A Calgary man says he’ll be a much more independent person, thanks to the help of an Alberta-based organization.
Dogs with Wings trains dogs who eventually go on to serve people with disabilities.
A group of dogs graduated from the organization’s training program Sunday afternoon in Edmonton. Among the graduates was Koda, a two-year-old yellow lab.
After careful consideration, Koda was paired up with Ben Thorne; the 20-year-old was born with cerebral palsy which limits his movement.
“He helps me with turning lights on and off in our home, pulling off my jacket, picking items up off the floor. We’re working on pulling off shoes.”
“When you drop something on the floor at work or out in public, it is awkward to go up to that random stranger and say ‘hey, can you pick up my wallet? and not run away with it, not steal it,'” Ben added with a laugh.
All jokes aside, Ben says Koda is not only a great companion, he gives him a new level of independence.
“As a person with a disability, you hit a certain level of independence, and there comes a point where you have to make certain adaptations and things like that to keep that level up and bring it higher. And I think Koda just brings that independence again, to a whole new level.”
Ben and Koda have just finished two weeks of training. The pairing came after a thorough application process that matched them together based on Koda’s skills and Ben’s needs.
“Somehow Ben’s name came up… and I immediately (said) yes. This is my guy. This is my guy for Koda and they’ll be perfect together and they will really enjoy each other,” explained Koda’s trainer Maria Illes.
“The matching is the key. Because it’s not two weeks, it’s not for two months, it’s for hopefully, at least eight or more years. And you don’t want them to make each other crazy over that time.”
The Thorne family has welcomed Koda with open arms. Ben’s mother says the past two weeks have been a great learning curve. She can already see how her son is benefiting from having Koda in his life.
“I see a level of independence that wasn’t there before. I see a safety. I feel much more comfortable when Ben is out, knowing Koda’s with him and he’s happy. He has this amazing best friend in his life now,” Rhonda Thorne said, holding back tears. “I”m so proud of him.”
Ben says he’s excited about his future.
“(Koda’s) an outstanding dog and I think it’ll be a lot of fun over the years.”
With files from Shannon Greer.
Follow @CaleyRamsay
Comments