Kane came to me at eight weeks old and went back to CCI in August, 2010, for their professional staff to complete his training. Upon graduation, he became an assistance dog for a wonderful man in Colorado. He is able to retrieve dropped objects, open and close doors, turn light switches on and off, as well as a variety of other useful and commonplace skills that most of us do without thinking.
The most important thing that Kane does, however, is serve as a bridge from the handicapped world to the mainstream world. People who are partnered with CCI dogs continually comment on how much friendlier people are when they see the dog; how eyes are no longer averted from them; how much more willing folks are to talk to them. Dogs break the ice which – especially for a child in a wheelchair – can be very thick ice.
And, of course, dogs provide love no matter who, what or where. Congratulations, Kane, for changing someone's life. I hope you always get lots of cookies.