Friday, October 10, 2008
Faithful service
Saint Francis Service Dogs attends to the needs of people with physical and emotional disabilities.
Marcus Yam | The Roanoke Times
Inside the training barn for Saint Francis Service Dogs in Roanoke County, Kathy Cvizic and her golden retriever, Pilot, watch Connie Kniseley perform a routine with Mack. Cvizic has multiple sclerosis and has been on the service dog waiting list for two years.
Click the button above to see all of our community coverage, or go straight to your community's homepage with the menu below.
More 'How to help' stories
- UnitedHealthcare and Salem Red Sox food drive nets 3 tons
- Post office pitches in for Stamp Out Hunger food drive
- United Way honors top campaigner
- After accident, man stays focused on what is possible
- Women's group hits $1 million in money given out
Archive
Niki Voudren knows how Saint Francis Service Dogs changes the lives of the people it helps.
"They fear less, they do more, they have more fun, they face more challenges, and they laugh more," said Voudren, the nonprofit's development director.
Saint Francis Service Dogs helps people with various emotional and physical disabilities, including cerebral palsy, joint and muscular diseases, neurological disorders, spinal cord and brain injuries, and autism.
But training dogs to become service dogs for the organization is neither cheap, nor easy. The nonprofit invests two years and up to $20,000 to train a single dog. That money goes to shots, food, training, travel, care, equipment, spay and neuter operations and maintaining a program in which inmates care for puppies, Voudren said.
The state government doesn't provide any funding, so the public gives the vast majority of money to support the operation.
Voudren said she wants to thank the public and invite them to DogtoberFest on Saturday. The family festival usually draws more than 3,000 people and 1,000 dogs and is one of the organization's two major fundraisers, Voudren said.
In fiscal year 2007, 11 percent of all money the nonprofit spent supported fundraising while 89 percent supported the programs, she said.
Started in 1996, Saint Francis Service Dogs is internationally accredited by Assistance Dog International. It is Virginia's largest service dog organization and one of only 40 accredited service dog organizations in the world.
The dogs undergo a rigorous training process, said local trainer Connie Kniseley. Saint Francis gets most golden retriever and Labrador puppies from breeders when they are 7 to 8 weeks old. They choose those breeds because they are a good size to stand next to a wheelchair, turn on lights and do tasks.
The dogs are then trained with motivational methods and positive reinforcement on the center's 18-acre farm in Roanoke County.
The organization then places seven to 10 dogs a year to qualified candidates, who pay nothing besides $200, which goes to buy a leash, vest, collar and crate.
Employees conduct an extensive interview and screening process to place dogs that match well with a person and their disability.
For example, Voudren described how larger dogs are used for people with balance issues while smaller dogs are used for people with hearing problems because they have to tap a person.
The money and training that go into the dogs are often invaluable for their recipients.
For example, Voudren said dogs help autistic children by providing them with stability, companionship and positive social connection with other children and peers. They also help them function in a stressful environment so they don't have a meltdown, Voudren said.
Talking about the dogs in general, Voudren said, "They give them unconditional love and independence. They give them the confidence to go out and do more with their lives."
