A Clear Path For Veterans

Clear Path for Veterans New England believes the best way to serve its veterans and their families is through community partnership and purposeful services, with a mission to recognize that communities have the responsibility to help those who have served our country.

Established in 2017 by a team of dedicated volunteers, Clear Path for Veterans New England (CP4VNE), is modeled after the successful programs of Clear Path for Veterans New York.

Scott Bulger, an original founding member, visited the very successful program in New York and led the effort to stand up a matching facility to serve New England Veterans.

“Mentoring and support from the New York organization, based on a decade of experience, helped propel our success in this region,” Bulger said, now Clear Path’s president.

With its own 501(c)3 status and a local board of directors, Clear Path for Veterans New England empowers service members, veterans and their families through supportive programs and services in a safe, respectful environment.

“Governance and all funding are the sole responsibility of Clear Path for Veterans New England,” said Donna Bulger, who serves as treasurer and CFO. “Annually we hold six major events, including our unique Devens Dog Festival. However, during the pandemic our fundraising activities have been significantly reduced, raising just 30% when compared to 2019.”

In July of 2018, Clear Path of New England purchased the historic 22,000-square-foot former Army Headquarters/Hospital building, located at 84 Antietam St.

“Our plan was to complete a full renovation this past fall, one that would expand our program and service offerings while maintaining the historical presence and nature of the building,” said Donna Bulger. “We are thrilled to say, despite the challenges with the pandemic, we completed the major renovations this month and now working on final permitting to open the doors and begin full operation.”

The Bulgers say it has been nothing short of amazing to see the building transform.

“We will meet a key objective when we welcome our partners at Veterans and First Responders (VFR) Health Care who will occupy a wing of the building,” Donna Bulger said. “VFR, leaders in their field, will bring clinical mental health services which when combined with our programming creates wrap around services unlike any other facility in the area.”

Complementing VFR mental health services, Clear Path for Veterans is comprised of several other platforms including the Devens Service Dog program, Warrior Reset, Wingman – Peer Mentor Programming, Culinary programs, Women Proudly Served, Holistic Warrior Care and Family Force.

Scott Bulger said all these programs would not be as successful as they are if not for the dedicated staff that serves Clear Path for Veterans.

“Our ability to serve our veterans, military members and their families starts with a knowledgeable staff who understands the current needs of those we serve and can anticipate the needs of future military members and their families,” Donna Bulger said. “Our staff includes both civilians and veterans who fully understand and appreciate the importance of a healthy veteran population.”

Over two-thirds of the staff are veterans (or family members) with a combination of combat deployments and multi-service experience that reflect the diversity of the veteran culture.

“Two of our veterans were trained at William James College school of Psychology in the Vets Treating Vets program,” Donna Bulger added. “Because of our unique culture, we are able to serve both veterans and their communities.”

The Board of Directors, Veteran Advisory Counsel and staff work closely together to aid veterans in transition in communities across the area and understand their needs and all they have to offer.

The popular Devens Service Dog program helps participants find relief from their post-traumatic stress (PTS), traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and military sexual trauma (MST) symptoms in the form of a service or emotional support dog.

“Through our puppy development program, we raise puppies and train them for service, a process that can take up to 24 months,” said Cindy Butts, Clear Path’s canine trainer.

Expanded canine programming helps veterans learn to train their own dogs, Butts added, “Our Canine programs offer positive reinforcement training to anyone interested in using their canine companion to improve their quality of life.”

The Devens Service Dog program has grown from three service dogs to 14, with 52 veterans enrolled and awaiting a canine match.

The Warrior Wellness Program integrates complementary and alternative health options for self-care and self-regulation and works along-side standard medical practices.

With their partners at VFR, Clear Path takes pride in providing a variety of care that empowers veterans to choose their path of wellbeing with access to supportive services that enable growth and development.

“Wellness programs offer neuro-brain stimulation, acupuncture, massage, meditation and polarity therapy as a platform for those seeking relief from pain, insomnia, PTS, TBI and MST symptoms,” said Donna Bulger. “Warrior Reset includes a range of experiences including art, outdoor recreation, golf and more and our Clear Path Kids program offers fun activities for children and parents to enjoy healthy, family-oriented experiences.”

