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8-year-old Joslyn Burch and her trained assistance dog, Parker.
Discussion
New ‘leash’ on life
• Blanchard facility helps people and the dogs that serve them
Some Oklahomans need “a new leash on life”. And an Oklahoma non-profit makes it their mission to hand them one, usually with a warm, furry muzzle at the other end.
Founded by Barbara Lewis, president, A New Leash on Life Inc. is the state’s only certified Assistance Dog training facility in Blanchard. New Lease also trains Therapy Dogs to bring cheer to the sick and elderly. A third program rescues shelter dogs and teaches inmates at CCA-Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville to train them into adoptable companion dogs. This has proven to reduce aggression in inmates and help them become more patient and tolerant. They also gain new skill and provide a service to the community.
“While most people associate us with dog training, our primary purpose is changing peoples’ lives,” Lewis said. “Dogs are just the delivery system, although our programs also enrich and save the lives of many of the dogs we train and place.”
Prior to starting A New Leash on Life, Inc., Lewis was the Oklahoma field agent for a national assistance dog-training agency for 16 years. Since founding New Leash in 2005, she has placed 18 Assistance Dogs with Oklahomans who qualify for the program. These dogs are with their new owners 24/7, go every place they go, open doors, pull wheelchairs, turn light switches on and off and retrieve items for their humans. It takes approximately 18 months to train Assistance Dogs from puppies, who are donated to New Leash by Oklahoma breeders.
Lewis said New Leash currently has a need for more volunteer puppy raisers to provide a home and socialization for “puppies-in-training”, which is usually about 14 months before they move on to advanced training. Although it costs about $8,000 to train an assistance dog, there is no charge to the new owners.
Dog Opens New World
to Child with Disabilities
When 8-year old Joslyn Burch used to go to Wal-Mart with her mom, other kids would stare at her leg braces and her walker and ask their parents…”What’s wrong with her?” Joslyn also sat alone at recess, unable to run and play with the other kids because of a rare genetic disorder that affects the central nervous system and causes her to walk erratically and fall frequently. She also has a hearing loss.
“Now, thanks to Parker, all that has changed,” according to Trena Burch, Joslyn’s mother. Parker, a small yellow Labrador Retriever, is Joslyn’s new best friend, constant companion and specially trained Assistance Dog
Parker is named after Quanah Parker, the famous last chief and statesman of the Comanche Indians. All Assistance Dogs from New Leash are named after famous Oklahomans.
Trena said that Parker seems to instinctively know what Joslyn needs. One night when she was crying, he jumped up on her bed and laid down next to her to comfort her. One day at school, there was spilled milk in the hall. Parker wouldn’t let Joslyn walk in it. “People are amazed by his intuition… and always being there with a watchful eye.”
Trena said that Parker’s people skills even go beyond the family. Parker spends time in one of the special education classrooms where there are students with a wide variety of disabilities. The students read to Parker as well as hug and love on him. As the school counselor at Joslyn’s school, Trena has even used Parker when counseling with students going through difficult times. Children are better able to talk about their feelings and fears while hugging and patting Parker.
Trena said she first heard about A New Leash on Life, Inc. when an assistance dog-in-training came to visit the school as part of his socialization training. “Joslyn immediately went to the dog and walked down the hall with him. It took us two years to get Parker, but it’s been the best thing we have ever done for Joslyn.”
Lewis, who lives adjacent to her training facility in Blanchard, works seven days a week and also drives 250 miles a day carrying on the work of A New Leash on Life, Inc. She trains dogs everyday and manages six other trainers, interviews applicants for Assistance Dogs, places the dogs with their new owners, and provides follow-up in home training to help the dogs and their humans learn to work together. In addition to overseeing New Leash’s other two programs, she also runs the business side of the non-profit, recruits volunteers, puppy trainers and breeders to helps support the program.
When asked what drives her to make A New Leash on Life her life, she said, “It’s the clients. Seeing how important their Assistance Dogs are to them—and what a difference these dogs make in their lives—makes me go to any length to make sure this program grows and survives.”
A New Leash on Life, Inc. is a 501-c3 non-profit organization that depends solely on donations from the public and volunteers to support its mission of changing people’s lives through specially trained dogs. For more information on the Assistance Dog training program and A New Leash On Life, Inc.’s other programs, see www.newleashinc.org or call 405-224-7715.
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Transformations
What comes to mind when you think of the word, “Transformation”?Do you have fantastic thoughts of people or things changing into something amazing for example, Clark Kent turning into Superman or Bruce Banner becoming the Incredible Hulk or possibly something a little more down to earth like a caterpillar miraculously changing into the beautiful butterfly?
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GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
Plants
Potted Plants
(Several varieties combined)
First: (Adult) Ann O'Bar
Second: (Adult) Joyce Riker
Third: (Adult) Jallane Link -
AROUND THE AREA
SEPTEMBER 2
Poetry Reading
• When: Sept. 2, 7 p.m.
• Where: Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, Private Room, 3127 S. 4th St., Chickasha
• Details: Featured Poet is Carol Hamilton, writer, storyteller and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma 1995-97Hamilton’s website is www.carolhamilton.org. There is no admission fee to attend the Poetry Reading, and refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, contact Rockford Johnson, 224-0160 or 317-7506. -
Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
OSU's Gundy still learning on job
STILLWATER (AP) — Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.
That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys. -
Whimsical metal work, jewelry part of big art show at USAO
A showing of whimsical metal work and jewelry is scheduled to be on display at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma during Helen’s Show Sept. 10-Oct 1.
The show will feature the work of USAO graduate Helen Shafer. The exhibition will be open daily during normal business hours in the Davis Hall Third Floor Art Gallery on the USAO campus. The show is free and open to the public. An opening reception is scheduled Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. -
High-speed chase lands 1 in jail
A high-speed motorcycle chase down Highway 81 last Wednesday landed a Ninnekah man in jail and a felony charge of eluding a police officer.
Court records show that James William Hutchins, 21, blew by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Parrish at U.S. Highway 81 and County Road 1460 and was clocked going 144 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone.
Parrish reported that he was sitting stationary at that location at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 25 when he observed a red motorcycle traveling southbound. He engaged his emergency lights and siren and pulled onto the roadway behind the Triumph motorcycle. -
5 inmates denied parole
Parole was recently denied for five Grady County inmates serving sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
The following individuals were denied at the August Pardon and Parole Board meeting:
• Jeremiah Daniel Cline, who is serving a five-year sentence for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, began his sentence in August 2008.
• Warren P. Diego, who is serving a 15-year sentence (10 years PTS) for lewd molestation, began his sentence in February 2009. -
Judge recuses herself from pharmacy case
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state district judge has stepped aside from the first-degree murder trial of a pharmacist accused in the fatal shooting of an unconscious would-be robber.
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Transformations
