Amy and Ozzie have been constant companions for the last 18 months. They went to college classes together, shared many laughs, crammed for final exams and spent countless hours preparing for their new roles in life. They even strolled across the platform side-by-side as Amy received her diploma earlier this year. The typical story of two successful best friends one might say. Yes . . . but what makes this partnership so unique is the fact that Amy is a prisoner at Indiana's Rockville Correctional Facility and Ozzie is in training to become a service dog. The two met through a successful program that demonstrates the roles animals can play in bettering the lives of humans.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Pulliam combined her love of animals and her caring for the physically challenged by supporting a variety of animal-assisted therapeutic programs. She believed that animals not only are great partners for assistance but also for troubled souls. Here, the Trust features two such organizations that introduce the power of animals to the lives of those in need: from incarcerated women, whose lives change dramatically forever because of these special animals, to the physically challenged, who can live independently because of their canine partners.

The Indiana Canine Assistant and Adolescent Network

The Indiana Canine Assistant and Adolescent Network (ICAAN) creatively utilizes incarcerated adults to train three types of service dogs:

Founded in 2001 by Dr. Sally Irvin, ICAAN trains service dogs to assist people in these ways while providing at-risk youth and incarcerated adults a means to develop teamwork, empathy, responsibility, and communications and animal handling skills. The ICAAN program began at the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility, initially working with two incarcerated adolescents. Interest has grown rapidly, and the program has expanded to include offerings at three more central Indiana locations: the Rockville Correctional Facility (RCF) for adult women; the Branchville Correctional Facility for adult men; and the Indiana Women's Prison for adult women located in Indianapolis. ICAAN has successfully placed 16 skilled companion or service dogs with children and adults in Indiana. Additionally, ICAAN has placed 18 in-home therapy dogs and provided education and rehabilitation to over 275 at-risk youth and 77 adult offenders.

"How we select handlers is similar in all prisons," Dr. Irvin said. "ICAAN and the on-site coordinator jointly screen and interview prospective handlers. Candidates have to show a pattern of responsible behavior while in the facility, be free from any major conduct problems, have good reports from prior job assignments and not have a history of repeated violence. All handlers in the adult facilities need to have a minimum of 40 months before release. Given the time we invest in training the trainer, we hope that each handler can raise at least two pups." (It takes 18 months to prepare a pup for advanced training.)

A dog in training

Breeders in Indiana and neighboring states have donated most of the ICAAN puppies. The organization takes care to select pups from lines with sound medical histories and temperaments, and prefers that they be less than 6 months old. It uses primarily Golden and Labrador Retrievers, both males and females. Generally, ICAAN places the puppies with their handlers in the correctional institutions at 8 weeks of age.

Dr. Irvin said that while in training, the pups live with their handlers 24/7 in crates next to their handlers' beds. "With dormitory style housing units, the pups become part of the larger prison community. Other offenders often serve as 'pup sitters' while the regular handlers take a shower or exercise."

Rudy, a three-year-old Labrador Retriever, is one of the dogs successfully trained at the RCF. After graduating from the program in March 2005, ICAAN matched him with Shelagh, a high school sophomore who lives in northern Indiana. Shelagh, has a neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which confines her to a wheelchair. Rudy opens and closes doors, turns light switches on and off, pulls open the refrigerator door, and carries many things for Shelagh.

"He even helps pay the cashier at the grocery store," Shelagh exclaims. "I put the bills in his mouth and then he lays his paws on the counter to give the money to the clerk. He goes with me to church, bowling, football games and even to the movies. We just went to see the movie 'Eight Below,' and I was afraid Rudy would bark at the dogs on the screen, but he didn't. He was very well-behaved and he loved that movie!"

Shelagh's mother, Margie, stated that Rudy has been a godsend to Shelagh. "He has given my daughter her independence, as well as built her self confidence. Before, people tended to shy away from Shelagh. Having Rudy by her side makes her more approachable. Now when they are out together in public, Shelagh is included socially among her peers and that has made a huge difference in her life."