Since the start of COVID-19, Clear Path has worked in partnership with the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation to provide families with food items including everyday staples, condiments, breads and pastries, canned goods, breakfast items, pasta and grains, and snack items as well as refrigerated fruits and produce, which it is distributing weekly with the help of many local partners.

The Clear Path Employment Program empowers veterans to enhance their career opportunities equipping them with the necessary skills and training to ensure success in achieving their goals. When the building opens, veterans will have opportunities for training in the culinary field, animal care industry, facilities maintenance and more.

“This program provides career services support that is customized to meet each individual’s unique defined needs,” said Jason Gilbert, program development specialist. “Any veteran who seeks to start a career or desires to continue in their current workplace can stand to benefit from the services offered in this program.”

The Wingman – Peer Mentor program complements the Clear Path Employment Program, ensuring a community connection that supports success with obtaining and maintaining employment, college enrollment, and regular use of all services provided by the Veterans Administration.

“We are gearing up to address the financial, employment and housing issues created by the extended COVID-19 environment,” Donna Bulger said. “What is also important is addressing the mental health and wellness concerns that have been exacerbated during COVID-19.”

Women Proudly Served is a program that recognizes the importance of giving female veterans dedicated programs of their own.

“We hear so many amazing stories about women who have served our country. We want to celebrate this service by offering programs that are customized to their needs,” said Donna Bulger. “We are excited to share these stories with the community.”

Led by a program manager with first-hand experience as a family member having served alongside her spouse for his 25-year career, Family Force organizes support groups, family activities and resiliency training which helps to bring families into the Clear Path community.

“Jeannine Germain knows first-hand the impact military service has on families, yet few programs and services are offered in this area,” said Donna Bulger. “We are thankful for Jeannine as she leads this outreach program to an often-forgotten population — the family.”

The Family Force group also gives back to the community.

“Each year this group organizes a food drive and provides 400 holiday food baskets to service members, veterans and their families in the area,” said Donna Bulger. “This year the group is providing holiday meal kits, stockings stuffed with goodies, and gifts for children.”

“Clear Path also hosted their first annual toy drive this year and have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the community,” said Donna Bulger adding, “The need is great this year and we are happy to be able to contribute.”

Donna Bulger stresses that no single organization can address the needs of the veteran population on their own.

“Fortunately, there are many great organizations in the area,” she said. “We collaborate with a variety of organizations in the area including Community Foundation of North Central MA, United Way of North Central MA, Veterans and First Responder Health Care, Leominster Police and Fire, Salute Military Golf Association – New England, Fishing with Warriors, Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, Veteran Service Offices, and many more.”

As Clear Path is able to open the building and is allowed to host meetings, it will be inviting local organizations in for a quarterly summit meeting where they will be able to share all the great work that is being done in the region and will collaborate on how to address gaps by leveraging their resources.

“We are honored to have been able to make a difference this year. We are most proud of the strong volunteer base we have who assist every week in delivering food, the generosity of the community in supporting us financially during this time, and the strong network of support providers we work with each week,” Donna Bulger said. “We look forward to sharing more about our programming in 2021 as we open our doors to all our veterans in need.”

Canine Companions

Wallis Brozman’s service dog Renata is always ready to work: to pick up items that Brozman drops, to help pull her wheelchair and in general, to stay attentive to her needs in any situation.

“I could probably find ways to do some of the things Renata helps me with,” Brozman said. “But she allows me to do those activities safely and with a lot more dignity.”

But Brozman also knows what can disrupt Renata’s ability to work. In her own experience, encountering animals with less training and socialization in public places has often been most problematic.

That’s why a new rule change from the U.S. Department of Transportation that will likely curb the number of animals allowed in the cabins of commercial airline flights brought Brozman a sense of relief.

“It was a weight off my shoulders,” she said. “It’s a game-changer.”

The new rule, which takes effect Jan. 1, allows airlines for the first time to treat emotional support animals accompanying passengers the same way as ordinary pets. It draws a distinction between certified service animals, like Brozman’s highly-trained Labrador retriever, and emotional support animals, which are generally not trained. While airlines are still required to fly service dogs for free, they will now be allowed charge fees to transport emotional support animals, as they do already for pets. The fee to bring a pet aboard a plane can range from $95 on Southwest, $100 on Alaska Air and $125 on United, American and Delta.

