize our efforts and would like to be a part of Shadows for Life. Several of our existing special needs clients have also offered to help in this wonderful “team” effort!
As always, please check back every four to six weeks for updates, and watch the gallery for new photos.