Phoenix Guide Dog Raisers

Dogs trained specifically to assist blind and/or seeing-impaired individuals are called guide dogs. In Arizona, Phoenix Guide Dog Raisers (PGDR) utilizes over 100 community volunteers to raise and begin training 30 to 35 puppies per year to become guide dogs through Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), which provides guide dogs at no charge to persons with visual impairments throughout the United States and Canada. PGDR receive puppies from GDB when they are between 8 and 12 weeks of age. PGDR pairs puppies with raiser families, where they spend approximately one year. Puppies and their raiser are constant companions and become exposed to a variety of social settings, including movie theaters, retail stores, the workplace and schools. Additionally, puppy raisers meet on a weekly basis for formal pet training and often make educational presentations on the use of guide dogs to local organizations and schools.

At age 14 to 17 months, the puppies return to GDB for five to six months of intensive training, are partnered with a blind or visually impaired person and then graduate from the program. To transport the puppies, GDB uses a specially equipped vehicle, lovingly referred to as the "Puppy Truck," which brings new puppies to begin training. Last year PGDR held "Puppy Truck Day" at the Foundation for Blind Children. This is where Lauren and Mocha first became friends.

Puppy Truck Day also transports guide dogs who for a variety of reasons, including health, behavior and temperament, can no longer function as guide dogs and retire to live as pets or change careers to provide other services. Some dogs are reassigned to the PGDR Buddy Dogs. This program places career-changed dogs as companions with blind children, not only to begin teaching them the joys and responsibilities of owning a dog, but also to prepare them to be future guide dog users.

Lauren is a 12-year-old seventh grader who is blind due to premature birth. Mocha is a 3½-year-old Labrador who retired as a breeder with GDB. Lauren's mother, Maureen describes the pair as "a match made in heaven, because Mocha helps Lauren become more social at school, and Mocha gets to enjoy the love that Lauren offers her." Although guide dogs raised by PGDR are not always placed in Arizona,

Larry Wagner, an operations manager for an employment service program at Arizona Bridge to Independent Living, experienced vision problems for most of his life. In 2001 when his vision further deteriorated, he researched the possible use of a guide dog. Larry found GDB and four months from the initial application, which included a home visit and a 28-day training session at a Phoenix Guide Dog facility in San Raphael, California, he received Darrell, a yellow Labrador. Darrell obtained puppy training from volunteer raisers in the Sacramento area and initially lived with Larry in Michigan. However, when Larry relocated to Arizona for a new job, Darrell did not transition well, due to the heat, increased city activity and traffic, and was eventually retired. Fortunately, Darrell is in a new home and as Larry reports, "is currently living the life of a spoiled dog and loving it."

Larry received his second dog, Trenton, a black Labrador raised by volunteers in Nevada and Oregon, earlier this year and within three weeks of application. Once again, Larry went to the GDB facility for training. Larry states, "I had a lot of anxiety about getting a second dog, and I wasn't sure if Trenton was going to be as good as Darrell, but it turns out Trenton is better in some ways. He can be a terror at home but in a fun way."

Larry and Trenton represent one of the 81 working guide dog teams in the state of Arizona.

For more information about Phoenix Guide Dog Raisers and its services call 480-940-1317 or visit www.phxguidedograisers.com. For information on Guide Dogs for the Blind visit www.guidedogs.com.

The Demand for Service Dogs

The demand for service and guide dogs far outweighs the current availability of such dogs. According to Dr. Irvin, on average it costs approximately $17,000 to raise one assistant dog. This cost covers food, veterinarian care and training of the puppy for two years. More than 1,200 disabled individuals throughout the United States are on waiting lists. Often, it can take two to four years to match an individual with his/her trained dog. Also, out of every 15 dogs trained, only two or three dogs are deemed qualified for matches with disabled individuals. In 2002, NMPCT awarded ICAAN $25,000 for its first full year of operation. Trust funds were instrumental in helping ICAAN expand its services to at-risk youth and incarcerated women and increase the number of service dogs available to disabled individuals. In 2004, the Trust awarded ICAAN a $50,000 grant to broaden the reach of its services. The Trust awarded PGDR $10,000 in 2004 and $8,000 in 2006 to support pet food and veterinary care.