The goals of the rule change are to help curb unsafe and unsanitary conditions caused by animals that are unprepared for air travel, according to the text of the published rule. The agency also hopes to disincentivize fraudulent use of emotional support and service animals by allowing airlines to charge money to transport support animals and to check the certification of service animals.

“The Department sought … to propose a rule that would ensure passengers with disabilities can continue traveling with service animals in air transportation while also reducing the likelihood that there would be safety or health issues at the airport or onboard aircraft,” the rule read.

The changes are cheered by Canine Companions for Independence, a Santa Rosa-based nonprofit that trains and matches between 300 and 400 service dogs annually with people with a wide range of physical and mental disabilities.

The organization, which employs Brozman and connected her with Renata and two previous service dogs, urged the DOT this year to differentiate between trained service dogs and untrained support animals in the Air Carrier Access Act. Members said the issue is about equitable access, and ensuring that people with disabilities are able to both rely on their service dogs and keep them safe in an airplane cabin.

“I don’t think people understand when their animal lunges at a service dog or does something inappropriate and makes it difficult for that service dog, it’s basically a $50,000 piece of medical equipment you’re disabling,” said Paige Mazzoni, CEO of the nonprofit, which manages a nationwide network of dog trainers raising animals to assist with a wide variety of needs.

The number of comments received on the proposed change indicate the level of interest in the subject. The DOT received more than 15,000 comments this year on the proposed rule change from disability rights advocacy organizations, airlines, airports, transportation worker associations, animal health and training organizations and others, it said.

The interest likely corresponds to the growing prevalence of emotional support animals on flights. Well beyond dogs, those animals can include a wide range of species, including birds and pigs.

Brozman recalled taking a flight in 2010, accompanied by three other people with service dogs. The flight attendant assisting passengers with boarding told them she wasn’t sure if the flight crew could handle four service dogs at the same time.

Less than a decade later, boarding a flight in 2018, Brozman said, she and her dog, Mork, navigated a terminal with 12 dogs in it, including two that lunged at him. At the gate, a flight attendant told her she was in luck — only four other dogs would share the cabin with them.

“The attitude and numbers were so drastically different from eight years prior,“ she said.

As the number of emotional support animals traveling in airplanes has increased, the department noted that dangerous and unsanitary conditions have resulted.

“Airlines and other passengers have also reported increased incidence of misbehavior by ESAs on aircraft and in the airport. The misbehavior has included animals’ urinating, defecating, and in some instances, harming people and other animals at the airport or on the aircraft,” the department said.

While service dogs undergo rigorous training, either by an accredited program or private trainer, emotional support animals are not trained to do work. Instead, medical professionals prescribe those animals to serve as a comforting presence for people experiencing a wide variety of mental or emotional disabilities.

“They provide many benefits,” Brozman said. “But they’re not performing any specific tasks.”

Still, about a third of the comments to the Department of Transportation advocated against allowing airlines to charge for emotional support animals, saying it puts undue burden on people with mental and emotional disabilities to pay for an accommodation that is essential for their travel.

Some health professionals stated that the rule “appears to have a disproportionately negative impact on individuals with mental disabilities, in comparison to those with physical disabilities,” the department said.

Accredited organizations such as Canine Companions train some service dogs to help with certain mental disabilities, such as post traumatic stress disorder. But many people experiencing PTSD, autism, or other conditions use emotional support animals instead.

The organizations also train their dogs to continue working amid the stimuli and stressors of a wide variety of environments — including the crowded, cramped space of airplane cabins.

“If they’re out in public with a dog that comes at them and attack them, they won’t necessarily fight back,” Mazzoni said. Afterward, though, “it can make them skittish, distracted, so if they see other dogs, they will watch them instead of their person.”

Brozman had to retire one of her previous service dogs Mork from his job early after he was attacked by a few aggressive dogs and was unable to perform his duties as needed afterward.

