Norma Ramirez Manchester, New Hampshire 7-14-2010 Summer is definitely here with the heatwave. I want to thank our latest donors for their continued generosity because I now have completed my goal to raise for my partnership with Service Dog Cozy! Thank you so much! Norma and Cozy 7-14-2010 The journey traveled to reach this point where we have attained the full sponsorship of my partnership with Service Dog Cozy has taken 16 months. Through the efforts of friends, family and extended family, and with the kindness of strangers, Cozy and I are so blessed and grateful to everyone who made this possible. Thank you and God Bless! 7-12-2010 It seems as though we have been battling the heatwave in New England for more than 2 weeks. Cozy is such a trooper in the heat. She has discovered that "Frosty Paws" Peanut Butter Ice Cream is a great special treat! And to encourage her to keep hydrated, Ihave found that floating ice nuggets in her water bowl will entice her to stick her entire muzzle into the bowl as she tries to fish out the ice! You can just imagine the puddles created from a very drippy muzzle! We are fortunate that we have airconditioning in our little home, and so we stay indoors as we get her cardio workout as she runs with glee from our bedroom to the living room as she "gets it" with her favorite squeeky toy. To keep her mentally stimulated, she will hunt for her Kong which is laden with either peanut butter schmears or a special cookie. I enjoy laying out a scent so that she will travel all over the apartment at a frenetic pace! It gets me laughing! In keeping with the summer weather, we will get her groomed at the end of this month with an extreme puppy cut. I say "extreme" because since I brought her home, she sported a more "oodlely" persona rather than a typical labradoodle countenance. Well, we are going to experiment with an updated 'doo. No matter what, I know she will be able to pull off the look because she has the "cute factor" going for her. Can you imagine that Cozy is approaching her 29 months of age?!? So young and full of fun living and of course, her long career as an assistance dog for me. I am so grateful for this blessing from NEADS and through the many generous people who have donated toward Cozy's sponsorship. Staying "cool", Norma and Cozy 6-07-2010 Cozy and Norma (a new updated photo of our Service Dog Team) We just got back from our safari (Cozy jogs the city streets) since the weather is great without humidity, mid-60 degrees with a nice breeze. No tornado warning today! 5-22-10 I have been partnered with Cozy for 9 months and it has been phenomenal.I have $3,852 left to raise for my Partnership with Cozy. Thanks so much for your continued support and generosity! 4-21-2010 Cozy is now 26 months old. She is maturing in many ways. She enjoys working and we would like to share a few video clips of Cozy in action! http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7805A6C361DD6BD5 You will need to "copy-paste" the URL address to get from here to there! Norma and Cozy 8-30-2009 Day 7 Training: It is a quiet Sunday and the housekeeper came in to do some spot cleaning. Her name is Judy and she is a member of the NEADS Lions Club. She was telling about the Blue Star Ladies Group who take the task of cooking home cooked meals for the Client House if there is a combat vet in the class. The Blue Star Ladies have a loved one who is on active duty in the military. Then there are the Gold Star Ladies who have lost a loved one from combat and they sponsor dogs for the vets and get to name the puppy and they usually pick the name of a loved one lost from the war. These are some of the volunteers who really take an active part in the NEADS Program. A lot goes into augmenting services. The NEADS Lions also does alot of fundraising as well. One program that is done is the Trading Cards. Judy is the photographer and she takes a picture of our service dogs during the meet and greet and they are made into trading cards. They become available during the graduation and proceeds are donated to NEADS. The campus includes 2 houses, one for Canines for Disabled Kids and the Program is spearheaded by Kristin Law, my former classmate from 2001 when we were the pioneers in the Walker Dog program. The other house is the puppy house and that is where the pups are trained and made ready for their stint i the Prison Pups Program. NEADS has evolved tremendously since I was here in 2001. The organization has become a leader in the industry for providing service animals for the disability community. The teaching doctrine has also evolved and often you can see that some other organizations have mirrored what had been started at NEADS. To the many people involved in shaping the lives of the few chosen puppies who make the grade to become service dogs, I salute you for your caring to make a difference in many lives. 