"It takes a very special dog to be an assistant dog as not all dogs are cut out for this type of work," said Dr. Irvin. "Numerous dogs are eliminated due to health (sound hips, elbows, etc. are a must) and behavioral conditions (e.g., too high energy level) that might be acceptable or even desirable in other realms. The great news is that dogs that are not placed as assistant dogs can still help people and often are placed in other roles such as drug enforcement, search and rescue, or companion pet home placement."

Other animal assisted therapy organizations funded by the Trust include:

ARIZONA

Animals Benefit Club of Arizona, Inc. - This humane rescue, adoption and education organization provides sanctuary to homeless and abused companion animals in Maricopa County, eventually placing them in new homes. In addition, it has expanded its outreach activities to include an animal-assisted therapy program, which brings about positive physical, mental and emotional health benefits for at-risk children, young adults, seniors and their families.

Arizona Dream Catcher Equestrians - This organization provides free, certified, therapeutic and recreational horseback riding programs for children and youth with physical disabilities and behavioral disorders to assist them in overcoming their challenges and achieving their highest potential.

Gabriel's Angels - This group enhances the lives of severely neglected and abused children from infancy to age 18, through pet therapy, working with certified and trained dogs and their owners. The pet teams regularly visit crisis nurseries, domestic violence shelters, group homes and homeless shelters in the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas.

Handi-Dogs, Inc. - This agency teaches physically disabled people and those with special needs to train their own dogs to become assistance dogs or certified service dogs. It is unique in that it trains the clients and their dogs together, which produces a strong bond between the client and the animal.

Horses Help Foundation - The organization annually provides hippotherapy and recreational horseback riding programs to more than 150 children with physical disabilities or cognitive challenges per year.

Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation - This group provides financial support for the Hospital's Healing Paws program, which utilizes animals to provide motivation, education and therapeutic benefits to hospital patients.

Power Paws Assistance Dogs, Inc. - Power Paws places highly skilled assistant dogs with disabled individuals and provides education and ongoing support for working assistant-dog teams.

Stable Influence Charity Programs - The organization provides therapeutic horseback-riding education to youth and adults with mental, emotional and/or physical challenges.

Top Dog - This nonprofit teaches people with physical disabilities how to train their own service dogs, as well as offers educational presentations for schools, service groups, churches, clubs and businesses.

Whispering Hope Ranch Foundation - More than 6,000 special needs children in Arizona utilize the ranch's summer and year-round camps, which include interactions with resident animals, who themselves are born with physically debilitating conditions.

INDIANA

Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources, Inc. - This organization works with many schools and group homes in the Indianapolis area to provide a therapeutic riding program for at-risk and special needs children. It also conducts a daily summer program for youth with developmental disabilities and/or autism using miniature horses in therapy activities with children.

The Children's TherAplay Foundation, Inc. -This outpatient rehabilitation clinic incorporates equine-assisted therapies and therapeutic riding into its treatment sessions. The majority of its clients are special needs children, and the organization extends its rehabilitation services to many local health facilities and hospitals.

Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding, Inc. - This organization offers therapeutic riding and hippotherapy services to both adults and children with disabilities or illnesses, such as autism, attention deficit disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and post-traumatic brain injuries.

Paws and Think, Inc. (PAT) - This nonprofit trains shelter dogs as companion and service dogs to assist senior citizens and people with disabilities while providing at-risk youth a means to develop self-esteem and life skills such as anger management, job readiness and positive parenting. PAT targets disadvantaged high school students in inner-city schools, juvenile detention centers and pregnancy centers in Marion and surrounding counties.