“I went to flying around the country for work with Mork to being terrified to leave my house alone because I felt unsafe,” she said. “It crippled my independence in ways I couldn’t have predicted. … I’m still fearful of unknown dogs. Renata does help me through that, though.”

For the rest of the year, emotional support animals will continue to fly as service animals. By January, however, airlines may roll out new policies.

Jon Stout, manager of the Charles M. Schultz-Sonoma County Airport, said it’s not yet clear how local flights might be impacted. Alaska and American Airlines, which both service the Sonoma County airport, have not yet publicized any policy changes in response to the new rule.

“We’re kind of on the sidelines on this,” he said.

Mazzoni said she was grateful to have seen the efforts of airlines to provide more equitable services for people with disabilities. The changes made possible under the new rule will make an important impact, she said.

“The airlines have a very hard job, and a lot of them have really stepped up and tried to make this work,” Mazzoni said.

Arson Dog Teams

The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office is welcoming three new members to its team — and they’re all dogs.

K9 Phantom, K9 Gunny, and K9 PJ are the newest accelerant detection canines, also called arson dogs, to investigate suspicious fires in the state.

Officials said these dogs are highly trained to sniff out evidence at fire scenes.

The arson dogs will work with their human handler to help identify the cause of home or business fires, assist in cold crime cases, and uncover possible evidence in homicides.

K9 Phantom will work with Special Agent Michael Kuban to investigate fires in Will, Kane, and DuPage County. K9 Phantom, a 2-year-old male yellow Labrador retriever, is the first arson dog for Kuban.

K9 Gunny and Special Agent Kenny Arnold will investigate fires in Williamson County and the surrounding area. K9 Gunny is 2-and-a-half years old and is a male yellow Labrador retriever. He is the third canine partner for Arnold, replacing his recently retired partner, K9 Dollar.

K9 PJ is teaming up with Special Agent Jeff Pride to investigate fires in Marion County and the surrounding area. K9 PJ is a 2-year-old male yellow Labrador retriever. He is the fourth arson dog for Pride, replacing his recently retired partner, K9 Gemma.

Currently, Illinois has six certified arson dog teams in service.

Celebrate Your Pet

Military Working Dog

The silence is deafening as I stare into his eyes. He’s looking at me from 15 yards away, his gaze unwavering and I feel as if he’s staring into my soul. The suit I’m wearing is heavy and makes the thought of running a laughable idea. In my head I hear the faint whistle from the movie “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.”

Like gunslingers we size each other up. Both waiting for the other to make a move. I wonder if his heart is pounding as hard as mine. Does he even sweat? I’m sweating. I’m facing off against a military working dog (MWD) and there’s a good chance I’m going to lose this fight.

Working dogs are trained to perform a wide array of tasks and skills. In addition to patrol and combat capabilities, military working dogs also are experts in detection and aiding military, homeland security and law enforcement officials in finding things like explosives and narcotics.

Unlike most police dogs which are trained to a specific purpose, military working dogs are trained to be “dual purpose,” said Cpl. Cody Grosinky of Fort Sill’s 902nd Military Working Dog Detachment. Fort Sill’s MWDs are trained to either perform as explosives detection and patrol or narcotics detection and patrol.

The military has used working dogs since the Revolutionary War, initially as pack animals to carry equipment, and later, for more lethal purposes, such as killing rats in the trenches during the First World War.

By World War II use of working dogs had expanded to support military operations. The military deployed more than 10,000 specially trained canines, most as sentries, but others as scouts, messengers and mine detectors.

Today, working dogs are serving with U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as patrol dogs and explosives and drug detectors. Nearly 2,000 more working dogs provide similar services at U.S. bases and military posts around the world.

Training for all MWDs and their handlers takes place at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The 120-day program, conducted by the Air Force’s 341st Training Squadron, teaches the dogs basic obedience as well as more advanced skills, such as how to attack and how to sniff for specific substances.

Once the dogs receive their initial training, members of the 37th Security Forces teach the dogs and their trainers to work as a team where the dog’s human counterpart will learn the dogs signals when it’s “hitting” on a substance.

From Lackland, the dogs and their handlers will be sent to bases around the world, including Fort Sill. Once here, the training of both handler and canine doesn’t stop, said Grosinky. The dogs will learn to ride in helicopters, staying calm during gunfire and more detection training as well as obedience. The dogs also will need continual practice in detaining a fleeing subject, commonly referred to in the community as bite work.

