two hearts, four paws : Terry & Saunders
Welcome back to our volunteer spotlight, "Two Hearts, Four Paws". Canine Partners of the Rockies is fueled by the amazing volunteers that dedicate their lives to helping Coloradans with disabilities lead more independent lives and we are grateful to have this space to appreciate them! This month, we chose to highlight Terry Platz, a longtime volunteer puppy raiser currently raising her fourth CaPR pup, Saunders.
Terry started by sharing about her experience with Saunders so far. "These pups are soooo smart and of course I feel like Saunders is the brightest of all of them. Saunders came to us when he was 9 weeks old and I’d say by week 12 I could get him to jump up on a cardboard box. He’s won the hearts of everyone on our block, especially the kids. There’s one young boy who is an expert at getting Saunders to ’sit for pets.’ It’s also been wonderful to feel like together we are teaching our neighbors about the wonder of service dogs." |
When asked why she chose to become a volunteer raiser for Canine Partners, this is what she shared; "I scanned around the internet for local service dog organizations and was so impressed by a video on the Canine Partners of the Rockies’ website that showed the dog running upstairs to retrieve a wallet!!!! I nearly fell over and called right up. I thought it would be wonderfully meaningful to help people with mobility challenges."
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"A lot of people I interact with say ‘I could never let the dog go when it’s time for them to be placed with their person, how do you handle that?’ My answer is these dogs know they are needed by the people they serve much more than I need them. You see it when witnessing the matching process. It’s palpable. There is a whole other dimension to their connection that I could never bring to my working relationship with these dogs. Take a moment and observe a service dog with their person, you will see it too."
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"Get ready to fall in love over and over again with each pup you raise. Not only will the pups you raise bring you great joy but the Canine Partners community is a group of the most sincere, warm, caring, loving people you'll meet." Platz said when speaking on her experience with Canine Partners.
If you are interested in raising a puppy like Saunders, we would love for you to get involved.
To learn more, visit Dog Program Volunteers.
To learn more, visit Dog Program Volunteers.