Service dogs at ASU help injured officers, vets from The State Press on Vimeo.
Most people consider dogs to be man’s best friend, but few realize how essential some dogs are to improving and sometimes saving the lives of disabled Arizonans.There are several service dog organizations around the state offering training programs, but the Foundation for Service Dog Support is unique.
The Foundation offers service dogs trained specifically to assist injured and disabled public safety officials and military personnel.
Journalism senior Alli Cannon and biology sophomore Becky Brooks are members of the Foundation, spending every minute of the day training dogs to eventually help a person in need.
Brooks, who is now training her second dog, a Labrador-Sharpei mix named Bailey, said the program takes around a year and a half to complete.
She said the first task is to bond with your dog and then the training begins.
“From there we start our basic obedience that lasts eight to 10 months, that’s everything from sit, stay, down, come and heel,” Brooks said.
The dogs then take two tests to make sure they are fit for public situations and move on to specific training for their eventual recipient, including how to bark for help or how to recognize a seizure, Brooks said.
Cannon, who is training her first dog, a Boxer mix named Nala, said she is the first one to admit she underestimated what service dogs could do.
She said she wanted to get involved with the Foundation because of the opportunity she would have to make a difference.
“The fact that I can train a dog and help them change the way they live their life and enhance their quality of life, that was intriguing to me,” Cannon said. “They have done so much for us that I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Cannon and Brooks started a club at ASU called Campus K9’s to get other students involved who are interested in training service dogs.
Dr. CJ Betancourt, the executive director of the Foundation for Service Dog Support, said she co-founded the Foundation to give back to individuals that have given back to the community themselves.
“We want to make sure our local veterans are protected,” Betancourt said. “(We’ll) roll up our sleeves and do whatever it is to accomplish that.”
Betancourt uses a service dog herself named Emma, who has been with her for six years. She said Emma assists her with physical disabilities she was born with and other disabilities she accumulated in her 15-year career as a paramedic.
“My dog does mobility and some guide tasks,” Betancourt said.
Betancourt also credits Emma with saving her life on one occasion.
On her 50th birthday, Betancourt said she went out shopping and was stepping off of a curb when the dog barked and pulled on its harness to yank Betancourt back onto the curb.
She hadn't noticed a white delivery truck that had swung around the corner right in front of the curb and missed hitting her by no more than six inches, Betancourt said.
“If it had not been for Emma, that guy would have hit me,” Betancourt said.
Brooks said her favorite part of the program is educating others who may not understand what service dogs are all about and changing the lives of people who need help.
“We are given the opportunity to educate such a large group of people and have such a huge impact on our community,” Brooks said. “It changes us as much as we help change them.”
Reach the reporter at brennan.j.smith@asu.edu
Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