8-29-2009 Saturday Day 6 Training: The Lions Blue Ladies coordinated and did the refreshments this morning from 10am-12 noon at the Client House so that my classmates and myself could meet the puppy raisers and the breeders responsible for the early puppy care and socialization. Another connection in Cozy’s past. Met with her breeder: Judy, husband Brian and their 2 kids, Abby and Danny. This was their first time to donate a puppy from their litters. The pups were carefully screened by the Puppy Program Manager and she went through testing 16 little guys and she finally chose only Cozy. My girl was named in honor of Judy’s long time friend who died from cancer at age 38. I was fortunate to meet the weekend puppy raiser for Cozy. This was their first time to get involved with NEADS in this capacity. Emma, Jim, and Josh is their grandson. They have their own Belgian Shepherd named Zuk and Cozy was his pal during the weekends when Emma would go to the prison to pick up my little girl. Josh loved Cozy and taught her how to behave. This reunion brought up a lot of mixed emotions to all of these people. This was the first time for them to see Cozy as an adult. Emma the puppy raiser, brought me a gift: an album with the front having a photo of Cozy when she was about 3 months old and she was just a ball of furry hair. Emma told me that Cozy’s first prison pup trainers were 2 guys, one named Cortez and somebody else. And these men really took great pains to keep her furry body well groomed and she never had matted hair under their care. Then Cozy stayed at a Women’s Correctional for 2 weeks and those women did not keep up with the grooming at all. When Cozy finally returned to NEADS for advanced training, they had to shave her to get the matted hair removed. When the little morning meet/greet was over and the people wanted to go, I hugged these people one by one and they were so touched. Emma and family also brought Cozy a few toys! You have to find one called “The Cuz”. It has a loud squeaker and a round shape with little shoes and the round shape has embossed eyes. Cozy loves it! Emma said that Cozy would wake up at 2am and gather all the squeaky toys and would be making a racket so husband Jim had to go downstairs and collect the toys and put them on top of their washer, where she could not reach! Nice memories of her puppy time. They cannot believe how she has grown into an adult. A great start of life for Cozy. A Fantastic Beginning for Norma and Cozy from this point onwards. The people parted with the reminder that we will see each other again at graduation in October! Definitely a New Beginning! 8-28-2009 Friday Day 5 Training: Highlight of our training today was a visit to Walmart so that we could practice safely negotiating the busy parking lot and a high traffic store. Weaving through customers and keeping our dogs from getting rolled over by shopping carts. Back in the training room, we learned the sequence of operant commands like "Fetch". Shaped behaviors provide the handler to build upon these so that we can teach our service dog more advanced commands and tasks such as "Doing Laundry". Happily, our trainers have given all of us positive feedback as far as how we are doing and we are right on schedule. Tomorrow we will meet with the puppy raisers who initially took care of our dogs during the formative years before they were sent to the Prison Puppy Program. It takes alot of dedication for the puppy raiser, and the emotional attachments sometimes make it hard for the foster family to part with the dog when he has to go to the second phase of training for his ultimate career. For that we, as clients, are so grateful to these special people. Without having these people in the early lives of our service dogs, it would be difficult to maintain such a program like NEADS. The economy has hit the non profit organizations very hard but many non profits are confident that this recession is slowly turning around. It is through the dedication of the people at NEADS that we as clients have this unique opportunity to experience the service dog process. Our sponsors are selfless as they donate generously for the service dog and its handler. My classmate, Tim, is a combat vet from the war in Iraq. He is an inspiration and he continues to be in awe with how his Walker Dog has been trained. He has tested his equipment, a special harness worn by Izzi, his dog. Tim is more confident in ambulating, now that he has Izzi by his side. My other classmate, Eric, has been dealing with a myriad of medical issues, having had a stroke in 1995 and uses a cane to help him ambulate. He has a young Lab named Vinnie and having this service dog,he is proving that the quality of life for Eric is enhanced. Eric now walks with confidence. His previous service dog from NEADS had to retire due to her developing a serious heart condition. In fact he only used her for 5 years. Abbey, his previous service dog, had saved his life one day when he went down on theu floor in his house as a result of another stroke. Abbey went upstairs and woke up Eric's wife and she was able to get the paramedics and ambulance. These are a couple of true stories about the clients of NEADS who are so grateful for the Vision of an organization that helps the disability community enrich their lives...Reaching for a better quality of Independence. 8-27-2009 Thursday Training Day 4: We got to class and each of us discussed our experience with having our dogs sleep in our rooms for the first time. Cozy was curious with the smells in the room, the dog bed, her water bowl and food bowl and the toys! She loved the squeeky berber toy which she tossed into the air and caught it many times and trying to find the squeeker. We had an exciting today as we did a town trip to Leominster Center, walking in the street filled with traffic and sirens and other distractions. And we ended up in Friendly's for lunch which was crowded with mothers and their screaming children who wanted to share their ice cream cone with Cozy. We were cramped in one table with Tim's dog under the table, Eric's dog out to the side from where he was sitting and I was at the end of the table with Cozy lying down parallel to my chair. The dogs were really good for the most part. I had to be more aware and watching Cozy who was trying to sniff around where she was lying; the table with the little children had food and crayons and paper placemats on the loor around their table. Cozy had to be corrected to leave it. After that, she was golden. When we