Manassas service dogs board the bus

By Andrea Russell, For the Potomac News
Published: July 16, 2008

In preparation for outings with their future handlers, three Labrador retrievers took a short bus ride Tuesday night in Manassas.

Cashmere, Felice, Joan and their trainers met at the Manassas Mall to board an OmniLink bus that would return to the mall about an hour later after a few stops.

"It's a pleasure," said bus driver Paulita Williams, of transporting the canine passengers.

The three dogs and their trainers are members of Blue Ridge Assistance Dogs, a not-for-profit group based in Ma-nassas that provides professionally trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities.

"We train them for real-life experiences so they'll be ready when they get a partner," said Lydia Wade-Driver, BRAD's executive director. "If they ride a bus, a train or an airplane we want them to be ready to go on a trip with them."

Wade-Driver, who handled Cashmere that evening, said Cashmere would be her demonstration dog because of her versatile nature.

"She's very good anywhere and everywhere. She's very healthy, very sound and can open doors and pick things up," Wade-Driver said, adding that Cashmere has not only been on buses before but has traveled on three airplane flights.

Monita Sun, a puppy raiser, was training Felice, Cashmere's sister.

"Felice is very active and likes to be worked all the time. She's a very quick learner and likes to be busy," Sun said.

Sun has volunteered with BRAD for almost four years and has her own search-and-rescue dog.

Felice's talents include opening doors by pushing the handicapped button beside them, getting water out of an ice box and bringing in the newspaper every morning, Sun said. Felice has also pushed elevator buttons before, Wade-Driver added.

Nicole Bukowski, who was partnered with Joan during the bus trip, is studying animal science at the University of Minnesota and is spending the summer as an intern with the organization.

"Joan is my favorite," Bukowski said. "She's beautiful, very sweet and very laid back. She just has that sparkle in her eye."

Joan is already partnered with a handler, a man who has multiple sclerosis and rides a scooter. She should be ready to be placed around November, Wade-Driver said.

As passengers got on and off the bus, the three dogs remained calm, situated mostly under their trainers' seats. They eyed their respective trainers, awaiting occasional commands and the sequential treats.

"It's nice that they aren't sliding around this time," Wade-Driver said of the dogs. "Now we've just got to get them to go under [the seats] a little better."

Bus passengers heeded the "no pet" instructions on the vests the dogs wore "because they were working."

"Some people don't read it and some people become angry because they don't understand why they can't pet them," Wade-Driver said. "But it's very important. [The dog] might miss something. It's not just a matter of health and what may happen to the handler … but the dogs take their jobs very seriously."

BRAD is one of the few organizations in the world that places assistance dogs with children, people at risk for seizures and people with multiple disabilities, said Wade-Driver, who began the organization in 1994.

Throughout the years, BRAD has placed 20 assistance dogs—mostly Labrador retrievers.

"They start training from day one. They learn in the beginning that everybody is OK, everybody is good, so they'll be OK with all ages and all races," said Wade-Driver, who added that all dogs are tested thor-oughly for good health.

The dogs are placed with puppy raisers, and then at about 18 months old, the dogs begin advanced training and the group starts to interview compatible handlers.

All donations to BRAD, which operates with donations and grants, are tax-deductible, Wade-Driver said.

Donations can be mailed to Blue Ridge Assistance Dogs Inc., P.O. Box 229, Manassas, VA 20108 or can be made online at blueridgeassistancedogs.org/donations.

For more information on the group or becoming a volunteer, visit BRAD's Web site at blueridgeassistance-dogs.org or call 703-369-5878.