Sep 4, 2008 9:55 pm US/Eastern
Woman Raises Great Danes To Help Disabled People
IPSWICH (WBZ) ―
A North Shore woman is on a mission to help the handicapped with her pets.
Everybody knows about seeing eye dogs but she's helping the disabled with specially trained Great Danes.
Man's best friend takes on a whole new meaning for people who cannot walk or have a tough time keeping their balance.
Dog trainer Carlene White has spent the last five years creating the
Service Dog Project, training Great Danes to take care of people who can't get around on their own.
"(They are) for people with handicaps, with balance problems," White explained. "We don't do seeing eye but we do MS, Parkinson's or
people back from the war with war injuries."
White has 22 Great Danes that she works with everyday. Wearing a harness, the dogs learn to walk at the pace of their owners and provide a sense of balance.
"They are great temperament dogs and don't have a lot of energy, so you don't have to exercise them too often," White said.
Dog recipients come to White's farm in Ipswich and train with her for about a week. If all goes well she then donates the dog to the person in need. Lately, her priority has been war veterans.
Fifty-seven-year-old Jim Nadaeu of Woburn suffers from
multiple sclerosis, but with Homer by his side, the Vietnam War vet feels empowered.
"He walks aside me and I hold onto his orange harness, and he's my rock," Nadaeu said.
White is working with a Great Dane right now that will soon be sent to Walter Reed Hospital to assist an Iraq War veteran who lost both of his legs.
"I love to see the dogs go and serve. They have a good life," White said. "The dogs love it and the people love it and it starts all over with a bunch of puppies."
Right now, White has sent 15 Great Danes out to help assist people who are disabled. It is a labor of love for her. This is a non-profit organization that depends on donations. The food bill alone to train all her dogs is $1,000 a month.
Find out how you can
volunteer or
donate to the Service Dog Project.
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