got back to the training room, we dealt with the lesson on how to deal with unfamiliar dogs that would cross our path. It was a long day but we ended the session early so that the dogs could have some free time to rest before we would feed them. After resting for an hour, we have daily homework of aerobic exercise for the dogs which basically means they play by chasing after a ball or other toy and return it to the handler. It releases all the tension and pent up energy so that they can be balanced in mind and body. We as service dog partners have a huge responsibility and that is to maintain the sharpness of our dog partner's skills which they have learned since their birth. It takes 100% commitment on the human partner to maintain the health, physically and mentally so that our partner can continue to assist us for 10 to 12 years. If we cannot honor this commitment, it would be like abusing our dogs. After all, these are specialized living beings who have gone through a rigorous training process, being molded into very well trained assistants. We are into the main meat of this training and the three of us are invigorated by the challenge given to us to use the skills inparted by our trainers. We can already feel that we are getting closer to our dogs as far as the bonding process is concerned. They look less at the trainers for guidance and more to us instead while we execute the exercises. And so, the training progresses! 8-26-2009 Arrived at NEADS on Sunday 8/23 and was the first client to move into the "Client House". This is an impressive fully accessible home with kitchen counters low enough for a wheelchair user to reach, the bathrooms have roll-in showers, my bedroom has a hospital bed to ease the breathing at night. My classmates are 2 guys named Eric and a combat vet named Tim. We met our dogs on Tuesday afternoon. The resilience of my classmates is phenomenal. Both having balance issues and pain, they were so gung-ho when we met our dogs in the afternoon that they had absolutely no complaints even when it was apparent that there was discomfort. As Tim would say, "I got my dog, I am GOOD!" My classmates are super and we look out for one another. Yesterday afternoon, we had class in the afternoon on the grass where the trees offered shade and the wind was nice and breezey. The grass was a different challenge especially for the guys who have balance issues. My problem was my OCD nature of not wanting the grass and dirt to adher to my new wheels on my power chair! I tried hard not to traverse the softer grassy area but I still ended up tracking the dirt and grass when I went back to our House. The service dogs are phenomenal; they are still somewhat bonded to the trainers but they are slowly coming around to start looking at us for guidance. Cozy tries to break her stay command, so you know there is a little testing on her part to see what she can get away from me. I have to remember to watch her body language and anticipate her movement. I still have a lot to learn. Today we are going to the supermarket to try negotiating narrow aisles and put the dogs through their paces while the normal distractions of life are around us. This should be fun! Right! Only if we have the command flow out of our lips correctly! Special Note: Boy dogs who are raised as pups with the Prison Program are taught to squat when they pee.It is encouraged by the trainers; perhaps it is to preserve any added stress to their hips. You still see a few but uncommon male dogs do the lift legging when peeing.That is my tidbit of useless information that I picked up yesterday. So tonight we get our dogs who will sleep and eat in our rooms,and follow us to the bathroom and anywhere else we go. Well let the games of training begin!! 8-20-2009 Yesterday, I noticed that the sponsorship totals have jumped to another $400! Thank you Thank you to the wonderful people for your generosity! Please know that Cozy and I are so grateful for your support! In 2001, there was a lady I met at the NEADS campus while I was training with my then partner, Sasquatch. Donna would take Sasquatch from the kennel at the campus and they would go for long walks. She loved my Sasquatch so much that she was instrumental in taking part in helping sponsor our Walker Dog Team. Through the years of Sasquatch's service, I would keep in touch with her, sending her newspaper articles about Sasquatch...he was a newshound after all. When he passed away on April 1, 2009,I sent her the newspaper column that I wrote which was a Final Tribute to Sasquatch and our 8 year partnership. I am remembering Donna again because I got a letter from her and again, this angel of a woman is still volunteering at NEADS and would you believe that she has been working with Cozy! She has been socializing my little girl, taking her to the Mall and to Walmart. I am so blessed to have such dedicated people who are so selfless as they go about their volunteerism at NEADS. So many people are involved in nurturing these service dog candidates. In fact, Donna has 2 Standard Poodle Drop-outs, who may not have made the grade as an assistance dog, but nevertheless exhibiting that inherent "smarts" that the poodle is known for. So to the many volunteers at NEADS, I salute you today! You make a difference every day that you connect with our service dog candidates! I have much to be grateful for, and you guys are Number One in my book!!! 8-16-2009 In one week, I will travel down to Princeton Massachusetts for an intensive 2-week training at the NEADS Campus where I will learn again how to maximize the use of a service dog! I know that the training will be not unlike Boot Camp where the trainers are like Drill Instructors. It will