The Service Paws Project

[tuffystar]

Hi,

When Jacque Reynolds began breeding Doodles for the Back Porch Labradoodles, she decided to donate at least 30% of her puppies to people with special needs or to service/guide dog programs, and she did that, and more! There are many successful Labradoodle service companions cuddling with their disabled partners tonight, thanks to Jacque and her program.

When I heard about how close the California wild fires have come to the Gabby Jack Ranch over the last two summers, I thought about Jacque's wish to purchase a bus, large enough to evacuate all of the Gabby Jack Doodles, in the case of an emergency.

Jacque is confident that she can buy a suitable bus for emergency evacuation for around $2500. Wouldn't it be great if we could raise enough money to buy that bus for the dogs and puppies of the Gabby Jack Ranch?

The Gabby Jack Ranch is a non-profit organization that helps disabled individuals find a suitable Doodle partners, then Gabby Jack Ranch assists that person, teaching him/her how to train their special Doodle for certification as a service dog, or to be trained as a comfort dog to help disabled people function more independently in their own homes.

By donating your service, products and money to this program, you will be able to write off the value on your itemized income taxes!
The Gabby Jack Ranch is a wonderful program and I would like to help Jacque raise enough funds to be able to buy that evacuation bus! And, maybe, a little land for them to use if they have to evacuate?

Jacque and I have some ideas that could help start a fundraising program, and I thought it would be fun to call this "The Service Paws Project"; Jacque loved the name!
We need a few people to help us organize the project, will you help?

Please contact me so that we can create a program and start the funds growing for this great cause.

Thanks Kathy

[Jac]

Thanks, Kathy, for moving this idea along! And, thanks Scott, for your support and letting us announce this on the forum!

What we need are people with a little time and some creative ideas and the desire to help us get the word out. Kathy and I have bounced around some cute ideas and we are looking forward to sharing them with you!

This "Service Paws Project" can be internet based and is just a matter of helping us get the information out to potential donors.

It would be so nice to get a bus to help us evacuate the dogs if we ever needed to...it just might make all the difference in the world someday.

So, if you have any desire to raise funds or experience in fundraising...please respond, we will be happy to have your help!

You can PM Kathy or me or you can reach me at info@gabbyjackranch.org

Thanks!

[Raleighsmom]

What a wonderful idea!!! Can't wait to see what you guys come up with! Jac....Bruce is still working on your clocks for your auction...what is the exact date..I should be mailing them out the last week in August!

[lindamarie]

Have you considered putting this on Facebook?
What a wonderful thing! I can' offer any help right now until I know what the bank is going to do with us.
Perhaps after that?

[tuffystar]

Originally Posted by lindamarie

Have you considered putting this on Facebook?
What a wonderful thing! I can' offer any help right now until I know what the bank is going to do with us.
Perhaps after that?

I need to check in to that. Thank you so much for the idea! Ideas and anyone that can help us carry them out are valuable to The Service Paws Project. Thanks again.

[Jac]

Originally Posted by Raleighsmom

What a wonderful idea!!! Can't wait to see what you guys come up with! Jac....Bruce is still working on your clocks for your auction...what is the exact date..I should be mailing them out the last week in August!

Thanks Kathie, I don't think we are going to go forward with the raffle...not too much interest in it...but thank you and Bruce, very much.


Everyone...this fundraiser is just in the planning stages so, as Kathy says, we are looking for ideas and people to help implement them.

As an example, Kathy and I discussed people donating certain amounts for different things, such as, you could donate XX amount to name one of our service/comfort dogs, you could donate XX amount to have your name (or your Doodle's name) written on the bus, we could offer sponsorship on behalf of one of our dogs (to reserve their place on the bus)...things like that. Basically, we need to have a think tank for fundraising and people who will give us some of their time to help us get the word out...maybe to contact various organizations or forums to tell about the fundraiser...maybe someone to set up a Facebook or Twitter account for us...I don't use Twitter, so you'd need to keep it updated and pass along any important info...or teach me how to Tweet!

So, please submit ideas!

Kathy, Annmarie called me and said she is interested in helping. I will call her tonight and talk it over with her, I am sure she will have some good ideas!

[tuffystar]

Thanks! I was thinking that the raffle could still happen once we get at committee together and get the word out what do you think? I really feel that our forum can be a great help for such a good cause. This kind of fund raising works very well on other dog forums. I had an idea Jac, what about people getting pictures of the dogs they sponsor. Maybe we can send e-mails with updates and pictures of dogs. You could get the owners that the dogs go to, to help the cause (Or the Paws hahaha). The owners could update us so those donating feel connected. You know a picture with a short story about something special or funny the dog did? I would be willing to have them send it to me and I would send it on if you like. I got the idea from the feed the children type of fund raising that you see on TV. Just an idea.

[Jac]

Kathy, thanks, that is a good idea...we are actually going to add a blog page to our web and ask all of our puppy families to post a blog and updates about the puppy...that might be the best way to get info because actually sponsoring a dog would be quite expensive...and I doubt that we will get many individuals to sponsor a dog...but we could sponsor a "seat on the bus" for the dog...or a month's worth of kibble for a particular dog (to be kept on the bus in case of emergency)...things like that...and those folks can read about their sponsored dog on the blog page...but they WILL get a personal thank you and documents to report their donation on their taxes...and, certainly, if someone sponsors a complete dog then we will do more to connect them to the dog...It would make people feel very good, I think.
Again, let's put our heads together (virtually, hahaha) and see what we can come up with...but I DO like your ideas, Kathy, you are really inventive and compassionate and it shows!

[SamsonsMom]

My Grandmama has a service dog. An incredible yellow lab. Grandmama is legally blind and deaf. The training and effort the staff, volunteers, etc. had to put into the dog was huge! But the doggie is an incredible family member that really adds to my Grandmama's independence and gives her a companion.

Jac I think it is AMAZING that you are donating doodles for such an important job. My Grandmama was on a waiting list for a long time before getting her service lab - but it was well worth the wait. The process from breeder, to training the dog, to training the new owner, to transfer of the service dog is long and is hard work.

An idea did pop into my head, maybe a Service Doodle Calendar?? Take cute little pictures of the service doodles - and see if a local print shop will donate the cost of printing the calendars - than selling the calendars to fellow doodle lovers? Or each year a rescue group holds a photo contest in my area- different catorgies - each catergory has a winner and the winner usually receives a gift certificate or something that the rescue group had donated to them by local pet businesses. Registering for the pet photo contest usually costs a few dollars.

[Jac]

Thank you! What a great idea! We will certainly put that one into the mix...

It is so wonderful that there are organizations to help with dogs like your Grandmama has...our group is very different and we applaud what the traditional guide dog organizations are doing. Sometimes, as in the life of your Grandmama, the dog literally has the owner's life in its control and so it must be highly skilled in tried and tested task oriented training...our focus is on really good training, while emphasizing the bond between a dog and the person; the ultimate goal is to enhance the lives of both.

Currently, we help by placing puppies with qualified recipients, including autistic children, people with cerebral pasley, and mostly for those who want a dog to support their needs at home. We call this a "comfort dog" and it is highly skilled, but specialized for the needs of that individual.

I am attending an amazing conference on human/canine communication. It is a cutting edge philosophy with many of the nation's top experts in the human and veterinary medical fields. The focus is on neuropsychology. Communication between human and canine is the core of our program and it is very close to my heart. I think that Doodles are very communicative, if people will learn to understand how they communicate. Doodles also strive to understand their humans. Once there is a comprehension of individual communication skills, the partners create a very powerful team.

Our core belief is that it is possible to match a person to the right dog early in the puppy's life (early matching) and that when this happens, we place the puppy early so that the very important and unique ways of communication can be discovered, building a foundation to life-long training. (Early placement and early bonding.)

Our program is also different in that we also feel strongly that the puppy should, at all phases of life, be in a loving home environment. Ideally, this home will be either with the recipient or in close proximity to the recipient so that the puppy and recipient can bond.

Our staff helps guide the training, but the main job lies with the recipient. Therefore, our program is perfect for people who have the desire and determination to train a dog and for those who have good support from family or their communities...we all work as a team, the puppy moving from the home of the breeder to the home of the client designated puppy raiser and then to the home of the client. By the time the puppy is 3-9 months old, it should be bonded to the client and the basic training would be under the direction of the client, with the client's close involvement. This customizes our program to meet the needs of each individual.

[SamsonsMom]

Wow Jac - that is truely unique and a wonderful service!! By your post I can really tell you're passionate about the program! It sounds amazing.