Dogs can change disabled vets’ lives

Forever in My Heart trains rescues as service dogs, delivers free to deserving owners

MIDDLETOWN — Shawn, a Middletown resident who served in the Army, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury while serving his country, which left him in a coma for 11 days.

He told his story, withholding his last name, in a video made by the city-based Forever in My Heart Foundation, which works to secure shelter dogs, train them and give them — entirely free — to disabled veterans who need service dogs.

The group, led by Mira Alicki, jewelry designer and owner of Mira’s Jewelry Designs at 476 Main St., partnered with Marquis Events for a charity gala Sept. 16 in the old G.Fox & C0. building in Hartford. Channel 3 meteorologist Scot Haney will act as host for the event.

“(Shadow) changed my life. She taught me how to be less angry, focus on the good. Life’s so much better. It’s so hard to explain what they can do for you. Shadow definitely healed me a lot,” Shawn said in the short film, while walking into O’Rourke’s Diner on Main Street with Shadow.

In February, Alicki established the foundation, which has a 10-member board. She is fostering a German shepherd, Rocco, whom she rescued as a stray puppy in Louisiana at 21⁄2 months old. He was abused and is cautious when meeting new people.

“Someone tried to shoot him, and I got (him) from the rescue. He’s very strong, very friendly and he’s just an amazingly good pup,” said Alicki.

She has a special place in her heart for veterans.

“If you look at veterans coming back from deployments, this is a group that really, truly needs the most help. There’s research that those dogs really change those peoples’ lives,” Alicki said.

Shawn got his dog from another organization. The confidence he gained from having her as a companion has had immeasurable effects on him, including his graduating from culinary school.

Forever in my Heart raised money through the most curious of ways — two pierogi-making workshops in June and July. Tickets sold out in two hours for the

first session.

The proceeds from those evenings helped finance the purchase of four dogs.

The statistics involving servicemen and women who become handicapped from their time in the armed forces are sobering.

Presently, 3.8 million Americans come home disabled. Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide, and there are currently 5 million dogs in “kill” shelters across the country, according to the video.

“We have a very thorough screening process: They all go to disabled veterans, but even within disabled veterans, we screen them for diagnosis, we talk to the therapist, we get their finances, we do house visits,” Alicki said.

A woman who works at the Veterans Administration in Rocky Hill conduct the interviews to “weed out” those who may not fit the program’s criteria.

“She knows better how to assess when she talks to them. Plus, we have to categorize (vets), because when we talk to them, they may have been diagnosed with PTSD or depression, but they really need a companion dog more than a service dog,” she said.

The ideal canines are Shepherds, Labs and golden

retrievers. They stay with foster families while undergoing training at Hop River Shepherds of Andover.

It takes between $12,000 and $18,000 to ready such canines for working with disabled veterans. The foundation foots the $10,000 cost of their training.

Her foundation has already raised $56,251 of its $200,000 goal.

The group places dogs with foster families who are required to stay with the dogs 24 hours a day. Many bring them to work and to other social situations. Alicki took Rocco to the recent Motorcycle Mania, and out to dinner for 21⁄2 hours. He sat quietly under the table.

“In the beginning, we start off training a lot of environmental (situations) depending on the dog’s age, (employ) food luring, teaching different (training) positions and obedience skills. Once we find the veteran, we’ll work on fine details to provide the ultimate dog for them,” said Scott Beebe, co-owner of Hop River.

The dogs must have a mellow disposition. One of the tests conducted is pinching the dog’s foot. The appropriate response is licking the person’s hand, not nipping it, Alicki said.

“A pinch doesn’t hurt. You want the dog to be forgiving of you. You don’t want him to fight back and bite you, because that’s not a good sign for the future,” Alicki said.

Lori Defillippi, a veteran who suffers from PTSD, gave a testimonial on the foundation’s Facebook page.

“I wasn’t living my life without fear and psychological effects on a daily basis. I was always hypervigilant, always on guard, and depressed most of my days,” said Defillippi, who received her dog Voodoo more than five years ago.

“Since having her, I am no longer the psychological mess I was. I have fewer PTSD symptoms and lower levels of depression. She is my eyes and ears and I react to her body language now. Voodoo and I are a team.”

The gala, which takes place from 3 to 8:30 p.m. at 960 Main St., Hartford, will include a red carpet, music by the Loveland Hill Band, a dinner catered by Belvedere Restaurant and Catering, live auction and more.

Tickets can be purchased for $85 or $750 for a table of 10. To register, visit forever inmyheartfoundation.org.

Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media Mira Alicki, owner of Mira Jewelry in Middletown, has established the Forever In My Heart Foundation, which rescues shelter dogs, trains them as service dogs, then finds veterans they can place them with. Alicki is fostering 8-month-old Rocco, who she took in when he was 2-1/2 months old.