Bite work training for the dogs is how I found myself in a Kevlar suit playing chase on a sunny day at Fort Sill.

Lolek, a 4-year-old German Shepherd trained in explosives detection and patrol, is my adversary. He’s lying calmly at Grosinky’s feet, but there’s an air about him that seems to say, “you’re going down, son.”

I hear a whisper to my right telling me to run, and like a bull on roller skates, I turn around and begin my turbo waddle toward freedom. My knees and elbows are pumping for all I’m worth, but the suit is so heavy and cumbersome that I’m making little headway. I’m hoping I can outrun Lolek and amaze, not only these soldiers watching me but the world, with my swiftness. Deep down I know I’m not going to get away and my only hope is that I don’t wet myself in front of these soldiers and our readers.

I never hear the command to attack from Grosinky to Lolek, and even if I did, it’s in a foreign language to prevent others from commanding the dogs, so I wouldn’t have understood it anyway. I never hear Lolek coming either. I’m not sure if that’s because my heart is pounding in my ears or he’s gone into stealth mode.

I’m almost to the point where I think I’m about to win this race of fools when suddenly I’m struck by a fur covered missile with teeth. As I’m bowled over, I realize I never stood a chance against Lolek. He’s got me on the ground and while the suit is protecting me, I can only imagine what it would be like if I was a real criminal or bad guy in battle. This guy would make me wish I was never born.

With another command Lolek is called back to his handler and I’m assisted to my feet. I’m no worse for wear but humbled by the sheer power of the small dog. So we do it again. With much the same result in the end.

For Lolek, this is a game he’s played many times and will continue to play until his retirement. Depending on health and other circumstances, the dogs can work for many years. At retirement, the handlers themselves can opt to keep the dogs or they can be sent out to organizations to be used as service animals.

Children’s Book About Therapy Dogs

Some of Brooke Young’s fondest childhood memories were formed in an unexpected place — a local nursing home.

At Oak Grove Manor, Young learned the value of serving others, bringing joy and forming relationships that span generations.

Now an adult, she hopes to pass on those values to the next generation of children through a heartfelt retelling of her precious memories. Young recently authored a children’s picture book called Murray’s Miraculous Mission. The book tells the story of a young girl who visits nursing homes with her therapy dog, bringing cheer to the residents and making new friends along the way.

The book is inspired by Young’s experiences visiting Oak Grove with her grandfather Larry Volz and a sweet, loving golden retriever named Molly.

“I was so compelled to write this story because I was able to experience multigenerational relationships at such a young age,” she said. “I was also able to learn at a very young age about the joy that comes from volunteering and serving your community.”

Young began writing her book earlier this year. Condensing the most meaningful moments into a 26-page children’s book was challenging.

“I went through this project during the quarantine time many, many times,” she said. “I’ve edited this thousand words, thousands of times.”

After writing, rewriting, polishing and editing, Young took her final product to a Halo Publishing, who connected her with illustrator Chad Thompson. Thompson has done illustrations for numerous children’s books and worked for Walt Disney Feature Animation studios.

“He brought my visions to life in the most beautiful, vibrant, compelling way that I could have imagined and I cannot thank him enough for being willing to do this,” Young said.

Young’s interest in therapy dogs took root when she was nine years old. She and her grandfather read a newspaper article about an increased need for therapy animals, which inspired them to spend an entire summer training the family pet.

“Neither of us knew anything about it, but knew that she was a loving dog and that it was a great way to spend time together,” Young said.

After months of working with Molly, the trio finally began visiting local nursing homes. Their favorite and most frequent stop was Oak Grove.

Helen Coleman, the activities director at Oak Grove Manor, said the residents looked forward to the group’s weekly visits. Some residents had pictures of Young and Molly on their refrigerators. Others kept dog treats in their rooms.

“The residents would get a kick out of Molly going in and going straight to the treat box,” she said.

Young, Volz and Molly went to Oak Grove on a regular basis for the next four or five years, until Molly passed away. During that time, Young developed a passion for therapy dogs, but also for volunteering and spending time with the elderly.

