Local nonprofit Tender Loving Canine Assistance Dogs, Inc. (TLCAD) announced that it has certified 11 new dogs to be given to wounded warriors, and children with autism and mobility challenges — a new record for the organization, which had 20 dogs in training in 2011. “Each dog is carefully trained for the specific needs of each particular recipient or facility,” explains TLCAD president Karen Shultz. “With their extreme sensitivity to human emotion, the dogs are trained to apply techniques including providing a physical sphere between a traumatized veteran and large groups of strangers, or leaning in to provide reassurance to a nervous child when sensing growing anxiety. The dogs can also help deter negative behaviors, like elopement and tantrums, helping entire families cope with the challenges inherent in autism,” Shultz adds.
TLCAD has divided its program into Leash-On-Life, offering assistance dogs to those on the autism spectrum, and At Ease, a Camp Pendleton-based program that allows wounded warriors, who once found it impossible to lead normal lives after returning from deployment, to again venture into public settings with pride and confidence. TLCAD is currently seeking and recruiting new volunteer trainers to help meet the growing need for service dogs in San Diego County for these two disciplines. Those who are interested in volunteering for these rewarding roles should please visit the updated TLCAD Web site to fill out an application. (www.tenderlovingcanines.org)
