As we enter into our 20^th year of service, things are getting more exciting than ever! We continue to meet so many wonderful, interesting people. It never ceases to amaze me just how many caring people are eager to help us out. Since our summer open house, many new enthusiastic supporters have sponsored a variety of special fundraising events including: the "Applause for Paws" benefit concert, the Kids Carnival at Emmit Belknap Middle School, the Dice Run by the Niagara Harley Owners Group of WNY, the Dog Walk by the Towpath Optimist Club, the "International Massage Week" benefit in Wheatfield, and the "Care to Share" program at The Bon-Ton. Other benefits were held at Flattery’s in West Seneca, Eddie Bauers at the Boulevard Mall, and Coffee And in Niagara Falls.

We had booths at the State Lions’ Convention, Buffalo Kennel Club Shows, Conewango Valley Kennel Club Shows, the Wild Life Festival, A Taste of Amish at the Depot, Summit Park Mall’s "Do Gooders Bazaar", Abilities Resource Expo, and Christmas in the Country Craft Show.

Many Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops volunteer at our center and fund raise for us. Troop #841 is extra ambitious. Their goal is to raise enough money for a full dog sponsorship, which is a HUGE challenge for a group of kids to take on! Their first event, a pop can drive, was unbelievably successful, and we wish them the best of luck!

Since open house Canine Helpers has also appeared on three television programs and has been featured in five newspapers. We have done 68 demonstrations for service groups, churches, schools, businesses, senior citizens and many other interested groups. Needless to say, we are all keeping busy.

I usually hesitate to mention specific names of groups for fear I will leave someone out. If I failed to mention you, please understand it certainly was not intentional. You are all important to us. If your group would like to be recognized in our newsletter, please let us know.

All of you – literally thousands of you – deserve a huge round of applause for your dedication to Canine Helpers and to our clients. You are phenomenal and invaluable to us.

In addition to custom training our dogs to meet the variety of special needs of our clients, Canine Helpers also does pet visitations at nursing homes. With the help of our staff and dedicated volunteer Kathy Dubois, our dogs can go to facilities such as Crestwood for therapeutic visitations. I don’t know who enjoys it more, the smiling residents, caring Kathy or our tail-wagging dogs!

Saturdays have become "community service day" at Canine Helpers’ training center each week. Many schools require their students to volunteer a number of hours to community service before graduating. And many of these students enjoy earning their credit hours by volunteering at Canine Helpers. They walk, groom and play with the dogs, as well as teach basic obedience. Not only do WE appreciate the students’ help, but the DOGS love it as well! In return, the kids learn many new skills including how to understand and train their own pets, as well as patience, commitment, and the great feeling that comes from helping others. We have a great time and everyone benefits!

Hi, my name is Jeanne. I have progressive degenerative spine disease, along with several other medical problems. My Canine Helper is called "Matsi". She is a lovely Shiloh Shepherd with a very gentle and caring temperament. She helps me do different tasks that are painful or difficult for me to do, such as help me keep my balance and help me get up and down off furniture. She picks up objects, helps me on the stairs, carries groceries for me, and opens doors so I needn’t put things down. She is also good therapy for me, as I am basically shy and from time to time I suffer from depression. She always makes me laugh and is always thinking.

"Matsi" has brought much joy into my life and has helped me through some real trying times, including the loss of my beloved "Joshua"…my first Canine Helper. My quality of life is so much improved because of Canine Helpers, my family, and the others who have supported me. I can never thank Canine Helpers enough for being there, not only for me, but for so many other people with disabilities. I love "Matsi" very much (my husband does too) and we’re looking forward to many years as a team.

Hello! My name is Richard Ross and my Canine Helper is a beautiful Golden Retriever named "Cayanne". She is two years old now. I started training with her when she was one. The first time "Cayanne" alerted me to a seizure, I hadn’t even decided which dog I was going to take. I was at the Center looking at all the dogs and "Cayanne" picked up on a seizure I was about to have and alerted me to it. That sure made my decision a lot easier, and I started training with her right away. After completing our training at Canine Helpers, "Cayanne" came home to me on July 4^th 2002 and we continued to train at home and in public. When I have a seizure at home, "Cayanne" goes and calls my aunt or sister by pawing them and bringing them back to wherever I am in the house. At night she gets my aunt from her bed and brings her to my room for help. When I am out in public, "Cayanne" alerts me by pawing me, turning in circles and panting to let me know that I’m going to have a seizure. That way I can prepare for it and be in a safe place.

"Cayanne" goes with me every where, which makes it easier for me to go out and be safe and more independent. She also picks things up for me like books, keys and paper, cans of food or money, and just about everything else I may drop or can’t get to, like a phone. "Cayanne" is also my best friend and buddy, and she gives me a lot of love and the confidence to do things that I might not do without her.

