News

Pups in training

2010-07-17T14:04:00Z

We currently have six pups in training as assistance dogs at different stages. “Sasha” is our 5 month old AKC German Shepherd “blizzard baby” (born 12 Feb 2010), which was donated to the agency, and she is here with us going through her obedience and public access training. She has an absolutely wonderful temperament and will stay with the agency as a personal assistance dog, demonstration dog and possibly for breeding purposes. Now that we are on some land we can finally consider a breeding program to enhance the agencies ability to produce high quality pups.

“Trig” (Seguin, TX) and “Shelby” (Austin, TX) are both placed in the home and continuing with their training. They have both already completed their “jump-starts” here at Shadows for Life, and are doing very well in the homes of their team-mates! The biggest benefits from having these pups is that, although they are still very early in their training, the family unit (pack) is building a stronger bond and gaining invaluable experience from participating in the training. Not to mention the cost is significantly less and they didn’t have to wait years for a dog.

“Abby” (Belton, TX) has been here since late March for her obedience and public access. She is an extremely excitable lab who is going to have to mature more before she can be placed in the home for an extended period of time. We will continue to put the work in with her here at Shadows for Life, and realistically it is going to take a significant amount of time to ascertain if she has the right skill set for this challenging job. Although a wonderful pup, they don’t all have what it takes to be an assistance dog, and that’s the inherent risk in starting with a puppy.

“Bonnie” (Tyler, TX) was just picked out of the litter last week, and is currently with the family prior to coming to Shadows for Life in a few weeks to “jump-start” her obedience and public access training. “Brianna” (Dallas, TX) was just brought here straight from the litter in the past week. Her initial “jump-start” training is going to last four weeks, at which time she will be taken home to Kimberly to continue her training.

Our other “pup” in training at this time does not look like a pup at all, but he is still only a year old. Check out our gallery for “Sherlock” (Lafayette, Louisiana) and see what a beautiful well-behaved dog he was recently at Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio! He will be here at Shadows for Life soon to proceed with his retrieve and brace work for his team-mate, Terry.

New location and Morgan’s Wonderland

2010-06-04T12:32:00Z

Shadows for Life has finally moved out to the country on some land, which will eventually have expanded capacity for housing rescue dogs and assistance dogs in training. The new location is in Alvarado, TX and the specific address can be found in the contact us section. This is a very exciting time for the agency, and estimates are already coming in for facility construction.

Local Doggie Day-care owners Brittany Williams (Cowtown Canines in Fort Worth) & Amanda Tachtaul-Petty (Paw Paws Dog House in Arlington) are co-sponsoring a major fund-raiser for the agency on July 10, 2010 at the Paw Paws Dog House location. There will be quite a few animal friendly vendors at the event, and we would love to see you out there. They have both worked very hard towards pulling this event together, and welcome any input that you may have. They may be contacted at 817-732-DOGS (Brittany) or 817-548-8485 (Amanda).

We also had the great pleasure of being invited to Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio recently as we delivered one of our pups in training (Trig Stahl) to his home in Seguin. Trig is in training to assist Cole Stahl in his day to day activities, as Cole has Spina Bifida. Although only 3 years old, this wonderful child is one of the most inspirational people that you will ever meet! He verbalizes way beyond his years, and is friends with everybody!

We went to Morgan’s with the Stahl family, and this is simply put an amazing facility. There is controlled attendance (reservations required), and the volunteers are the most pleasant people that you will encounter anywhere - very special individuals! Please check out the pictures in our gallery and the Morgan’s website at http://www.morganswonderland.com.

Expanded service area

2010-03-29T17:13:00Z

Shadows for Life has expanded our service area to include new clients in San Antonio and Temple to name a few. Revised donation and fund-raising guidelines have enhanced our ability to support this type of activity. With the need for Assistance Dogs for minor children seemingly increasing daily, Shadows for Life remains one of the few agencies that will work with families with special needs minors. The benefits and results of having these specially trained dogs as members of the families are tremendous. Also, both programs that we have are intended for the families to reap the initial benefits almost immediately upon the placement of the dog’s into the home, even with puppies. The method of having Shadows for Life jump start the training routine has been consistently effective in establishing the structure and guidelines to be followed-up on in the home.

The agency is emphasizing to start with a puppy and to begin the training right away. Even young adult dogs may possibly have developed bad habits which may be difficult to break or modify. Although, we did successfully place a rescued lab with a special needs family during this past winter, so it can be done. Please note that there are no specific breeds for Assistance Dogs, although some instinctively perform specific tasks more reliably than others. The key is the true temperament of the puppy/dog, as this can not be taught. Shadows for Life has a temperament test that should be given to any dog being considered as an Assistance Dog.