be a stressful time for both Cozy and myself. How important is this to me? You probably have read about how my first service dog, Sasquatch, who mitigated my disabilities by helping me pick up dropped objects, opening and closing doors, fetching drinks from the fridge, and even doing his part in the laundry process. He also collected and took out the trash for me. Moreover, because of our close bond, he "knew" when I would be medically compromised before it would manifest. He would stand up on the footplate of my power chair and put his front paws on my shoulders and stare intently into my eyes. I knew, by this posture, that I would shortly be in the throes of either an asthma attack or a paralyzing migraine attack. He would lead me to the bedroom and make me lie down. He was ever-watchful at night and would wake me up if the oxygen tubing got dislodged from my oxygen mask. Once, when I had fallen asleep during an afternoon nap without connecting myself with my CPAP and oxygen, I started breathing too shallow, and Sasquatch stood by the bed and pounced my chest with his front paws. That action made me take a deep breath as I woke up with my head pounding from a lack of oxygen to my brain. Sasquatch's presence relieved me from the anxiety of living on my own. He allowed me to lead a very independent life. Now, again, I will be working with the new service dog, Cozy, who was bred specifically for service work. She is young, 17 months old, having been born February 17, 2008. She was part of the Prison Pups Program at MCI Plymouth. While she lived at the prison during the weekdays, she would go home with a family on the weekends so that she could continue being socialized in a non-institutional environment; field trips to malls, stores, supermarkets, church, to name a few. I am hopeful that my close connection with Sasquatch will be repeated with Cozy in time. She is considerably smaller than Sasquatch, as she is about 45 lbs. while Sasquatch was about 105 lbs. But what she lacks in weight, she makes up with her incredible work ethic. So, soon it begins; my new life with Cozy. 8-10-2009 Last week I received the informational packet for the 2-week training at the NEADS campus with Cozy. I have been preparing for Cozy's arrival here at home as well as making the lists of what to bring with me to the training. Microwave meals will provide me with the necessary sustenance and maybe a toy and a ball for Cozy will be in order so we can play when she is off duty. This will be a new experience for me to have a female service dog. I have the training manual and have been reading it at least twice a day so that by the time the training starts, I will hopefully be prepared for what lies ahead! My college chum who is stationed in Malaysia with the Embassy has generously sent in a donation to help sponsor Cozy last week. Cozy and I are so grateful to our sponsors. === 7-30-2009 Since I last updated my page yesterday, another generous person or persons have stepped forward bringing our Total Donations to $2,473! Thank you for your kind and generous heart! Cozy and I are truly grateful! Norma and Cozy === 7-29-2009 Yesterday, I had a wonderful first meeting with Cozy, an Australian Labradoodle who has finished her Prison Pup Training Program and recently returned to the NEADS campus. I am very proud to inform you all that I have been matched to this beautiful girlie girl! I put her through the service dog paces for an hour and in this short timespan, we truly connected, knowing we bonded as she would make eye contact for direction from me, as the alpha partner. We have been scheduled for the 2-week training from August 24 through September 04, 2009. While I have met the 2 benchmarks toward the full sponsorship of Cozy, there is still $7,027 left to be raised. With your help and generosity, this sponsorship goal is possible. You can make a difference in my life and Cozy's life when you make that decision to help us make this partnership come to full fruition! No amount is too small. With your help, we can meet this goal one dollar at a time! God Bless! Norma and Cozy - The Dynamic Duo 7-29-2009 === I have had, for the past 8 years, a beautiful dog trained by NEADS, that has recently passed away. I miss him so much and hope that soon I will have another service dog who can be as much a help to me as Sasquatch was. I have had left-sided hemiparesis due to a neurological disability since 1995, in addition to lifelong severe chronic asthma, diabetes, hypertension and migraine attacks. I need an assistance dog even more now because for the last 8 years, I have been able to live independently on my own without relying on constant human help due to having my Service Dog, Sasquatch. My life with Sasquatch allowed me to live life on my terms and our partnership enriched my life everyday. Since he died, the reality is that I am faced with more challenges, from just getting out of bed in the morning or leaving things I drop on the floor until I have a person come to my house to pick up these items. These simple tasks can no longer be taken for granted without a Service Dog which augments my independence. Just as my former dog did, I need my new dog to retrieve items in the refrigerator, open and close all doors, help pull my manual wheelchair, activate the electronic medical alert system, help getting me dressed in the morning and do for me many of the things I cannot do. Please consider helping me sponsor my future dog partner. Your generosity will make a difference in my life and is much appreciated. Thank you for your kind consideration! Norma Ramirez July 15, 2009 Service Dog Cozy NEADS Graduate Fall 2009

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