“I was able to expand my mind in a way that traditional friendships with only your peers does not allow. You can learn so much about topics that you may never have discussed with friends your age,” Young said. “Once you learn about the hardships, the struggles, the triumphs, the joys of someone else when you are so young, I feel that it opens your mind to the possibilities.”

While Murray’s Miraculous Mission is primarily based on Young’s experiences, there are two key differences.

In the book, the title character is a St. Bernard Poodle named Murray, modeled after Young’s current pet. Young made the switch in hopes that her pooch can make an appearance during virtual or in-person reading sessions with kids.

“All the stories are based on Molly, they show pictures of Murray, just because he’s really cute and he wants to say hi to people on Zoom,” Young said.

Young also decided not to create a character based on her grandfather. Volz passed away two years ago — something she doesn’t want to have to explain to young readers.

“I don’t want it to be too sad. I don’t want to cry at Zoom reads,” she said.

Although he doesn’t appear as a character in the story, Young dedicated the book to her grandfather in an author’s note.

“I’ve been wanting to do this since my grandpa passed away. It was something that I was very compelled to share just because those memories were such a huge part of my childhood,” she said. “He took initiative to take me, and he made it a priority in his life and by doing that, he showed me that serving others needed to be a priority in my life as well.”

Her grandmother, Tina Volz, said she teared up when she saw the dedication.

“They always looked forward to going together,” she said. “He was always ready to go. He dropped whatever he had going on when she wanted to go and they went.”

Young hopes the book will inspire young people to make a difference in whatever way they can.

She also hopes to raise public awareness about the role of therapy dogs.

There are some children’s books out there about service dogs, Young said, but stories about therapy dogs are rare.

The primary difference between service dogs and therapy dogs is that service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for a single person, while therapy dogs provide more general emotional support to multiple people.

Seeing-eye dogs, seizure-response dogs and emotional-support dogs are all examples of service animals.

“Therapy dogs are not trained as intensively, but they are trained to help people in environments where people need emotional support. So places like hospitals, nursing homes, cancer centers, hospice, assisted living — all of these places employ therapy dogs, because they help provide emotional support, comfort and meaningful relationships,” Young explained.

Some studies have shown that time with a therapy dog can lower blood pressure and improve mental health.

Coleman said she hopes to welcome therapy animals back to Oak Grove as soon as public health conditions allow.

“Brooke, Molly and other volunteers become part of the family. I so much miss my volunteers,” Coleman said.

Animals that are calm, friendly and not startled by sudden noises or movements are the best fit.

“I definitely welcome volunteers of any type, but especially pets. You can’t get a better combination, pets and kids,” Coleman said.

Family Gets Service Dog

On Dec. 17, 2012, Nichole and John Flemens’ son, Canton, made his way into the world, but their lives would be changed forever a couple of months later when they learned that Canton had a stroke in utero.

They went through therapy with their son, and things were progressing well when they learned shortly before his third birthday that Canton was going to have seizures for the rest of his life. Canton was diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a difficult to treat form of epilepsy where seizures often do not respond to anti-seizure medication. Those with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome can have different types of seizures; Nichole Flemens said her son will have three to five seizures a day, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on what is going on.

Due to the seizures, Canton lost his ability to walk, and his mother said he does not talk as much as he used to; he does still give nuzzles and kisses, expressing his love to his parents when they are with him.

A school nurse for the Magnolia Kindergarten, Nichole Flemens said she is an advocate for children with special needs because she knows how it feels as a parent to have her child looked at like they are different.

“Most people fall in love when they meet him,” she said over the phone, choking up as she spoke.

“I think God definitely put Canton with us for a reason. People tell me all the time I don’t know how you do this. Some days it’s easier and some days it’s hard, and we know what we have to do because that’s what we were given and you have to make the best of it,” she added.

Nichole Flemens said she was doing research on ways she could help to make Canton’s life easier when she came across the organization 4 Paws for Ability, based in Xenia, Ohio. The organization provides seizure alert dogs, mobility dogs and dogs that can do various things for children.

She contacted the organization, which sent her and info packet. The family applied for a dog and were approved in February of 2018.

