January 2010 Visionary - International Guide Dog Federation

USA | Guide Dogs Foundation for the Blind, Incdisabled veterans will teamwith a service dog to helpthem regain the independencethey once knewThe new training methods and skillsour trainers have developed for thespecial tasks required of service dogshave had a positive impact on ourguide dog training. Our work withbalance and stability, for example, willbecome increasingly important asguide dog users age and developadditional age-related health issues.Our guide dogs will not only be able toguide their handlers, they will be ableto provide stability for someone whohas grown unsteady on his feet.Veterans listen intently to instruction before working with their dogs.ExpandingOur Horizonsto ServeWilliam Krol, Communications ManagerGuide Dogs Foundation for the Blind, Inc., USAThe Guide Dog Foundation forthe Blind achieves dualcertification from theInternational Guide DogFederation and AssistanceDogs International, enabling itto expand the way it servespeople with disabilities.It is committed to being an innovatorand leader in the field of assistancedogs for people with disabilities.We have moved steadily forward inour goal to be recognized as acomprehensive provider of services thatenhance the independence andmobility of people who are blind,visually impaired, or who havedisabilities other than blindness. Oneaspect of our strategic plan calls for theGuide Dog Foundation to activelycollaborate with the InternationalGuide Dog Federation and AssistanceDogs International.Membership in the IGDF is importantto us because it gives us the chance tobe part of the global communitydedicated to serving the visuallyimpaired, to learn from our colleagues,share our knowledge, cooperate toimprove breeding standards for guidedogs, and join forces on issues that facepeople with disabilities.Service dog programsIn 2003, the Guide Dog Foundationcreated America’s VetDogs to provideguide and service dogs to disabled U.S.veterans of all eras, and CapableCanines, which teams service dogs andpeople with disabilities other thanblindness.Our entry into the service dog fieldwas prompted by the need we sawfrom wounded soldiers returning fromthe global war on terrorism.Thanks to advances in battlefieldmedicine, more service members thanever survive their injuries. However,these injuries are often more severethan those suffered by soldiers ofearlier conflicts, in part due to thenature of the weapons used today.By adding our service and therapydog programs, we ensure that disabledveterans will team with a service dog tohelp them regain the independencethey once knew.In addition, the expansion of ourprograms means there are more careeropportunities for the dogs we breed.Once pups return to us for their formaltraining, we evaluate them todetermine where they will best serve –whether as a guide dog for someonewho is blind, a service dog for someonewho has lost a limb or suffered atraumatic brain injury, or a therapy dogto work in hospitals or nursing homes.Dual accreditationAssistance Dogs Internationalrecognizes IGDF certification of guidedog schools, but as we developedAmerica’s VetDogs and CapableCanines, we pursued ADI accreditationin addition to our IGDF certification. Weare committed to providing the highestquality dogs and training for peoplewith disabilities, and we wanted toassure our consumers and donors thatthe Guide Dog Foundation meets thehighest standards for our innovativework with assistance dogs.In October 2008, IGDF assessor DanEnglish from Guide Dogs Tasmaniaexamined our programs and servicesfor our IGDF accreditation. A few daysafter English completed hisassessment, the ADI assessor, ClarkPappas from Canine Companions, Inc.,arrived to evaluate the Guide DogFoundation for ADI.In early 2009, we receivednotification that we passed ouraccreditation for our third five-yearterm, and also that we had passedADI’s requirements for its five-yearaccreditation.This represents a significantmilestone for the Guide DogFoundation: we are the first and onlyschool in the world to be accredited byboth the IGDF and ADI.Our dual accreditation allows thepeople we serve to be confident thatthe Guide Dog Foundation for the Blindmeets the highest standards foroperation and training set by the IGDFand ADI, and that the Foundation is aleader in the guide and service dogmovements.Issue 15 | January 10 | 19