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Ranger was ten weeks old when he was donated
by retired Service Dog trainer Johanna Redmen.
After a couple of
weeks of training with me, he went home with his Foster
Parent, Joe Fortner. Joe did an awesome job working
with and loving Ranger for over a year.
Ranger was originally being trained as
a Service Dog for Bill
Klotz in Houston, TX. But
due to lack of funding for Ranger and Bill, we all made
a hard decision to place him with someone else. Someone
that had a lifestyle and personality that would match
well with Ranger, and who could afford to take care
of him the way he deserves to be taken care of.
That Recipient is
a semi-retired Tax Attorney in Washington State named
Barry who had been looking for a 'replacement dog' for
over a year. Brody was Barry's Assistance Dog for seven
years but has retired due to age and health problems.
Barry, Brody, and wife Donna live an active life with
work and travel in spite of the fact that Barry suffers
with rheumatoid arthritis and ataxia.
Ranger has been
trained all his life to perform task needed to become
a Service Dog but he is still too young to be placed
with a Recipient. At a year and a half old he is still
learning and needs more training while his body matures.
Ranger will get that training the same
place that Brody was trained; At the Prison Pet Partnership
Program in Gig Harbor, WA. I went with Barry, Donna,
and Ranger to meet with Training Coordinator Susie McGehee,
and the prisoners that work in the program. I found
the facility professional and active. Susie is a knowledgeable
person that I feel comfortable and trusting turning
Ranger's leash over to her. She has promised to send
photos of Ranger's life and training and his progress
and life will be posted as time goes on.
Ranger will be trained to be a Mobility/Assist
dog with Barry. After he passes the Assistance Dog International's
"Public Access Test" he will be a happy, active
dog as a loved member of Barry's family.
It was a tearful parting for me when I
left Ranger and boarded the airplane back to Houston,
but in my heart I knew that we had made the right decision
and that things do seem to happen the way the are supposed
to.
Now, we are back to Bill Klotz needing
a Service Dog, and the funding for that dog. Bill worked
hard for over a year to train with Ranger and loves
him very much. It was a selfless act on his part to
agree to the placement with Barry because he wanted
the best for Ranger. We need your help to make it happen
for Bill again.
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