“It is kind of (like) a waiting list, but they want to make sure your dog is trained specifically for your needs. The put us on an August, 2020 class time date, but due to corona(virus) we got pushed back to October, 2020,” Nichole Flemens said. “It’s about a two- to three-year long wait for the training process and the match, which is what they call picking the dog for the child.”

She said she was informed the organization puts about $60,000-$80,000 into training a service dog, but because it is a nonprofit, it tries to cover as much as possible through donations. The normal cost for a family is around $17,000.

“Once we got approved, we put it on my Facebook page that Canton would be put on a list to receive a service dog, but due to the cost we would be doing some fundraisers,” Canton’s mother said.

John Flemens was working for Albemarle at that time. One of his coworkers reached out to the family and suggested that the Albemarle Foundation could host a barbecue, a project the organization has done in the past to raise money for others in need. Nichole Flemens said that was when the ball started rolling on the fundraising.

During late March, 2018 when the fundraiser was held, not only were the employees of Albemarle involved, but the communities of Magnolia, Camden and El Dorado donated money in support of Canton. With the help of contributions from companies, organizations and individuals, the family received more than double their goal in a month’s time.

“It was pretty amazing,” Nichole Flemens said. “The Albemarle Foundation and everybody was amazing. People I don’t even know donated money. There are children that wait three to five years to make the amount of money that we did in less than a month, so sometimes coming from a small town makes a big difference.”

Before their dog’s arrival, Nichole Flemens sent seizure shirts to aid in its training; Canton wears the white shirts, and when he has a seizure, a smell that the dog can recognize is emitted, allowing the dog to alert others to Canton’s seizure.

On October 4, the family made their way to Xenia, Ohio for the training at 4 Paws for Ability, where they finally got to meet Alton, their Labrador Retriever-Golden Retriever-Newfoundland Retriever, in person.

“It is very emotional, but exciting that the dog is so excited to see you,” Nichole Flemens said. “He connected with our family very quickly.”

There was a big reveal day, with 10 people in the class when the dogs were brought out to their families. Alton pre-alerted to one of Canton’s seizures during the training, stepping into action on just the second day of the family’s training period.

They brought Alton home on October 17; Nichole Flemens said now he is another member of the family. She said Alton has adjusted well as the family and working dog. For her children, they got used to having a dog in the home.

“Canton was excited but not real sure at first,” his mother said, adding that Alton would lick all over him. Now, Canton has gotten more comfortable with his new furry friend, letting Alton run all over him and sitting atop the dog himself.

Alton’s training isn’t over yet; he’s now learning to bark when Canton has a seizure in order to alert the rest of the family. Nichole Flemens said this ensures that no matter where in the house she or her husband are, Alton is able to reach them quickly and effectively.

She added that this is all thanks to the members of the community that helped her family bring Alton home.

“All I can say is thank you,” she said. “We have a child who was given a difficult life and people have tried to help us to make that easier for him — not only easier medically, but just to have somebody who can be his friend, and we would never be able to thank everybody but we want to let them know that we appreciated it.”

She said a major thanks goes out to Ouachita, Union and Columbia counties for helping out when they saw a family in need. She said the family is getting ready to start bringing Alton to more places in town, and that if anybody sees him, they can feel free to pet him as long as they ask.

Forever Friendship

Some friendships are built to last, and one of them is between Cpl. Dustin Borchardt and his military working dog, Pearl. The two have been together for six years, an unusually long time compared to most handler-MWD relationships, Borchardt explained. But their friendship wasn’t always so stable.

“We showed up to Fort Campbell at the same time,” Borchardt said in a recent press release about first meeting Pearl. “I was absolutely terrified. She was less than a year old, jumping all over the place. I was fresh out of training, and I had no idea what I was doing.”

But soon the two got on the same wavelength. Over the year and a half they trained together, Pearl’s hyper puppy stage faded while Borchardt grew more confident in their abilities. They learned the skills of explosives detection, bite techniques and force protection.

Borchardt still remembers their first mission together: pulling guard duty at Trump Tower in New York City for then president-elect Donald Trump, where they stayed in a hotel room together for three weeks. After that, Borchardt and Pearl served on several secret service missions before deploying to Afghanistan with the 1st and 10th Special Forces Groups.

