Faces
A puppy’s journey includes a stop at church W
orshipers at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Westerville, Ohio, didn’t know it, but they were a
test case for Leslie Young. New to the area, Young attended services at St. Paul a few times and hoped to make it her home congrega- tion. But there was a potential hurdle. Young raises puppies for Canine Companions for Independence or CCI (
www.cci.org), and one of her jobs is to socialize dogs in public settings. So she decided to take her puppy-in-training to worship. If she was welcomed, she would stay. If not, she would look elsewhere. “I was more than greeted by a lot of people,” said Young, who is work- ing with her third dog in a process
100 plus
106: Paula E. Renkert, St. John, Wil- mette, Ill. 102: Albert Keck Jr., St. Andrew, Hickory, N.C.; Ferne Zody, Augsburg, Orrville, Ohio. 101: Helen Foxall, Edison Park, Chicago; Kathleen Huss, Bethphage, Lincoln- ton, N.C. 100: Lucille Andres, St. Paul, Alpena, Mich.; Ruth Bang, St. Paul, Red Wing, Minn.; Sylvia Collum, Glo- ria Dei, Hancock, Mich.; Raymond Cupples Sr., Grace, Clarion, Pa.; Agnes Ehrhardt, Atonement, Barrington, Ill.; Helen Hilpipre, First, Clarion, Iowa; Toini Koski, Bethlehem, DeKalb, Ill.; Olivia Neubauer, Ashburn, Chicago; Mabel Olson, Calvary, Perham, Minn.; Louise Snyder, Wheatland, Buchanan, Va.; Thelma Geiger Wolfe, Upper Wolf, Robinson, Kan.
Share your accomplishments, awards and 100+ members in “Faces.” Send to:
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Leslie Young and her puppy-in-training find a welcoming congregation at St. Paul Lutheran, Westerville, Ohio. As a volunteer for Canine Companions for Independence, she socializes dogs in public settings.
that takes up to 18 months. “They were very interested in what I was doing. They were very supportive.”
CCI provides dogs for those in need of special services and companionship.
Volunteers are key: they teach the puppies about 30 commands, along with general socializing skills. After that, a professional trainer works with the dog for about six months before possible placement.
“I had read an article about this one woman who had cerebral palsy and how much the dog meant to her,” Young said. So she filled out an application and had a phone interview. About nine months later she received her first dog, which now has been placed with a man in her area. The second one is nearing the end of its professional training, while the third one remains in her care. A couple of the most challenging commands Young teaches are “side,” which is when the dog walks in front of its companion and moves to the other side, and “underneath,” which is when the dog sits under a chair, table or even a pew without moving or making noise. “I don’t take them to a social setting until I am sure they are ready for it,” she said. “Whatever I do is a reflection of [CCI], and I hold them in the highest regard.” Young’s positive first experience bringing the dog to St. Paul might have never happened if she hadn’t gotten lost one day while driving. She happened by the church, liked its pastoral setting and decided to give it a try. Now Young and her dogs-in-training are fixtures in the congregation. “I don’t know if I would call what I do a ministry,” she said. “I’m just lucky that I can do it. I don’t mind getting up with a puppy in the middle of the night to take it outside. I just think of this as a way to give to someone who needs it. If I can get one of these dogs through the training, I can’t think of a better gift to give someone.”
Jeff Favre
Favre is a contributing editor of The Lutheran. Carol J. Kehlmeier, a freelancer and member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Westerville, Ohio, contributed to t his article.
April 2012 43
CAROL J. KEHLMEIER
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