Lu Picard

In time for Veterans Day, East Coast Assistance Dogs (ECAD), in conjunction with at risk students at Children’s Village’s residential school, will be training four veterans who were disabled in the Iraq War to work with their new assistance dogs. Assistance Dog Boot Camp, which runs from November 4 through November 18, is a rigorous two-week program in which the Vets are paired with their new canine helpers and learn how to work with the dogs and care for them. The Vets will be trained through lectures, dog handling drills and community field trips conducted by ECAD instructors and teen trainers. Under the supervision of ECAD staff, the students at Children’s Village and other residential schools in the area have spent the past 18-24 months training dogs to perform more than 80 commands, including opening and closings doors, answering the phone, turning on lights, acting as stability supports and responding to medical alarms. These special animals will give their new owners a measure of independence and security not otherwise possible. This special All Veterans Boot Camp comes to an end at Assistance Dog Graduation on November 19th at 5:30pm. The students will ceremoniously hand over the leads of the dogs that they have spent so much time caring for, training, and loving. For the students, the Assistance Dog Training Program is a chance to give back to people who are less fortunate then they are. Veterans receiving dogs are as follows: Mary Dague, age 23, of San Antonio, TX Ms. Dague is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom where she lost both her arms from the elbow down. Luis Montalvan, age 35, from Brooklyn, NY Mr. Montalvan served his country for 15 years. He did two tours during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was wounded in Iraq in an assassination attempt by attackers with knives, where he was knocked unconscious and suffered three vertebrae fractured in his back, leading to mobility issues with his right leg. Andrew Hanson, age 22 years old, of Luverne, MN – Mr. Hanson lost both of his legs due to a roadside bombing while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ricky Boone, age 49, from Hempstead, NY – Mr. Boone served during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he received a hip injury and underwent spinal surgery. # # # East Coast Assistance Dogs (ECAD), based in Torrington Connecticut, is a non-profit organization that was founded for the purpose of helping people with disabilities gain greater independent and mobility through the use of specially trained dogs. ECAD instructors work with at risk students who do the actual training. This not only helps the students develop confidence and skills, but also allows ECAD to train far more dogs than would otherwise be possible. Since its inception in 1995, ECAD has placed assistance dogs with more than 100 clients, including individuals with spinal chord injuries, central nervous system disorders, autism, sleep disorders and more. http://www.ECAD1.org Founded in 1851, The Childrens Village works in partnership with families to help children develop the skills and positive attitude needed to succeed as healthy contributing adults. Each year, CV serves close to 7,000 of New Yorks most at-risk children in both residential and community-based programs. Programs include a residential school for at-risk boys, a runaway shelter, foster and adoptive homes, street outreach, and family support services. http://www.childrensvillage.org