“Pearl had 30-plus confirmed finds ranging from homemade to military grade explosives, and multiple unconfirmed,” Borchardt said. “We were able to get everybody back home safe. We did our job and nobody got hurt.”

The soldier said Pearl saved his life multiple times in Afghanistan. The two has since been assigned to the 100th Military Police Detachment based in Stuttgart, Germany. Usually, military working dogs are assigned to one base for most of their lives, while handlers rotate between duty stations. But this pair is unique in that they’ve stayed together through multiple assignments. It’s gotten to the point where they can read each other’s body language.

“I just look at her and she knows what she needs to do,” Borchardt said. “I’ve picked up on her little mannerisms when she’s found something or when she’s excited. Flicks her ears, wags her tail.”

If Borchardt taps his chest, Pearl leaps up to plant her two front paws on him for a quick embrace as he pets her ears. As they walk, she matches his pace. At night, Borchardt often wakes up to Pearl laying on his chest like she’s still that growing puppy he met six years ago.

Borchardt isn’t the only one happy to have Pearl around. At Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, where the two support a NATO-led peacekeeping mission, other soldiers stop to give her plenty of pets. Borchardt said Pearl loves the attention.

“Knowing there’s an explosive trained dog here helping keep everything safe is a big morale booster,” he said. “She’s definitely spoiled by the people on camp.”

After years of secret service and combat missions, the pair now spends most of their time searching vehicle traffic coming into Camp Bondsteel, Borchardt explained. They also sometimes go out with explosive ordnance disposal units and help with route and helicopter landing zone clearance missions.

“If there’s a special event, before COVID-19, we’d be involved with searching the event and providing security,” the soldier said.

But Borchardt has his eyes on a different mission someday in the future. When Pearl is too old to work, his plan is to adopt her and help her transition to the “couch potato life.”

“She’s the best dog in the world,” Borchardt said. “She’s got my back and I’ve got hers. It’s been a really amazing experience working with her, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Nursing Home Gets A Furry Surprise

The holidays can be a lonely time for nursing home residents. That rings particularly true in 2020 when most residents cannot have in-person visits with family members.

The Triple Creek Retirement Community had a special guest Friday to help with the isolation and to bring some holiday cheer.

Annie Rose, a 3-year-old therapy dog, held window visits with several residents.

Several of them even greeted her with hand-drawn signs, expressing their excitement.

“It gives us pleasure just to take Annie around and let her look in the window for a few seconds and give them a few seconds of happiness,” said Jack Rahn.

He and his wife Lori take care of Annie Rose and bring her to nursing facilities several times a year. Triple Creek has become a favorite stop for them around the holidays.

“Our parents were elderly and they were in nursing homes and you can’t imagine how these people feel not necessarily knowing what’s going on on the outside,” Jack Rahn said.

This year, they know it is especially important for residents to feel connected to the outside world.

“We want them to know that the outside world is still thinking about them, cares about them and loves them,” Lori Rahn said. “They love her. They look forward to her visits.”

Mollie Zinser, who works for Trilogy Health Services, the retirement facility’s parent company, said 2020 has been difficult on staff members and residents.

“COVID has been a long road, particularly for our residents and the opportunity to see the joy that Annie Rose brought to them today, I think we all needed to see a little bit of that,” she said. “It was exactly what they needed as we approach the holidays.”

She explained that the facility’s life enrichment team coordinated visits with residents in different parts of the building.

“Those are the folks that you would have seen today that were going room to room, changing their PPE each time, making sure that the residents got to the window,” she said.

Dorothy Gillespie is one of the residents who was visibly excited about Annie Rose’s visit.

“You come back again, Annie. Anytime,” she told the dog.

“Don’t tell her I like cats,” she joked with the Rahns.

Gillespie’s children have come for window visits at the nursing facility, but she said she misses hugging them. She is disappointed they won’t be able to have a big family Christmas dinner this year.

“There’s Linda, there’s Tommy, there’s Bobby and there’s Betty,” she said. “Merry Christmas. I can’t see you in person, but I’m thinking about you.”

Stolen Therapy dog Sammy