Therapy Dogs for Children

2009-09-27T14:07:00Z

Shadows for Life has recently shifted our special needs primary focus to working with minor children, as well as their parents, in order to assist those in need of a Therapy Dog. We have instituted methods that physically place the dogs into the home, and have the “team” work together under the auspices and direction of the agency. Our contention is that the benefit of having a Therapy Dog in training, in the home, has a positive effect on the child virtually immediately.

Although the dogs do not have the overall public access as Service Dogs, they nonetheless perform a vital function for the team, and there are many places that the dogs can go without any issues surfacing. Also, due to resource limitations, Shadows for Life is currently requiring that clients perform fund raising activities and/or submit donations to the agency for the funding of all activities.

The agency will continue to supply family pet training and counseling for problematic canine behavior, as well as limited boarding (all indoors).

Please contact the agency should you have any questions or inquiries.

Enhanced Services

2009-09-04T13:44:00Z

Shadows for Life has instituted a few new enhanced services in order to expand our goal to meet our clients needs accordingly. The first initiative is the boarding of dogs, along with the continued identification and implementation of behavioral modification techniques as required. There are varying approaches as to how to correct problem canine behavior issues, and they often require different methods. One of the key components to successful training is to follow through on the new method, and to be consistent and diligent.

Shadows for Life offers a few different training packages, specifically to work within our clients schedule and the extent of training required. We also now offer pick-up and delivery of the dogs that are boarding as well as boarding/training. This is also meant for the convenience of prospective clients. Please note that we have limited space at our location, and that all dogs are kept indoors while in attendance. This also works out well due to the fact that we can spend more time with a smaller group of dogs, generally only a few at a time.

These new services will not have any affect concerning our Special Needs initiatives.

Please contact the agency should you have any comments or questions.

2009 Objectives

2009-02-20T21:31:00Z

Shadows for Life has reviewed previous goals and objectives and is in the process of shifting focus to increased rescue activity with limited family pet and special needs training. This will in turn increase the quality of the training activities as the utilization of the agencies resources improves to specifically enhance the special needs aspect of our program.

The rescue and family pet training proceeds will continue to be used to support the special needs activities, and the special needs will be limited to a few teams in training at any given time. All special needs training will continue to be supplied at no charge.

Shadows for Life is also proud to announce that we have recently established a partnership with “Cowtown Canines - Daycamp for Dogs” in Fort Worth. Cowtown Canines is a doggie daycare which also assists in fostering rescue dogs, specifically Mastiffs (http://www.cowtowncanines.com).

Please contact the agency if you have any questions or comments.

On-site training/rescue activity

2008-06-05T13:53:00Z

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

2008-03-13T13:46:00Z

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

2008-01-14T14:57:00Z

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.

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays

2007-12-13T15:15:00Z

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays to all. This year has been very eventful for Shadows for Life, and we are very thankful at this special time of year for all that we have been blessed with throughout the year. Please take a few minutes and visit the gallery for the newest photos of new and existing clients, and check back in the future for regular updates.

We now have (15) Special Needs Teams at various stages of training, with (4) of these being certified. Our dog rescue activity has remained consistent at about two - three dogs adopted out every week or so. Many of these rescues have been accomplished with a very quick turnaround, and in conjunction with local veterinarians. Please check http://www.petfinder.com for a listing of our current dogs for adoption. All revenue received from adoption activity is directly used in support of the Special Needs effort.

The agency continues to supply services to all Special Need Teams at no charge, and any donations would be greatly appreciated. The primary goal for 2008 remains acquiring a facility for the agency to house dogs in training and that have been rescued. Please contact the agency to find out how you can help.

Please have a safe Holiday Season, and God Bless!

Fund-raising update

2007-10-04T11:28:00Z

The recent fund-raising initiative is off to a fantastic start, primarily thanks to the efforts of David Spainhour. Mr Spainhour and his wife Diana have been integral in the agency raising over $13,000 in the past month alone. We have opened a sixth month CD to be utilized toward a facility which will hopefully be ready by the Spring of ‘08. The agency is currently seeking land to build a kennel and living quarters on. This facility will greatly enhance our ability to rescue and train up to (25) dogs at any given time, and many of these rescue dogs will subsequently be utilized as Assistance Dogs. We will also have another (25) units to house our Assistance Dogs in training. from puppies to young adults.

Summer Events

2007-08-23T16:41:00Z

The Summer has been very eventful for Shadows for Life. We now have three Special Needs Teams which have been certified for public access, as per the testing format suggested by Assistance Dogs International (ADI). Brenda Wyss/Amber, Fran Zucker/Catherine and Cyndee & Emma Hopkins/Jake have all worked diligently to satisfy the requirements of the testing, and they all passed with flying colors!

