Meet our UCA Living Unleashed Puppies
UCA Living Unleashed
Through Living Unleashed (recognized student organization) you can be a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), which is a nonprofit organization that provides highly trained companion dogs to people with disabilities. CCI raises and trains service, assistance, hearing, and facility dogs, each wi
th their own role in a person’s life. You will have the opportunity to prepare these dogs to become working dogs and see firsthand the impact that a CCI dog can have on someone’s life.
The volunteer’s job as a puppy raiser is to love, raise, train, and socialize their puppy so that they will have the best chance possible at becoming a service dog. The quality of the work will directly influence whether they are able to change the life of someone else. Besides the usual puppy care and potty training, you also trim their nails, brush their teeth, and clean their ears every week. You will attend regular training sessions with a professional dog trainer, who helps teach your puppy 30 commands. You will spend time each day reinforcing those commands so that they’re nearly perfect when they return to CCI in 12-18 months. You will also take them on public outings to practice well behavior in various settings, which is one of the most important parts of the job.
Read the whole story: Raise a Dog, Change a Life by Micaela Motzko
Donations and Sponsorships are Welcome!
You can add your name to our list of Sponsors!
Do you Love dogs? Would you like to join a club where you can interact with dogs all the time, take a puppy on an overnight stay, attend a puppy class, or even raise a puppy for 12-16 months on UCA’s campus? Then you will want to join Living Unleashed. To learn more about our organization please email our Advisor: Cheryl Theall.
RSO Advisor: Cheryl Theall – Living Unleashed (Canine Companions)
RSO – Living Unleashed Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/173090623258310
RSO – Living Unleashed Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/uca.living.unleashed/
Canine Companions Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/caninecompanions
Canine Companions
Website:
https://canine.org/
The Canine Companions Program
Canine Companions is leading the service dog industry so their clients and their dogs can live with greater independence. They provide service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. Since their founding in 1975, their dogs and all follow-up services are provided at no cost to the clients.
Become a Volunteer Puppy Raiser
UCA Canine Companions volunteer puppy raisers provide specially-bred puppies a safe home, take them to obedience classes, serve up a healthy diet, provide socialization opportunities and give lots of love.
Each hour spent caring for a Canine Companions puppy is vital to its development as a future service dog. The puppy raising program provides a unique opportunity for volunteers to assist with our very important mission.
Raise a puppy, change a life.
As a volunteer puppy raiser, we ask you to meet the following requirements:
- Provide a safe environment for a puppy who will be the only dog under 12 months old in the house.
- Work closely with Canine Companions to monitor the puppy’s progress and submit monthly reports.
- Attend an average of two Canine Companions approved classes per month.
- Teach the puppy manners and basic skills.
- Provide for the puppy’s food, veterinary expenses and puppy classes.
- Transport the dog to the regional training center at the projected turn-in time.
- Feed the puppy a diet recommended by Canine Companions.
- Acquire and utilize a kennel or crate for sleeping indoors.
- Provide the puppy with age-appropriate socialization opportunities, such as public outings and veterinary appointments.
- Keep the puppy on a leash at all times, unless supervised in a securely fenced area.
- Supervise the young puppy throughout the day.
