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C.O.P.E
Dogs' Jobs
As
a dog matures and advances in its training, their personality and
strengths determine the type of role they will play in the lives of
humans. Below is a description of the types of roles the C.O.P.E.
dogs are able to fulfill and then further, a list of some the disabilities
of individuals that could benefit from partnership with a C.O.P.E.
dog.
Contact us if you think you could benefit from partnership
with one of our dogs.
Public Access Service Dogs - increase the independence of their
partner in the home and in the community. They accompany their partner
to work, school, shopping, restaurants, movies and on public transportation.
In other words, they are available to assist the partner anywhere.
Home Help Mates - assists a person with disabilities in the
home only or helps a home caregiver tend to a family member with severe
disabilities.
Social /Therapy Dogs – a parent or caregiver is responsible
for directing the dog’s service or therapeutic functions to help
a household member with physical, emotional or cognitive disabilities.
Facility Dogs – C.O.P.E. dogs can be partnered with a
teacher, counselor, health care worker, social worker or health professional
for the purpose of providing social interaction and therapeutic intervention
for many different people. The dog accompanies his partner to work
in order to augment his/her regular educational, social or therapeutic
practices.
Career-change Dogs
On occasion, C.O.P.E. dogs are unable to fulfill the above roles due
to health or temperament reasons. This can become evident at any time
during their two year training period. These dogs become available
to families wishing to adopt them. Please contact
us to receive the application to be placed on our waiting
list for a released dog.
How much does a C.O.P.E. Service Dog cost?
As a registered charity, C.O.P.E. Service Dogs relies completely on donations to carry out our mission. It costs $22,000 to raise and train a service dog that will be matched with a person with mobility disabilities. Successful Life Partner applicants for a C.O.P.E. Service Dog are expected to provide C.O.P.E with an $800 fee for their specially trained service dog. This empowers the person and helps ensure commitment to the partnership as well as helping to cover the costs of the dog. We recognize that some people cannot afford $800. For these cases, we have a process in place that will enable them to provide COPE with the required fee. In this way, anyone that demonstrates a serious need for a service dog as well as the ability to care for it, can access one.Because it does not cost the successful Life Partner applicant $22,000 for their dog, we encourage and support the applicant to raise funds to help cover the costs of the dog when possible. This helps ensure that our programs will continue and dogs will be available for other people waiting to be matched with a C.O.P.E. Service Dog.
Some conditions of individuals that could benefit from partnership
with a C.O.P.E. dog
Amputee
Hunter’s Syndrome
Transverse Myelitis
Arthritis - Osteoarthritis
Lupus
Arthritis - Rheumatoid
Multiple Sclerosis
Autism
Muscular Dystrophy
Back Injury
Osteo Genisus Imperfecta
Cerebral Palsy
Paraplegic
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Charcot-Marie-Tooth
Disorder
Post Polio
Congenital Hypo Mylating
Quadraplegic
Developmentally Delayed
Spina Bifida
Dwarfism
Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Friedreichs Ataxia
Stroke
Head Injury
Syringomyelia |
Health Benefits
Service dogs help people overcome the limitations of their disabilities
and the barriers in their environments. Scientific research has begun
to validate the role of service dogs for people with disabilities.
In 1995, a 2-year study by Dr. Karen Allen, et. al., found that people
with disabilities who had service dogs scored higher for psychological
well-being, self-esteem, community integration, and the amount of
control they could exert over their environment. In addition, the
number of personal assistant (human) hours required for care decreased
by an average of 78%. Other studies support the findings of improved
self-esteem, independence, and social acceptance.
Additional research has documented these benefits of companion
animals:
• Lowered blood pressure.
• Moderation of stress.
• Improved motivation.
• Decreased serum cholesterol.
• Mitigation of the effects of loneliness.
All these are added benefits which a service dog can provide, in
addition to performing specific disability mitigating tasks.
How a Dog Can Change the Environment
Researcher Aaron Katcher notes the following ways that a healthy therapeutic
environment is actually created by the presence of an animal. It:
• draws attention outward
• turns off anxiety, anger and depression
• creates safety
• creates intimacy, and
• increases positive expectations of both self and others.
What’s more is that everyone in the environment experiences
these changes!
Other researchers and sources have produced the following exhaustive
list that therapy animals:
• Provide comfort,
• reinforce learning;
• motivate speech;
• motivate movement and exercise; stimulate the senses;
• facilitate counseling;
• encourage positive social behaviours;
• foster feelings of safety and acceptance;
• enhance self-esteem;
• decrease loneliness;
• provide the opportunity for touch and for nurturing;
provide the opportunity to give instead of receive;
• inspire people to smile; laugh and have fun;
• offer unconditional love and acceptance;
• normalize extremes in a healthy direction;
• cause people to forget their pain and limitations by focusing
outward;
• provide connections to home and a home-like environment.
For more information on how you can help
contact:
C.O.P.E. Service Dogs
P.O. Box 20035
Barrie, Ontario
Canada L4M 6E9
Email: info@copedogs.org
Phone: (705) 734-COPE (2673)
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