Winter Newsletter - Hawaii Fido Service Dogs

PAW
Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs Newsletter
PRINTS
A Special Mahalo!
Letter from Jim Kennedy
Edition 03
Winter 2015
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
We have been fortunate to
receive generous grants and
donations from our community
programs and businesses:
Aloha United Way
Animal Health International
Chevron Matching Employee
Funds
Eden In Love
Foodland Super Market /
Foodland Give Aloha
Friends of Hawaii Charities,
Inc.
Girls Scouts of Hawaii #381
(Kailua)
Hawaii Lodging & Tourism
Association/ Hawaii Hotel
Industry Foundation
Hui O Na Wahine Scholarship
and Welfare Fund
Mililani Middle School
The Petco Foundation
Full Scale Effects, Inc.
Kalaeloa Partners LP
And many thanks for the
personal donations from our
loyal supports — many who have
been donating over the years.
find us…
All of us at Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs
want to wish all of our wonderful
friends, supporters, donors,
graduates, puppy raisers and
volunteers, a wonderful Season’s
Greetings and a healthy, Happy New
Year!
First, I want to thank Susan Luehrs and
the whole Board of Directors for their
welcoming and support during my
first year with this awesome
organization! It has been an honor
and pleasure to become a part of the
team!
On August 4th, Hawaii Fi-Do was honored to receive from Governor Ige a
proclamation naming it “Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dog” day in the State of Hawaii.
We also received a proclamation of appreciation from the State of Hawaii
Senate. And, in October, we had a very successful “Dining with Dogs”
fundraising dinner at the Honolulu Country Club where we had 155 come to
join us.
As for expanded outreach, we had three new wonderful opportunities. In
June, advisory board member, Patrick Hamlow, with his service dog, Umi,
and I were featured on the television show “Dogs Are…” We had the chance
to talk at length about our program, as well as raise concerns about “fake
service dogs.” Also on the matter of “fake service dogs,” in early October I
was able to have a good on-air conversation with KSSK radio’s Michael W.
Perry and Larry Price. Patrick and Umi were also very helpful, joining me in
presentations for Aloha United Way, allowing donors to meet his service
dog.
We are always looking for people who want to learn more about possibly
getting involved. Our skilled, seasoned trainers will work closely with you all
along the way, helping assure you are comfortable and confident in handling
one of our pups as it advances from a wiggling puppy to a maturing service
dog. We would really welcome you to contact us so we can address any
questions you may have, and so we can talk about how you may be able to
pitch in.
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Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs Newsletter
Letter from Susan Luehrs
This year was a fun, full and fast year at FOUNDER & PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Hawaii Fi-Do. Our new Executive
Director Jim Kennedy took over all the
administration duties and has been
doing an excellent job. It was giant relief
to be able to focus on our programs, the
puppy project and our wonderful
volunteers.
Our dogs in training, the program dogs
and certified working teams visited
thousands of people on Oahu and the
Big Island. These dogs have given back
to the community in a very special way
by educating the public and visiting
countless hospitals, care homes, assisted living centers and schools. It's an
excellent opportunity to train while sharing information and awareness about
skilled service dogs, everyone benefits.
We are also excited with the increased interest in our volunteer program this
year and we welcome new board members as well as several much needed
puppy raisers.
We’re in our 16th year of serving Hawaii and 2016 looks so promising with
new pups and more volunteers. There is a great need to help fill the
overwhelming request for dogs especially from our veterans. As one of the
160 accredited ADI international training programs we are part of the
solution to help these folks and make a difference. It’s the on-going support
from our donors and community that really makes all this possible and it’s
greatly appreciated.
Thank you for making 2015 a successful year…let’s do it again.
Happy Holidays!
Mahalo from
Hawaii Fi-Do’s
Board of
Directors &
Staff!
From left: Jim Kennedy,
Rosanna Kanetake, Sherry
Heiser, Vickie Kirihara, Susan
Luehrs, Patricia Storino and
Dara Fukuhara, front right.
Spreading Aloha by
Giving this Holiday
As a Friends of Hawaii Charities
charitable grant recipient, we are
honored to participate in its fundraising opportunity, called “Aloha
for Hawaii Charities,” offered in
conjunction with the Sony Open
PGA TOUR tournament.
You can support
Hawaii Fi-Do
today and give
us a boost
between now to
January 17, 2016, 4 p.m. HST!
TO DONATE:
Visit: www.friendsofhawaii.org/
contribute/aloha-hawaii-charities
Select our charity from the list of
participants
Make your tax-deductible
contribution to Friends of Hawaii
Charities, Inc.
Our charity will then receive 100%
of your donation plus a bonus
boost from Friends of Hawaii
Charities. You may donate up to
$10,000 to our charity in this
program.
If you would like to make a
donation by check, please contact
us at hawaii.fido.dogs@gmail.com
for an Aloha for Hawaii Charities
donation form.
Again, we want to thank you all for
your wonderful support.
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Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs Newsletter
WHAT'S NEW AT HAWAII FI-DO
Hawaii Fi-Do has the pleasure to
announce two new working teams:
Larry Bigalow & Buzz
Want to “Friend-Raise?”
