The training of well qualified service dogs and placement with a person with physical disabilities.

Description:
VISION STATEMENT
To improve the quality of life of persons with physical disabilities.

MISSION STATEMENT
To increase the independence and quality of life of individuals with mobility impairments by providing professionally trained service dogs and support services. Each dog will be trained to meet the specific needs of individual recipients. Our support services shall ensure that our teams perform in a manner that promotes the welfare of the recipient, canine and public. Our goal is to establish a lifetime bond between the recipient and the dog. Our efforts will be focused on, but not limited to, an area within a 250 mile radius of Cochranville, Pennsylvania.

History:
Canine Partners For Life (CPL) is a non-profit corporation established to provide well-trained service dogs to physically challenged individuals to increase the independence of the individual. CPL is funded entirely by donations and grants. The primary goal of CPL is to match suitable, physically challenged individuals with service dogs that have been trained to the highest degree of accuracy and consistency in basic obedience and service work. We strive to produce highly successful teams.
CPL was founded in July 1989 by Darlene Sullivan, a former special education teacher, who has worked extensively training animals. A Board of Directors meets regularly to monitor CPL's progress. CPL is a member of Assistance Dogs International and the Delta Society and works to uphold the highest degree of professionalism. The training time and requirements our dogs and recipients must meet, far exceeds the minimum standards set by Assistance Dogs International.
Potential service dogs are found in a variety of places. Many candidate dogs are rescued from area animal shelters and others are donated by individuals. Other CPL puppies are donated by breeders. All potential CPL dogs are rigorously screened for both temperament and intelligence. All CPL dogs are neutered. Health screenings are also a vital part of the selection process. Careful screening, for hip and eye disorders, spares CPL's recipients the anguish of loosing their dog to early retirement because of health problems.
Puppies selected for CPL training are placed in volunteer puppy homes. The volunteers agree to raise and socialize the puppy during its first year of life and assume the cost of food and toys. CPL is responsible for all veterinary expenses. When the puppy is four months old, he and his volunteer are required to attend bi-weekly obedience classes. When the dog is one year old, he is returned to the CPL kennel for formal service training. In most cases, adult dogs selected by CPL go directly to the CPL kennel to begin their formal service training. Formal training lasts from nine months to one year, depending on the particular dog. Initially dogs learn both basic and advanced obedience work, first from a mobile trainer and then from a trainer in a wheel chair. Concurrently, the dogs are socialized in public facilities as part of their service training. During their formal training period dogs are trained to perform a variety of service tasks, including retrieving dropped objects, taking items from shelves and peg boards, taking purchases and money to a cashier and returning change in a special wallet, opening a variety of doors ranging from cabinet doors to heavy department store doors, and retrieving a ringing cordless telephone. Once a potential recipient has been identified, the dog's formal training is further refined to include the specific services required by the recipient. These services may include pulling a wheel chair up a ramp, acting as a standing brace to support his recipient, and learning to deliver retrieved objects in a particular way so that his recipient is able to accept them. The main ingredient in CPL's training program is flexibility and sensitivity to the recipient's specific needs. CPL dogs are all custom trained specifically for their recipients.
Potential recipients come from all walks of life and are not limited to CPL's immediate geographic area. Persons ages 12 years and over are considered for the program. Their disabilities are extremely varied. A recipient initially completes a service dog application. This helps CPL become familiar with the recipient, his lifestyle and feelings toward animals. The potential recipient's attitude toward animals and his disability are good initial indicators of whether he would make a successful team member. The application also gives CPL an indication of what the general needs of the potential recipients are. From this point, the potential recipient proceeds to the interview process. The interviews tell CPL more about the specific needs of the individual and of his home and work environment. At this point, CPL assesses the potential recipient's ability to provide for his canine partner financially and emotionally. After the recipient is accepted into the CPL program, specialized training of the dog begins to match the dog to the special needs of the recipient. When the dog's formal training is completed, his human team mate comes to the CPL facility for an intense three week training program. During this period, the team learns to work together and a very special bonding process takes place. The recipient is taught everything from how to complete physical tasks with his dog, to the dog's veterinary care. Special equipment such as harnesses and backpacks are fitted to match the team's requirements. Emotional issues, such as the preparation for the dog's eventual retirement or death, are discussed. Recipients are informed of the laws that guarantee and protect the rights of their service dog to accompany them in any public facility. The team practices working together in public. At the end of the team's training, there is a graduation ceremony and a new life of greater independence for the recipient and of devoted service for the dog begins.
One of the most vital aspects of CPL's program is follow-up. Recipients are encouraged to contact CPL with questions and concerns. Some of these can be handled over the telephone. Some issues need to be addressed in person. During the first month, there are weekly follow-up checks. For the remainder of the first year, follow-up checks are monthly and from that point on, follow-up checks are semi-annual. Once again, the goal of CPL is to produce an independent team that becomes a partnership between a human and a canine, with each partner helping to meet the other's physical and emotional needs.
NOTE: Although the actual cost of producing a finished service dog is approximately $18,000, a recipient is requested to give a donation to Canine Partners For Life of only $300. No potential recipient will be rejected if he is unable to meet this expense.

Contact person: Mary Fertig, Volunteer/Companion Coordinator, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: 610 869-4902/Fax# 869 9785

Address:

P.O. Box 170 Cochranville, PA 19330

Web Site: http://www.k94life.org

Directions:

Take PA-41 west from Avondale, PA to PA-926. Turn left on PA-926. Go 5 miles to Faggs Manor Road. Turn right on Faggs Manor Road. Go 0.5 miles to Canine Partners for Life, on the right. For maps or information, please see http://www.septa.com/

Miscellaneous Information

Are court referrals welcomed?
	Yes