Group classes have continued through the Summer on Saturday mornings at Rose Park here in Mansfield, and have been a lot of fun! The focus of the agency has somewhat shifted from family pet training to Special Needs training and rescue activities. In finally becoming a member of Petfinder, our traffic of inquiries for rescue dogs has increased ten-fold. With that in mind, we are currently actively pursuing opportunities for a facility in which we can house working dogs in training, as well as rescue dogs. The intent is for all rescue dogs to be tested as working dogs, and to place the dogs with the proper temperament into special needs training. All others will be trained as pets and placed with families respectfully. We optimistically hope to be in a facility of our own by the end of the year, and weekly meetings are currently being held along those lines.

One of our biggest stories of the year is in regard to Special Needs Team in training , Denise Lanier/Luke. Denise currently resides in Hollywood, Florida, and found Shadows for Life through our web-site. Our initial contact was in April of this year, and Denise obtained Luke (Golden) from a breeder in Indiana. Just this week, Denise and Luke came to Mansfield for a couple of days of hands-on training with us, and Luke is now here for a few weeks to sharpen his obedience and to introduce the retrieve. Denise is also an author and spokesperson for MS, and has been on the Oprah television show to heighten MS awareness. We will be flying back to Florida in a few weeks with Luke, and then pick up the training for a few days there. Denise has done an outstanding job with Luke to this point, and they are progressing right on schedule for Assistance Dog certification.

Increased Community Involvement Initiative

2007-06-04T10:52:00Z

The combination of being a little over a year old and the recently enhanced web-site have contributed significantly to the increased level of activity regarding inquiries for the services provided by Shadows for Life. There has been a definite shift towards the special needs aspect of the agency, which was the intent all along.

Shadows for Life is currently working with seventeen (17) individuals at various levels of obtaining their puppies or dogs and/or training. “Catherine” is our newest success story, as she is progressing rapidly through her Facility Dog training and will be certified in plenty of time to start the new school year with her “team-mate” and owner, who just happens to be a local elementary school teacher with 25 years experience in the Special Education field. Fran teaches grades K - 4, and is very excited about the progress that she has seen in Catherine and the potential that the new school year will bring for her students with Catherine as her assistant! Catherine is a 3 year old black toy poodle, and she is an absolute doll! The children love her, and we all know how good it is for a well behaved dog to interact with them!

One of our more challenging and interesting “teams’ resides in Florida. Denise has been in contact with Shadows for Life since early April of this year. In that short time, to her credit, she has already researched and obtained a Golden from Indiana, and has the young adult with her right now. “Luke” will ultimately be trained as a Service Dog for Denise, and her mother as well. The real neat thing about Denise is that she is a writer, and she is keeping notes along the way as she experiences the ups and downs of acquiring and training a Service Dog. This will ultimately result in literature and/or media of her choosing that will increase public awareness and hopefully open doors so that we may help others in need.

Along with the (17) Special Needs client teams there has been a tremendous jump in inquiries through the web-site. The wonder of the internet has helped us to expand our service area to virtually anywhere. As an active member of APDT, we are currently developing plans to utilize those resources for out of town professional dog training support. This is in the very early stages of development, but will hopefully be a huge boost to the agency.

Please keep checking back every month or so, as updates are posted to this first page on a regular basis.

Years ahead of business plan!

2007-04-23T13:12:01Z

Shadows for Life recently performed an analysis of our current activity level as measured against our original business plan, which was initiated in late 2005. The bottom line indicates that we are clearly years ahead of our projection, from only a year and a half ago! This is primarily due to the increased quantity of individuals that we are working with to enrich their lives through canine assistance. One of the more attractive aspects of Shadows for Life seemingly remains our desire to encourage and initiate client involvement early in the overall training process. Therefore, we have several “teams” already working with each other that may include individuals who have previously been denied or placed on a waiting list for this type of service.

We also strongly encourage, and participate in, helping children with special needs. We currently have young clients with Autism, Tourettes, Cerebral Palsy & Epilepsy to name a few. SHADOWS is also working with teachers in the public school systems to certify their dogs to work with their special needs children.

Acquiring a facility is increasingly the number one need of the agency. At our current location we can handle no more than three dogs at any given time in their “formal/task specific training” with us. Donations to the agency are tax deductible and used 100% in support of our Special Needs activity, and your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Spring Group Obedience Classes

2007-03-19T14:00:00Z

Shadows for Life kicked off our second annual Spring Group Obedience Class on Saturday March 10th at Katherine Rose Park in Mansfield. The class was a lot of fun and well attended. These group classes serve as an excellent method of socializing the dogs while working on training and behavior issues. The classes run from 10:00 - 11:00 am each Saturday through the end of May, and are free of charge to anyone who would like to attend.