1st Career

AND THE BIG NEWS: In late August, 1998 NEADS staff called the family of a very special 12 year old boy named Adam from their long waiting list of potential clients and told them about a very special dog that might be a good fit for Adam's needs. Ironically, Adam and his family live in Lake Oswego, Oregon, a suburb about 20 minutes south of Portland that Madison had been to several times. Not only would Madison be working with a young person (always her favorite!), but she would share the household with a 4 year old black lab, and a 5 month old Golden Retriever and (her favorite next to children): a cat!

All NEADS partnerships are cemented in a 2 week "boot camp" during which the human half travels to the Princetown campus, lives in a specially made dormitory near the kennels, and studies full time with the NEADS trainers. Madison met Adam for the first time on October 19th, 1998 and the moment was golden. "Madison was the last one to be brought out. The moment she laid eyes on Adam, she ran to him and laid her head in his lap, wagging her tail furiously. It was as if she knew that she was created just for him. The bond was immediate." Then it was down to business--Adam worked diligently with Paul, while his mother and then his father watched closely but did not interfere. Fortunately, they did get a weekend break, and little brother Spencer came to check out the beautiful New England colors

AND THIS IS THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, NOVEMBER 1, 1998. With Paul, her puppy raisers, and all the family and friends that watched her grow up around her, Madison proudly received a diploma with Adam that signified a new beginning to her life as companion and helper. No, there wasn't a dry eye in the place.