Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

Watauga Public Library Presents New Life Mobility Assistance Dogs May 15

Story by Celeste von Mangan

Most people take the mundane, everyday tasks of life for granted: picking up a dropped item, pushing an elevator button, shutting an open door or getting a soda from the refrigerator. Yet for those who are challenged with physical handicaps, these small tasks can become monumental problems.

Karen Brown, president and founder of New Life Assistance Mobility Dogs, Inc., knows all about the heartache and frustration that arise when you cannot perform a simple task. In 1985, Brown was diagnosed with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. As the years progressed, so did the disease, until Brown was confined to a wheelchair. On her journey toward a new life, Brown began working with an assistance dog and founded NLMAD, a nonprofit that specializes in the rescue and training of shelter dogs to assist persons with disabilities.

On Tuesday, May 15, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Watauga County Public Library, Brown will present a program about her organization.

“They’re going to be presenting a program on how and why Karen rescued animals from shelters and trained them to assist disabled people,” said Evelyn Johnson, adult services librarian and coordinator of the assistance dog presentation. “They will be bringing dogs with them and they will have the dogs demonstrate their abilities to assist disabled persons.”

Brown’s goal for NLMAD is to provide a new life for both dog and recipient, and she rescues many dogs from the Wilkes County Animal Control Shelter—a high-kill facility that euthanizes more than 7,000 canines every year.

During the dogs’ 6- to 18-month training, they develop an incredible repertoire of skills. After training, these canine heroes may pull wheelchairs, assist persons with balance support, alert persons with hearing impairments to sounds and alert people with epilepsy of an impending seizure. Other skills include turning lights on and off, picking up dropped items such as keys and coins, retrieving the telephone, opening and closing drawers and doors and fetching drinks from the refrigerator.

But these dogs are not performing robots. In conjunction with their daily tasks, they also provide emotional support, companionship and health therapy.

People who benefit from assistance dogs include those with conditions such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, arthritis, spina bifida, stroke, ataxia/poor balance, muscle weakness, limited gripping ability in hands, loss of overall strength and endurance, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and paralysis.

To date, NLMAD has rescued more than 80 dogs and has successfully paired them with persons who apply for a dog and then train with them for two to three weeks in intensive sessions when the all-important bonding between canine and human occurs. At the end of the paired training session, both the recipient and the dog must pass strict certification requirements, plus a number of tests concentrated in real-life situations before they can graduate from the program. When they pass, a graduation ceremony replete with food, family and friends is held for the new partners.

The NLMAD presentation and demonstration will be held in the meeting room at the library. If you wish to learn more about these incredible canines and the organization that rescues, trains and places them, plan to attend this free event that is open to the public. If you cannot attend but would like to help, send tax-deductible donations to NLMAD, PO Box 659, Moravian Falls, NC 28654. For more info, call 336-838-2215 or click to www.nlmad.org.

Want To Go?

Date: Tuesday, May 15
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Watauga Public Library
Cost: Free