Give and Take

The title of this article is often a statement that does not get the respect it deserves, because our lives are balanced by Give and Take. Each word represents a space in time; the only thing we know for sure is that "no two objects may occupy the same space at the same time", and more often than not, things are taken not given. We live our lives by whatever our conscience allows, following rules that we had no part in making, with the majority of the population agreeing to live within the confines of these rules. Those who choose not to agree, will most likely, have their freedom taken away from them. People, places and things are taken from us in a variety of ways: death, departure, choice, happenstance, mistake, and a missed opportunity (the list can go on). What happens when something is taken? Must we first place a value upon that of which is taken? My first instinct upon writing this was to say no; why should everything have a value? Well, because everything DOES have a value and each individual determines the value of what has been taken.

I lost an earring on Thanksgiving; it was my mother's and taken from me by accident. My mother was taken from me by death over fourteen years ago, but her death opened a space for my first granddaughter, who was given to my daughter (and her husband) and to me. The passage of these two events somehow seem "fair" to me. Then a dear friend and business associate of mine had so much taken from her over a year ago. She struggles with life each day, too stubborn to give up! She had a Service Canine who was with her when her "taken" event occurred in the form of a horrific automobile accident. The give was there in the form of a new automobile (van), but there was also a take, which presented a great sacrifice. Did these two events seem "fair"? Only on the surface, one would say "yes". A duck glides across the surface of the water; we never see how fast his feet are moving. Like the duck, she kept on trying to move forward, but for whatever reason, she became "stuck".

I know what it is like to be "stuck" - it is that place between give and take. I am now with a chronic health issue that placed me in a position where I had to give what was important to me: My own Service Canine and adorable cat. Why do I feel that they have been taken from me? In order for my body to start a long and undetermined time to heal, I must rest. Without rest, I will not heal and I cannot rest while tending to the needs of both my Service Canine and cat; I must be patient and wait. The give will come when I am ready and I will no longer be in the middle of give and take - otherwise known as "stuck".

I am happy to relay my friend has reached another give and take event in her life, but it is hard to define which event is the give and which is the take. Over months of her being "stuck", it became very apparent that her canine would no longer serve her as a Service Canine. He, somehow, was stuck in the moment of the accident and never fully recovered with task performance. Was he taken from her? Yes, in a way, but on the other hand, did she give him the opportunity to live his life as a dog? Her former canine now with a new master, will undoubtedly spend many years romping and playing on the beach in Sarasota, Florida. My friend struggled with her decision for months, repeatedly hoping and assisting her loved canine to resume his task performance, but it never occurred and the months turned into over a year. It was a time for her to "give".

The two of us researched breeders and potential canines intended for Task Performance. To our surprise the Golden Doodle, (the breeding of a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle), were a top choice for many persons with disabilities requiring a Service Canine. Locating a breeder devoted to this newer species, efficient and conscientious as well as caring, was the next task. Several days after selecting the breed, my friend's give/take event became a give/take moment in her life. A breeder in Kentucky had a small litter of Golden Doodles from one of their females with two males and a female. With an odd coincidence immediately after the female's birth, a male birthing collar with small frogs on it, (intended for a male), was placed around the female puppy's neck. The breeder's crew began referring to her as "Froggy" and by the time, the mix-up was discovered the canine began relating to her name. The breeders had only this one little "Doodle" left, a female they intended to keep as a breeding canine. Their next Doodle (F1) litter was not expected for puppy delivery until April 2008. This was a give/take event if ever there was one!

My friend was ready to take the puppy after spending several days interviewing by both telephone and email, and an afternoon of watching the Doodle in the surroundings of the breeder's kennel she came to know as home. The breeders were not ready to give (release) her, until they were convinced my friend would give her the care and affection Froggy deserved. All fell into place when my friend accompanied the Breeders to the Veterinarian for the 12-week old puppy's final health check and consultation. The Veterinarian confirmed this Doodle puppy was an excellent candidate to be trained as a Service Canine. Fortunately, it became a very big GIVE moment for the Breeder's and my friend. The puppy would serve as a Service Canine instead of a female breeder. The breeders did give the little Doodle to my friend, because they never would have allowed this special little Doodle to go if they had any doubt my friend would not take good care of her. The little Doodle, now named Princess Froggie Loveable Doodle, entered a new beginning. She and her new owner are starting on a journey of Give and Take, remembering that give is a complement to take; it will take both to achieve the ideal Service Canine to replace my friend's former Service Canine and it appears the two of them are well on their way with a successful journey.

Note: The word "give" in this article does not imply, "giving away", but rather the paring of the puppy and the Handler. Costs can and will vary for canines intended to be used as Service Animals. When obtaining a canine for Task Performance, cost should not be a factor. What is more important is the reputation of the Breeder and relationship between the canine and human obtaining the potential Service Animal.

Upon returning from a trip on the Gulf Coast on April 29, 2007, a smaller canine allowed his natural instinct to sprint away from his Handler after riding in a vehicle for nearly four-hours. This "testing" canine looked back not once, but twice, and then sprinted for the road in front of the house. It was not possible for the Handler to stop him, because he darted in between two residences and by the time his Handler reached the front yard, he was heading west with all of his incredible speed. The Handler decided to sit on the front porch and wait for someone to telephone her; typical of what has happened in the past, but no telephone rang. After about 20-minutes, she spotted the canine to the east at a neighbor's house and called out to him. The canine sheepishly returned to her side, with approximately a 4-inch diameter of wet hair on his back, above the tail.

The Handler's first thought were sand fleas from the Gulf state she visited probably causing him to lick the area, making the hair rather damp but on the next afternoon, she noticed the spot was larger, missing hair and called his veterinarian. The Handler decided to bathe him before taking him in to see his doctor, but by the time she finished, it was too late for the visit. On May 1, 2007, the Handler made a frantic call early in the morning to the Veterinarian's office when seeing the canine was missing more hair and the spot had increased in size. Her Service Animal underwent surgery that morning, to clean the area and remove the skin, but no sand fleas or other insects of any kind were found by his veterinarian and a mystery as to what happened was left unresolved.

After nearly ten days of recovery, the Handler became increasingly suspicious and his Veterinarian again saw her Service Animal on May 9, 2007. "This looks to me like a burn - a serious burn, and we need to remove these layers of skin that have hardened into a crust". The Veterinarian explained as he gently touched the area while the canine sat quietly - the skin was dead. "We, as Handler's for Service Canines are not supposed to get 'attached' to our working animals", she explained with tears in her eyes." The doctor nodded his head and acknowledged the difficulty she was experiencing and then the Handler left her Service Canine at 2:15 PM within good hands and returned home to wait. At 5 PM, she returned to the Animal Clinic to retrieve her 'support system', who seemed not bothered at all by having the dermal layers of skin removed from his back for a third degree burn he suffered when someone evidently threw something at him during his escape on April 29. It was later determined a product known as a grass and weed killer was squirted at her Service Canine when he apparently approached a stranger in a front yard, which caused the third degree burn. A police report was filed. The wound healed and the animal recovered.

Service Canines are prime targets for horrible accidents if they are natural "sprinters" and can become "targets" or get hit by a car darting across the road. They can also suffer trauma from various types of accidents and some canines may never be able to regain their learned tasks or be able to continue performing as Service Canines. Remember, no matter how well trained your Service Animal may be, he/she is still an animal with natural instincts that no amount of training can prevent! Protect your Service Animal by being aware of his/her character AND birth given instincts!