[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> CANINE COMPANIONS IS A NON-PROFIT.

WE PROVIDE SERVICE DOGS TO ADULTS, CHILDREN AND VETERANS WITH DISABILITIES AND SERVICE DOGS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SETTINGS COMPLETELY FREE CHARGE.

SINCE 1975 WE'VE SERVED MORE THAN 4,075 FACILITIES AND TEAMS.

ALL OF THAT THANKS TO GENEROUS SUPPORT TO OUR DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS.

MY NAME IS ELAINE MAY, I'M A PUPPY RAISER FOR CANINE COMPANIONS.

THIS IS RESPIN.

HE IS ABOUT 18 MONTHS OLD.

A FRIEND OF MINE HAD A SPINAL CORD INJURY, AND I WATCHED HIM AND WAS THERE WITH HIM THROUGH HIS REHAB AND EVERYTHING.

HE WAS PARALYZED FROM THE NECK DOWN AND ENDED UP GETTING ONE OF THESE DOGS, AND I SAW THE MIRACULOUS CHANGE IN HIS LIFE, AND I THOUGHT I CAN DO THAT.

NOW IT'S PERSONAL.

SO I STARTED RAISING PUPPIES.

WESTIN IS NUMBER SEVEN THAT I RAISED AND I HAVE NUMBER EIGHT AT HOME.

ALL OF THE DOGS ARE BRED IN CALIFORNIA AT OUR HOME BASE IN SANTA ROSA.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY BRED AND BORN IN VOLUNTEERS' HOMES, AND AT 8 WEEKS OLD THEY'RE SHIPPED ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO PUPPY RAISERS LIKE MYSELF.

IT'S A VOLUNTEER JOB.

WE GO OVER TO THE AIRPORT.

THEY FLY IN, WE GET THEM, WE TAKE THEM HOME AND WE START TRAINING IMMEDIATELY EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE TRAINING, BUT AS SOON AS WE GET THEM WE'RE POTTY TRAINING AND WE'RE TEACHING THEM THEIR NAMES.

THE BIGGEST THING THAT OUR CLIENTS REALLY UTILIZE THE DOGS FOR IS PICKING UP DROPPED ITEMS.

AND WHAT BETTER THAN A RETRIEVER?

>> SMILE?

GOOD BOY.

PICK.

GOOD BOY.

[ MUSIC ] >> UP.

GOOD BOY.

>> WE TEACH THEM TOUCH.

IT HELPS SET THEM UP FOR TARGETING WHEN THEY LEARN TO TURN LIGHTS ON AND OFF WITH THEIR NOSE OR PUSH A DRAWER CLOSED.

>> UP!

GOOD BOY.

YEAH.

>> WE HAVE ONCE A MONTH OFF-CAMPUS PUPPY CLASSES OUT AND ABOUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND AROUND COLUMBUS.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> IT'S VERY LOUD.

IT'S BUSY.

THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE CAN THEY LEARN TO WALK THROUGH CROWDS AND IT'S A LEARNING CURVE.

YOU WILL SEE LITTLE PUPPIES OF 5 MONTHS UP TO 15 MONTHS OUT HERE AND THAT'S JUST GOOD FOR US TO LOOK AT WHAT THE DOGS ARE DOING AND HOW THEY'RE REACTING IN PUBLIC.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> SO HE LEAVES ME AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF.

I'VE DONE ALL I CAN.

I'VE TAUGHT HIM, AND I'VE SOCIALIZED HIM.

HE RETURNS TO THE CENTER WHERE THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINERS WILL BUILD ON THE 30 CUES I TAUGHT HIM AND THAT'S WHERE HE'LL OPEN AND CLOSE DOORS.

HE'LL LEARN TO TURN LIGHTS ON AND OFF, PUSH BUTTONS AND TAKE YOUR SOCKS OFF.

HE'LL BE ABLE TO OPEN THE REFRIGERATOR DOOR, GET OUT YOUR WATER AND CLOSE THE REFRIGERATOR DOOR.

WE WANT THEM TO SUCCEED.

WE WANT THEM TO GET THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND GET PLACED AND GO ON AND CHANGE LIVES.

WE REALLY DO.

>> RIGHT HERE IN NEW ALBANY WE HAVE A 16-ACRE CAMPUS.

IT'S OUR NORTH CENTRAL TRAINING CENTER.

THAT'S THE TRAINING CENTER THAT OVERSEES THE 14-STATE REGION.

ALL OF OUR DOGS WILL TURN IN FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND THAT'S WHERE THEY'LL SPEND THE NEXT SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS TRAINING WITH OUR HIGH-SKILLED TRAINERS.

OUR TRAINING CENTER IS UNIQUE AND AMAZING AND THE FACT THAT IT HAS 16 GUEST SUITES.

