MidAmerica Service Dogs’ Foundation program at Hinsdale, Ill. Aug. 01 2011

Hinsdale, Ill. — MidAmerica Service Dogs’ Foundation obtains, trains and provides service dogs for children and adults with physical disabilities free of charge. The public is invited to attend the group’s Help Our Dogs Change People’s Lives 4 Paws At A Time event from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, in The Community House, 415 W. Eighth St., Hinsdale.

They will meet trainers and handlers and be able to help them train dogs ranging from Labrador Retriever puppies Krush and Champ to 1-year-olds Oskee Bow Wow and Pilot, all of whom are being trained by the group’s Illini Dog Training Program. A fully trained service dog is valued at $25,000.

Illini Service Dog Training, a program of MidAmerica Service Dogs’ Foundation, is the first of its kind in the nation. It is made up of dedicated teams of University of Illinois students who foster and train the service dogs, while gaining knowledge of disability culture and rights.

Guests will meet Saint and Sheba, Labrador retriever/Weimaraner mixes, who know more than 100 commands, and were trained by Helping Paws Service Dog Training at the Dwight Correction Center.

The program will outline how people with disabilities are paired with a service dog and how they become an amazing team. Attendees will see the working relationship and emotional bond that develop between people with disabilities and trained service dogs.

“We encourage all that attend to help train our dogs during the session, because we believe that the only way to truly understand what it is like is to have a leash in your hand, and see for yourself how our dogs are Changing People’s Lives 4 Paws At A Time,” say program coordinators for MidAmerica Service Dogs’ Foundation, an Illinois nonprofit organization.

# As posted by Hinsdale Suburban Life Posted July 29, 2011

# For MidAmerica Service Dogs’ Foundation Visit:
http://www.midamericadogsfoundation.org/