Hi! My name is Alisa McFarland. I am 11 years old and I have Friedreich’s Ataxia, which is a degenerative neuro-muscular condition. It makes it hard for me to walk or keep my balance, and I drop things a lot.

We went to Canine Helpers to see if I could get a dog to help me. They said that a dog could help me do a lot of things, so then I had to choose one. It was hard because I loved all of them! But "Gabriel" and I picked each other! He is a 2 year old Golden Retriever and is very careful with me and watches how I walk. We started training together in September and now we are a team! He wears a harness that I can hold on to when I walk so I won’t fall, and I can use him as a brace to help me get up. He also picks up things that I drop, like pens and pencils, paper, books, his leash, the phone and lots of other things. He goes to school with me and helps me there too! The teachers and kids all smile when they see him. We practice every day and we have become best friends. Sometimes I get sad and cry, but now I have "Gabe" there. I used to go hide by myself but now he can be with me and he puts his head in my lap so I feel better. I have a nickname for him…I call him "Gabe Baby". I love his name because I think of him as my Arch Angel, but he is also my "Big Puppy".

The people at Canine Helpers were very nice to me, even though I was scared at first. Training with "Gabe" was very hard at first, but my trainers helped me through it and it was worth all the work! "Gabe" is my helper and my friend. We will have lots of years to play together and help each other. We count on each other everyday and that makes me very happy!

BEWARE OF ANTIFREEZE!

It tastes sweet and even small amounts can be DEADLY to your pets.

All kinds of chemicals and compounds are used to melt ice in the winter.

Make sure to wipe you pet’s feet and any other part of them that may have come

in contact with it.

Sherry & Jeff Redden ~ Willowynd Kennels ~ for donating Golden Retriever "Gabriel"

In recognition of Canine Helpers’ upcoming 20^th anniversary, we are putting together a photo album and bulletin board of all our special teams. If you would like to be included, would you please send us a photo of you and your dog that we can keep for our album?

We look forward to hearing from ALL OF YOU!

Agway

Buffalo Milk Bone Bakery

Carson’s Homemade Pies

Di Camillo’s Restaurant

Eddie’s Brewery & Grill

Hahn’s

Irene’s Flower Shop

La Port’s Pine St. Restaurant

Mark’s Pizzeria

Middleport Family Health Center

Pam’s Pet Grooming

Pizza Hut – Niagara Falls

Regis Salon – Lockport

Richard Ross

Jeanne Schmidt

Shataf Kennels

Travis’ Dairy Queen – Niagara Falls

The Hairloom

Town of Niagara Lions Club

Todd & Shirley Underwood

U-Save – Lockport

Akron’s House of Spirits

Braccettos Restaurant

Don & Betty Clark

Domenico Chiropractic Offices

Fantastic Sams – Lockport

Hoagie Brothers – Lockport

Julie’s Seebreeze Restaurant

Rose Lederhouse

Clara Martin

Mills Jewelers – Lockport

Austin & Shirley Park

Pizza Place II

Reid’s Hot Dog Stand

Sanborn Antique – General Store

Dave Schumacher

Shurfine Foods – Newfane

The Alps Chalet

Tim Horton’s Donuts – Lockport

Tops Market – Lockport

Marion Underwood

Valu Home Center

Basil Ford Inc.

Bucolo’s Greenhouse & Farms

Delta Sonic Car Wash

Diane Drew – Longaberger

Goodman’s Farm Market

Home Depot – Lockport

Bill & Doreen Kish

Long John Silvers – Lockport

Elena Martin

Old Sanborn Milling Co. – Antiques & Collectibles

Puppy Love Dog Bakery

R.J.’s Ice Cream

Sanborn Greenhouses

Schwab’s Farm

Richard & Shirley Thompson

The Ground Round – Niagara Falls

Timber Lodge Steakhouse

Treichler & Sons – Greenhouses & Farm

Walnut Street Liquor

YES! We still collect TOPS register tapes and the front panels from CAMPBELL products. Once again I would like to thank all that send them to Canine Helpers. If you want to save postage, you can cut them to envelope-size as long as the total and Tops’ name show.

We turn in about 3" of them, depending on the style of tape.

Hilde Henricks has been a very big help collecting tapes for us for many years, but you can also send them directly to the Canine Helpers center where we will start cutting and adding right away. We receive $1.00 for each $600 in tapes, and with so many caring people involved, they add up fast! We are always happy to welcome new senders, so please pass the word on

to your friends.

Thank you again for helping our mission, and for the welcomed notes some of you add.

As always, we’ll have a container for your tapes at Open House and hope to see you there!