3 clients graduate with service dogs

WINSTED — Graduates, guests and service dogs from Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities August team training session in Torrington/Winsted gathered on Aug. 15 for one final ride together in the ECAD van, for an outing in a nearby mall where they took their final public access test. All passed and were presented with public access certificates by Lu Picard, co-founder of ECAD, with Dale Picard, co-founder and director of programs.

The purchase of the van, adorned with ECAD logos and a photo of client Elena Alverez- Berger and Service Dog Garrison, was made possible by a grant from the Draper Foundation Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation.

The three clients arrived at the new ECAD Canine Education and Wellness Center Aug. 1, where they began two weeks of intensive training. Their soon to-be-personal service dogs had already received 1500 hours of education and were ready and eager to begin their career, assisting their person in leading a life with more independence and mobility.

Clients were paired with the canine whose skill set and temperament most closely match their needs. All of the clients graduated from ECAD’s Open Doors Program.

Bonnie Eisler, 61, of Norfolk and Manhattan, has MS. Her dog, Bear, will help her with her balance so that she can walk with more confidence and be able to navigate stairs.

Billy was paired with Nicole Roberts, 21, of Clarksville, MD. Roberts has cerebral palsy, and needs Billy’s assistance to create space and to help with her balance. He will accompany Roberts to community college and help her participate in volunteer activities in her community.

Olivia Bowen, 13, of Elmira, MI, was born with respiratory failure and Hyperin-sulinemiand and is attached to oxygen 24/7. Her dog, Ella, will wake Bowen up if an alarm goes off at night so that she can fix the machine, thus relieving her parents of this responsibility. The same will happen in the daytime when Ella accompanies Bowen to school.

It should be noted that service dogs Billy and Ella are “successor” dervice dogs, since both Roberts and Bowen have had the assistance of ECAD canine partners for many years. It should also be noted, happily, that both Meyer and Garfield are well and looking forward to retirement as much beloved family pets.

Also receiving a public access certificate was ECAD volunteer Gwyn Charles of West Hartford. Her husband, Lt. Col. (U.S. Army, Ret.), a Project HEAL Program graduate, has had ECAD service dog Dozer by his side since 2014.

ECAD was founded as a not-for-profit by the Picards in 1995. During its history, ECAD has received the highest accreditation given by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and regularly receives a five star rating from Charity Navigator and Guidestar. The ECAD Canine Education and Wellness Center opened in July 2018 and is located at 149 Newfield Road, Winchester.