Goodwill, McKamey unite to ease service dog shortage

Every weekday morning, Terri Rice sits down for breakfast at Panera Bread, a ritual she wouldn’t enjoy without the Labrador-golden retriever mix at her side.

Brooke, a 3-year-old guide dog, waits patiently while Ms. Rice places her order and eats her meal. After breakfast, the two board a bus for Signal Centers on Dodds Avenue where Ms. Rice works as a counselor.

“She has literally given me back my independence and freedom,” said Ms. Rice, 48. “I can go out and do anything on my own without having to depend on another person. I feel completely safe with her by my side.”

Ms. Rice, who lost her eyesight 17 years ago, couldn’t lead her life of independence without the service dog that she’s had for two years.

“When people have a disability, they have a loss,” Ms. Rice said. “They are missing something that helps them to be functional in life. Assistance dogs enable self-sufficiency and independence.”

Demand for guide and assistance dogs outstrips the supply of trained animals, but a partnership between Goodwill Industries and McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center aims to change that.

The organizations will create the Goodwill Assistance Dog Academy to provide trained dogs for physically disabled clients in need of help within Goodwill’s 23-county service area.

Cyndee Sims, Goodwill’s vice president of mission services, said the local Goodwill chapter will be the first in the nation to launch a service dog training program. The program, she said, is an extension of Goodwill’s HELPs — Health Equipment Link Program services, which provides new and used medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and walkers, free to those in need.

Nationally, less than 1 percent of those needing trained dogs to help with daily tasks, such as answering doors, retrieving dropped items and even helping with the laundry, have them, Mrs. Sims said.

“It takes a long time for a client to get a dog,” she said. “Most programs charge $20,000 to $25,000 for a trained service dog.

Fundraising plans are in the works to help raise the $100,000 budgeted for the program. The first fundraiser, Dogs on the Catwalk, will be held in May. The event will showcase the latest in spring styles for people and pets.

Mrs. Sims said the goal in 2009 is to have four rescued dogs brought to the McKamey Animal Center where they will be trained and paired with clients.

The first canine trainee will be a golden retriever from Tennessee Valley Golden Retriever Rescue. This dog will be the “spokesdog” for the Goodwill Assistance Dog Academy.

Dennis Brice, president and chief executive officer of the local Goodwill, said the dog academy fits in with the model of service Goodwill provides.

“Goodwill has a long history of giving people a second chance,” he said. “Now we’ll be giving rescued dogs a second chance.”

The dog-training academy will be housed at the McKamey Animal Center, a new 26,000-square-foot facility expected to open by mid-summer on Access Road in Hixson. Clients enrolled in Goodwill’s employment development program will be able to volunteer at the center, which is compliant with federal Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

McKamey Executive Director Dr. Amanda Wojtalik-Courter said the partnership with Goodwill bolsters the center’s mission of community involvement.

“It’s a natural link,” she said. “Service, education, outreach. It’s both of our mission statements encapsulated.”