Information from: Livingston County Daily Press & Argus
The dogs assist people with hearing disabilities, people who use wheelchairs, and people who have mobility impairments and other ailments. This particular program hits a personal note because Maltby school counselor Dian Kolis, who has Parkinson’s disease, uses a Paws working dog named Ivan at the school.
Kolis, who has been with the district since 1986, had to quit working for several years when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and had trouble keeping her balance. She returned to the school in 2006 after several Oakland County schools raised enough money to get her a service dog.
The teenagers trained the dog through repetition and took him to training classes.
“I didn’t expect that it was going to be this tough,” Tori Price said.
Both of them said the time commitment was the most challenging part, and sometimes they took shifts caring for Austin.
Sometimes they had to sacrifice activities they might do with their friends because they couldn’t leave Austin alone. Tucker used to come home at lunch to play with Austin. He also liked taking Austin to a friend’s home where there was a football field room to run.
“We met a lot of good people,” Tori Price said. She said people would stop them and tell inspiring stories about how these dogs had changed their lives.
The sad part came Aug. 19, when the family had to turn Austin over to the Paws organization for final training.
Tori Price said it helps to know that Austin will be doing something good for someone. She hopes to meet Austin’s owner someday.
Bonnie Price said she’s proud of her children.
“It’s a big commitment, and they really embraced it,” she said.
The family’s dog days aren’t over. They are planning to purchase a black Lab puppy as a family pet, and put their dog-training skills to use.
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