Client Stories

Charlie Lends a Helping Paw

Alberta Committee for Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD) member Larry Pempeit first met Charlie, his service dog, during the second week of December 2007. Since that time, Larry says his life has changed "big time." Larry enjoys getting out of the house daily, "even in the winter," and feels he lives a fuller life because of the increased mobility Charlie grants him. When asked how his relationship with Charlie has grown, he replies "she is the whole package deal, a really great friend."

ACCD believes in the power of education and works to increase the public's understanding of the circumstance surrounding the lives of people with disabilities. With this philosophy in mind, Larry gives the following advice about how to respond when encountering a service dog at work: "Guide dogs and service dogs are trained to assist individuals with all kinds of disabilities. Before you or your children pet a service dog, you need to ask the owner if it is okay. Remember, the dog is working and shouldn't be distracted from its duties."

As well as working with the public, ACCD monitors government and community programs and services with the intent of educating decision-makers about the circumstances of people with disabilities. So, when the provincial government was reviewing service dog legislation in 2006 and 2007, ACCD was happy to meet with MLA Rob Lougheed to provide input. Now, the Alberta Government is developing the policies and procedures that will accompany the Act. These guidelines will "help to ensure that Albertans who use service dogs have access to public areas without discrimination, and will increase awareness about service dogs and issues faced by people with disabilities" (Government of Alberta Seniors and Community Supports, www.seniors.gov.ab.ca). If you have questions about service dog etiquette, please contact ACCD.

Website: www.accd.net

Greg & Super-dog, Chase, make Great Team

by Greg Carrier with Wynne Edwards

If you ask Greg Carrier how his dog Chase helps him, prepare for a lengthy answer. Since they became partners in 2007, Chase has assumed a list of tasks.

She is invaluable for Greg's mobility problems, particularly in the winter on ice. Wearing a harness designed for this purpose, she steadies him as he walks. Greg's night vision "isn't so great," but now he can safely burn the midnight oil at U of A where he works on his Master's degree. Chase guides him safely around the university, indicating curbs, stairs, and escalators.

Chase is also a hearing dog. She pokes Greg with her nose to alert him when someone is calling or the doorbell is ringing. If he's sitting down, she'll use her head to lift and drop his arm a couple of times. - her way of saying "Someone's at the door! Move it already!"

When Greg drops something, Chase picks it up, a distinct help when Greg doesn't hear the object hit the floor. A friend calls it "her party trick" when Chase retrieves a dime.

Chase also provides stress relief in their busy life by "telling me that it's time to take a break from thesis-writing to go for a walk or play fetch. I can't help but smile when I watch her happily chase after her beloved ball."

Greg says Chase is accepted everywhere they go. People often ask about her. She is quite popular with kids on the bus and the LRT. "And before anyone asks, she's not a chick magnet yet. We're still working on that one!"

When asked how Chase has changed his life, Greg chose these words: "The biggest thing she's done in terms of my life is make me feel safe."