This year we started our “Friend-Raising” outreach program. Our board
member Patricia Storino hosted our first “Friend-Raiser” at her lovely
home.
The “Friend-Raising” takes place at a host’s home, and there is no
fundraising during the typical two-hour event. The purpose is to simply
give others, who have not had the occasion to get to know us very well,
the opportunity to meet our team, meet some of our dogs in training and
a graduate or two with her or his service dog partner.
It is our hope that these casual gatherings will raise awareness of the
value and importance of our program within our community. If you would
like to learn more about our Friend-Raising program, please contact Jim
at jim@hawaiifido.org. We would love to talk about the possibilities.
Veteran Larry Bigalow and his new
service dog Buzz were just certified as a
working team. Buzz helps with bracing,
balance and mobility as well medical
alert.
Kenan Gordan & Wills
GOOD TO
KNOW...
New graduate working team Kenan
Gordan and his Mobility dog Wills.
Walmart now has a
store policy of no dogs
allowed in shopping
carts. All service dogs
have to walk on a leash.
find us…
Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs Newsletter
Page 4 of 7
“Dining with Dogs" to Raises Over $20,000
On October 23, Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs held its first major
fundraising dinner, “Dining with Dogs," at the Honolulu Country Club.
It was a resounding success by all accounts! There was a silent auction,
with over 70 items, and a live auction. We had 155 people in
attendance and, all combined, we raised over $22,000 net that
evening. The emcee was Ramsey Wharton, of Hawaii News Now, and
she spoke from her heart supporting our efforts!
Our own board member, Rosanna Kanetake, was our guest speaker.
She shared her moving story of her becoming aware of our
organization, then receiving one of our service dogs, and how it
changed her life. This is what we are all about: enhancing the quality
of life of all of our graduates, allowing them to lead more full,
independent lives.
A number of people made the night the wonderful evening that is
was. We need to say a special thanks to:
• First Hawaiian Bank for making special arrangements for our use of
their credit card processing that evening. That capability certainly
helped us raise more funds that night!
• Volunteer puppy raiser, Mitch Gowen, with his puppy, “Dano,” did a
great job conducting the live auction … often adding quite a bit of
comic relief along the way.
• Volunteer Tammy Shiroma did a beautiful job on the invitations,
table centerpieces and favors! She even set up a “store” that sold a
number of fun items she created.
• The evening’s co-chairs, board member Patricia Storino and Vickie
Kennedy, did an incredible job of keeping the planning moving
forward. Patricia also did a terrific job of organizing the quick
processing all the auction sales at the end of the evening!
• The whole fundraising committee put in hundreds hours over the
months leading up the big night!
• Lastly, we need to thank the Honolulu Country Club and its Dean
Horikami for the delicious dinner, planning suggestions and beautiful
venue.
Next year we plan to have our big fundraising dinner on Friday,
November 4, 2016. Please mark your calendars to join us for a really
fun evening that night! Also, if you would like to volunteer for the
event, sponsor a table, or donate auction items, we would really like
to hear from you!
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Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs Newsletter
Zoe, Hawaii Fi-Do’s Ambassador, is Giving Back and Teaching Others
Zoe is the off-spring of our Kea and
volunteer, Loren Lasher’s dog, Buddy. We
are following her training to become a demo
dog. Often when requested, Hawaii Fi-Do will
make presentations to organizations,
businesses and schools providing
information about Service Dogs. At times
those presentations are made by Loren and
Zoe.
information about
Hawaii Fi-Do and
includes specifics of:
breeding, training, care,
and the activities of a
service dog. Zoe is
always well received
demonstrating many
service dog skills.
For many, this 2 year old Labrador is a
talented and loving representative to the
community. During the past year she has
represented Hawaii Fi-Do in many ways. She
performs activities as an Ambassador in the
community, modeling behaviors of a service
dog and giving love as a therapy dog in care
homes.
As Zoe is a talented
dog, she works with
Loren as they coach some of our ‘puppy
raisers’. Zoe has good social skills as well as
some specifics related to service dog
behaviors. She is a good model.
Schools, businesses and professional
organizations have seen Zoe during a
presentation known as ‘Service Dogs 101’ in
which Zoe and Loren provide information
about service dogs. The presentation gives
PUPPIES!
This year was the “year of our best
litters” ever. Both Kea, our yellow lab,
and Tillie, our standard Labradoodle,
blessed us with excellent litters giving
us 8 new pups who are now doing
the intensive 2 years of training
required for certified dogs. These are
the most dogs we have ever had in
the fifteen years of our program!
They all participate in our “super pup”
project, which starts at 3 days old until
they leave our kennels. We’ve had
great results over the past years as we
see the increase in the number of
dogs passing ADI standards for
service dogs.
This little girl loves people and each week
visits care homes giving love to the residents.
She is vibrant and playful and brings smiles
and much joy to the residents.
Loren and Zoe are both honored to be part
of the Hawaii Fi-Do family.
Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs Newsletter
A Year
in
Review
Page 6 of 7
Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs Newsletter
More of a
Year in
Review
Page 7 of 7