Win $25.00 of free dog treats!

This monthly drawing is our way of saying THANK YOU!

The Help Us Help Others program was formed because all of us here at The K9 Deli wanted to give something back to the dog community that supports us so much.

However, after an internet search provided us with over 2,900,000 different animal organizations to choose from, we decided to search within our local area to see if there was anyway we could help.

That is when I learned about Mike and Linda Fox. Mike and Linda both work full time jobs. Yet, during their free time, they devote themselves to the training of service dogs for the disabled.

“Service Dogs assist physically disabled individuals by accomplishing multiple tasks, such as retrieving dropped or hard to reach items, accessing light switches, pulling wheelchairs, opening and closing doors, and performing many other tasks specific to the needs of the individual. They also provide social support, making the disabled person feel more confident and independent.” (New Horizons Brochure)

The dogs given to Mike and Linda to train come from New Horizons Service Dogs in Orange City, Florida . According to New Horizons brochure, it cost $15,000 to bring just one dog to the point of certification and placement. If you wish to learn more about New Horizons their website address is www.newhorizonsservicedogs.org

A large portion of the $15,000 it takes to bring one dog to the point of certification and placement is absorbed by volunteer Puppy Raisers like Mike and Linda.

It takes approximately 18 to 24 months to train just one dog to the point where he or she is ready to be paired with a Service Dog Recipient for further training. During this 18 to 24 month period, Mike and Linda not only teach the dog to learn many new and important social skills for the job ahead, but they also assume all the costs to feed and lodge the dog, they pay for the dog to attend obedience school and they pay for all the dogs medical expenses. Mike and Linda even have to assume the travel costs to fly themselves and the dog to Florida once its training is complete for graduation.

We here at The K9 Deli believe that this volunteer work by Mike and Linda is a very valuable service. Therefore, instead of donating to an organization where we wouldn’t know where the money is going, we have decided to help relieve Mike and Linda of some of the financial burden involved with their worthwhile cause. As a result, The K9 Deli is committing that 10% of all their internet sales go directly to Mike Linda to help defray some of the costs involved in the training of their Service Dog.

So won’t you help us help others? Take a few moments and place an internet order today so that you too can become part of this wonderful service. You will be glad you did.

The drawing will take place at the end of each month. Your name will be entered for the month you placed your internet order. If your name is drawn, you will win a $25.00 credit towards treats or merchandise of your choice from The K9 Deli website..

Letter from Linda

Hi Rick,

I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the assistance you and Kathy have given us with our service dog project.  Your donations helped make Toby, Tango and Sago the wonderful service dogs they are today.  There are now some very happy people who are able to get out and do the things the rest of us take for granted.  You and Kathy have been able to touch the lives of three different families who needed help and opened the world to them.  With the help of your clients even more people can achieve the independence Toby, Tango and Sago are giving their partners.

Our newest puppies Tripper and Hemingway are following in the footsteps of their uncle Toby (their moms are his sisters) and his big step-brothers Tango & Sago.  I purchased a used wheelchair this summer with your donations.  This will be a big help acclimating the pups to wheelchairs and letting me train wheelchair specific tasks that the dogs may have to perform for their partners. 

I wanted to pass along the newest pictures I received of Tango and Sago and their new partners.  We returned the boys to New Horizons Service Dogs, Orange City, FL on April 28th.  They were placed with their new partners the week of June 25th.  In just 8 short weeks they flew through training! 

Here is what their trainer, Chris wrote me recently.

The only dogs I have gotten in as good as Tango and Sago are the prison dogs and they have the ability to work with their dogs 24/7. You really did a great job.  Their skills and temperaments were wonderful but you taught them an awesome work ethic.  That’s the trick.  They love working and learning.  We have placed dogs and I miss them but I REALLY miss those two boys.

Both boys have spectacular new homes.  Deb has Sago.  She has MS and uses an electric chair, scooter or cane.  She can become very tired and weak.  She required extensive retrieval skills and bracing when walking and to assist her getting from a chair or the floor.  He is a superstar!!!  He also does lights, switches, doors, drawers – the works.  He really engaged in her.  They are currently in North Carolina at her folks place in the mountains as it is so much cooler than Miami and she has such difficulty with the Miami heat.  She emails me daily with progress reports and is doing really wonderful.

 Alex has Tango.  Alex is 12 years old and has CP  Her speech is hesitant and slurred so Tango in essence had to learn another language which he excelled in.  Alex has very limited use of her arms and hands and cannot sit independently.  As with Deb, Alex also required extensive retrieval skills.  With such arm/hand limitations, my lap is a biggie with retrievals.  So is snuggle and kiss which again he excels at.  His skills with lights, switches, drawers (push) were a wink from there.  Janet had wanted Sago to go with Alex and Tango to go with Deb.  I therefore trained the skills each would need.  A couple of days before team training I convinced Janet there should be a switch so I had to hustle to get the lights, push etc. on Tango.  Alex called me a couple nights ago and told me he is doing the lights.  He’s the BOMB!!!

Here are the pictures.  I'm very proud of the boys and of course we miss them very much.  I can't wait for the day when we can visit them in person. 

Thanks again for your wonderful support and donations.  Feel free to use the photos if you like.

Linda & Mike Fox