SO WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE LODGING FREE OF CHARGE TO OUR CLIENTS TO TRAVEL FROM THE 14-STATE REGION TO STAY WITH US.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> IT WOULD INDUCE ANXIETY FOR ME WHEN I DROPPED MY PENCIL BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THERE WEREN'T PEOPLE AROUND AND IT WAS GOING TO STAY ON THE FLOOR BECAUSE I AM UNABLE TO BEND DOWN AND PICK THINGS UP MYSELF AND THE THOUGHT OF HAVING A SERVICE DOG WITH ME KIND OF COMFORTED ME A LITTLE BIT.

BASED ON HOW THE TRAINER SAW HOW WE DID WITH THE DOGS, THAT HELPED THEM DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, THE FACTORS OF WHICH DOG WOULD GO WITH WHICH PERSON.

THEY PUT US ALL IN A BIG CIRCLE AND OKAY, WE'LL TELL YOU WHO YOUR DOG IS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT SOMETHING CLICKED IN ME AT THAT MOMENT AND I WAS, LIKE, SPRINKLE IS MY DOG.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I KNEW.

SOMETHING IN MY MIND THEY SAID SPRINKLE IS YOUR DOG AND WHEN THEY GOT TO ME THERE WAS THIS CUTE LITTLE THING AND THEY SAID SPRINKLE HAS CHOSEN TO GO HOME WITH KYA.

AS SOON AS THEY SAID THAT, I KID YOU NOT, I ALMOST STARTED CRYING BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE ANIMAL LOVER.

>> PRESENTING ROWAN TODAY IS A MEMBER OF HER REGIONAL AND NATIONAL BOARD, CAROLYN BROCK.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> EACH YEAR WE HAVE FOUR GRADUATION CEREMONY, NATIONAL GRADUATION CEREMONIES SO THAT MEANS ACROSS THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THESE CEREMONIES ARE TAKING PLACE.

DURING THE PROCESS ARE DOGS THAT WILL BE RAISED BY PUPPY RAISERS WILL BE TURNED IN FOR THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND THE GRADUATES WILL GO ON TO TRAIN WITH THE SERVICE DOGS BEING DROPPED OFF AT OUR CAMPUS AND THE NEWEST TEAMS WHO HAVE BEEN PLACED WITH THEIR SERVICE AND FACILITY DOGS GOING ON TO REINTEGRATE IN SOCIETY AND KIND OF START THEIR LIVES AS A TEAM.

>> YOU DO GET SO ATTACHED THAT YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM.

IT'S A BITTERSWEET MOMENT.

IT'S LIKE A WEDDING IN MY MIND BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY WALK ACROSS THE STAGE AND HAND A LEASH OVER TO THE NEW FOREVER PERSON.

SO THERE ARE HAPPY TEARS AND WE SEND THEM ON AND WISH THEM THE BEST AND WE START ALL OVER.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> GOING OUT IN PUBLIC HAS CHANGED SO MUCH.

I MEAN, MY LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE HAS SKYROCKETED.

LIKE THE PUSH PADS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF DOORS, SHE'S ABLE TO PUSH THOSE FOR ME BECAUSE SOMETIMES I CAN'T REACH THEM.

IT JUST GIVES ME AN EXTRA SENSE OF COMFORT KNOWING THAT SHE'S THERE WITH ME.

CANINE COMPANIONS HAS HONESTLY CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER.

>> EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO COMES INTO CANINE COMPANIONS, THEIR LIFE IS TOUCHED WHETHER YOU'RE A VOLUNTEER, A DONOR OR A CLIENT.

>> PEOPLE THAT WERE AFRAID TO GO OUT IN PUBLIC NOW GO OUT IN PUBLIC.

CHILDREN THAT OTHER CHILDREN MAY LOOK AT THEIR WHEELCHAIR, THEY NOW LOOK AT THE DOG.

I'VE SEEN HOW THAT CHANGES LIVES AND IT JUST WARMS MY HEART.

HAVING SPRINKLE, SHE NOT ONLY HELPS ME WITH MY PHYSICAL TANKS, BUT SHE IS DEFINITELY A SUPPORT FOR ME EVERY SINGLE DAY.

[ MUSIC ]SKS, BUT SHE IS DEFINITELY A SUPPORT FOR ME EVERY SINGLE DAY.

[ MUSIC ] >> I'M CURRENTLY IN MY SOPHOMORE YEAR AND I'M A CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES MAJOR AND I'M MAJORING IN PSYCHOLOGY AND AFTER MY UNDERGRAD I PLAN ON GOING TO LAW SCHOOL AND I FEEL EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE BECAUSE I KNOW GOOD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.

>> TO BE ABLE TO WITNESS FIRST HAND HOW PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE CHANGED BY THIS AMAZING HUMAN CANINE BOND, IT'S INDESCRIBABLE.

YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO WITNESS IT.

IT'S JUST SUCH AN AMAZING PROGRAM AND WE ARE JUST SO PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT.