By LINDA CHION KENNEY
linda@observernews.net
Linda Chion Kenney Photos
Goose gets a lot of love in the community center at St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church in South Tampa.
From his home in Wimauma to a church in Tampa, Goose represented well the mission of Valor Service Dogs, a nonprofit dedicated to training and placing service dogs that help Veterans and first responders deal with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and mobility challenges.
Goose, a purpose-bred golden retriever, and Emelie Dash, director of operations, represented a nonprofit founded by her sister Carol Lansford, whose husband, a combat wounded Veteran with complete permanent physical disabilities, benefitted from service dog assistance.
As a small company, “we simply can’t help everybody,” so the candidate pool focuses on first responders and Veterans, serving on or after 9/11 or thereafter,” Dash said. “We usually have 13 dogs in the program each year and graduate about eight,” Dash added, noting that dogs have been placed throughout the nation.
At St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in South Tampa on April 19, Goose demonstrated service dog training and etiquette. Dash described the nonprofit’s mission and opportunities, including volunteer roles for puppy coaches, sitters, nursery assistants and escorts, who help with vet visits and travel by air or vehicle to pick up Valor dogs from other service dog organizations. Puppy Coaches serve as foster parents (as service dogs do not live on site), while nursery assistances work with staff to provide round-the-clock care for puppies not yet in training.
As for the Veterans and first responders “they come to us for a week of training in Wimauma,” Dash said, where they seek “a perfect fit” with a dog best suited to lifestyle, goals and expectations. “It’s a really fun week,” Dash added, for both service dog and human. “They spend a lot of time cuddling.”
A service dog is trained to assist with mobility issues, including getting in and out of wheelchairs, bracing for support, as well as to answer retrieval commands. “This can be as complicated as a water bottle in the refrigerator,” Dash said. “We tie a rope on the handle of the door, the dog learns to open the fridge, get the water bottle, bring it to you and, most important, go back and close the refrigerator door.”
Service dogs also play a crucial role in interrupting and redirecting behavior when PTSD causes anxiety severe enough to
Father John Stefero, associate pastor at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, with Goose, the Valor Service Dog featured at the April 19 luncheon.
spark intrusive flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, panic attacks and the resulting safety risks.
“The dog’s job is to recognize signs of that, and to interrupt, interrupt, interrupt,” Dash said, “so that the person can’t fixate on what’s stressing them out.” Dogs are taught also to recognize “what a nightmare looks like,” Dash added, “so that they can wake up their in the middle of the night, usually with a lot of face kisses.”
Helping to demonstrate commands in action was Goose, who at age 5 was returned from a placement, which Valor Service Dogs welcomes, as home situations and needs can change. Given that service dogs typically retire at age nine, “We didn’t want Goose to have a short working life with someone else,” Dash said, which led to Goose’s position as company ambassador, which seems to suit him just fine. As Dash put it, “He loves coming out and meeting people.”
That included kids and adults at St. John’s, who after an educational demonstration waited in line to pet Goose. The luncheon raised donations from attending parishioners. It had been arranged by the church’s Order of AHEPA fraternal service organization and its women’s affiliate, Daughters of Penelope. The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), founded in 1922 to combat bigotry and assist Greek immigrants with assimilation, focuses today on Hellenism, education, philanthropy and civic responsibility.
In a multipurpose room featuring large signs of church goals (love, learning, community, service and worship), Dash spoke with Dimitri “Jim” Sakaris of Wimauma, a member of AHEPA who worked as a first responder. He said he missed a meeting in south Hillsborough County that featured Dash as a speaker, and sought her out to learn more, which struck a nerve given his deep respect for first responders.
“We’re able to enjoy the fruits and freedom of this country because of first responders,” Sakaris said, as he recalled the experiences of his father, a Greek immigrant, who came to America as a teenager. “He said America gave him every opportunity that he ever wanted in life, and that he got down on his knees and kissed the ground when he got here.”
Sakaris said once he learned about Valor Service Dogs, he suggested the outreach program for a Sunday after-church luncheon. Organization members agreed, and Father Stavros Akrotirianakis, at the April 19 liturgy, urged churchgoers to attend.
Emelie Dash puts on Goose’s vest, identifying him as a Valor Service Dog.
In attendance was Father John Stefero, the church’s associate priest, who got a big kiss from Goose after he watched a large group of children, including his own grandchildren, wait patiently in line to pet Goose.
“It was just a blessing for everybody,” Father Stefero said. “When you think of the people who can’t get around easily, and how service dogs can help them, it’s just amazing to me. I give credit to people like Emelie and the trainers, who train these dogs to meet the needs of those in need.”
Valor Service Dogs, at 15006 McGrady Road, Wimauma, depends on volunteers. Puppy Coaches practice at home with training puppies (age 12 weeks to 2-years), who with their coaches learn what they need to know at weekly training classes. Volunteers in the Puppy Nursery assist staff in providing round-the-clock care, shortly after birth. Puppy Sitters step up in the event a Puppy Coach is not able to. Puppy Escorts cover travel needs and are reimbursed for flight and gas costs. For more information, call 813-634-3232, email valorservicedogs@gmail.com/ or visit www.valorservicedogs.com/.