The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Service dogs to graduate from training program
TORRINGTON — Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities will hold a graduation ceremony for six clients and their individually paired service dogs, on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at Camp Wah-nee, 126 Wahnee Road, Torrington. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m. The public is welcome to attend the event.
Graduation is the culmination of two weeks of team training where each client and their service dog learn to work together, with the dog learning the specific needs of its companion. Two of the graduates are from Connecticut, three are from New York, and one is from Tennessee.
Lu Picard, director of programs, will present each team with their Public Access Certification at the ceremony. Picard co-founded ECAD with her husband, Dale Picard, in 1997. It is one of the most highly regarded not for profits of its kind in the assistance dog field, officials said in a statement. ECAD’s home base is on Newfield Road in Winsted.
This class is particularly impactful, because all three of ECAD’s placement programs are represented, demonstrating the range of assistance the dogs are able to provide. The three programs include Open Doors, for clients with physical or emotional needs due to degenerative disease, injury, or mood disorders; Project HEAL, a program designed specifically for veterans with traumatic brain injury, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and/or physical injuries; and Canine Magic, a program for children with autism.
These six ECAD educated Service Dogs, who are either Golden Retrievers or Labs and have completed 1500 hours of training and learned 89 commands, will assist their person with such needs as those presented by: Ataxia, Quadriplegia, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, TBI, PTSD, Cardiomyopathy, Anxiety Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder, and autism.
The graduating teams are Joseph Shortt and service dog Grace, Southbury, Open Doors; Adrian Smith and service dog Bo, New London, Canine Magic; Yiyang Wu and service dog Wendy, Stony Brook, N.Y., Open Doors; Rita Lobascio and service dog Colt, Carle Place, N.Y., Open Doors; Gregory Kolodziejczvk and service dog Velvetta, Arverne, N.Y., Project HEAL; Lyllyan Blare and Service Dog Journey, Hermitage Tenn., Open Doors.
Following the ceremony, refreshments will be served and guests will have a chance to visit with ECAD representatives, and the new graduated clients who will soon be departing for home — together with their new best friend and service dog.