DOGS4DIABETICS SPRING 2015

Keeping you in the KNOW - latest and greatest at Dogs4Diabetics

Quarterly Newsletter

Yellow Neener Photography

WHA

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We see a bright future on the horizon with more dogs, and a increased pace of training. p3

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A very successful First Annual Dog Wash Fundraiser with Pet Food Express. p5

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Create a team, join a team, and Walk for the Dogs - make a difference! p7

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KIBBLE FROM THE CORNER OFFICE- by Ralph Hendrix, Executive Director

Meet Izumi, a beautiful yellow lab currently in training to be a life saving Medical-Alert Assistance Dog.

We are so happy to have a wonderful string of eight dogs in training, all from Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and their great puppy raisers. They are all at different levels of training and we have a very qualified group of clients waiting to be matched for placement as the dogs complete their training over the next 4 to 5 months. GDB is very supportive in helping us serve these deserving clients.

We see a bright future on the horizon with more dogs; an increased pace of training; new, enthusiastic volunteers and a lot of fun activities planned for the year. We are pleased to announce that Carissa Brader, one of the owners of the Lagunitas Brewing Company, has joined our Board of Directors. Additionally, Steve Berry of Presidio Bank has joined D4D as our new Treasurer. They are filling roles previously held by Bryan Bredell, who has moved out of our service area. Bryan provided great insight and support in his time on our board. We appreciate all of these wonderful people who are providing their skills and insights to support our mission.

We have a fun Walk planned for June 6 at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. Join the walk, and set up your own team on our new Walk website. Visit D4DDogWalk.dojiggy.com to watch our Walk video showing the fun scheduled for our “8th Annual Walk for the Dogs!” The website allows you to set up your own webpage, with photos, video, and your personal story of support for Dogs4Diabetics.

Also, stayed tuned to read about D4D’s story in the July issue of Diablo Magazine! D4D has some great stories to be shared via this wonderful regional magazine, sharing our innovative use of Medical-Alert Assistance Dogs and the success in supporting the health and welfare of our clients and their families through these great dogs.

Going forward, you may hear about D4D’s intention to hire a new Executive Director. When I accepted the role of Executive Director in 2013, I wanted my contribution to help D4D hire a professional to grow its resources. That plan has worked and our objective is to continue to build our team and expand in the success of our work. Personally, I love all the things D4D does, and all the wonderful people that make it happen. It is my intention to remain involved in a substantial way for many years to come.

Yellow Neener Photography

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Walking the D4D dogs in training puts me in a very relaxed mood, and it helps me strengthen my dog handling skills. On my walks, I’m always brainstorming about fundraising ideas and ways to help promote this great organization. It is really fun working/volunteering for the D4D family, and I urge everyone to give it a try. There are many, many opportunities to help give back to D4D.

- Kim Denton, D4D Client & Volunteer

HAPPY TAILS...the story of D4D Client Kim Denton

Kim was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes during the Holiday season of her senior year in high school. With no history of diabetes in her family and her mom out of state taking care of a ill aunt, she was at home basking in the glory of having lost so much weight during the feasting season. “That was until I ended up in intensive care for four days due to ketoacidosis, and its ensuing coma,” Kim explains.

Kim has always managed her diabetes well until this past year, when she hit 40 years of having diabetes. “I suddenly started having very brittle swings of highs and lows, and now have hypoglycemia unawareness, which has brought on seizures,” Kim stresses. “I have woken up to paramedics giving me glucose because my blood glucose was as low as 24.” It was then Kim knew things had to change, and remembered a co-worker's step-son had been placed with a dog through Dogs4Diabetics.

“When I was accepted in to the Fall 2014 training class I immediately took to the D4D organization because of its family feeling,” Kim explains. “D4D is a grass roots organization, which does nothing but GIVE to its family of diabetics.” “They want everyone to succeed in their training, and will go out of their way to help their clients with any problems that arise so they can succeed.”

Kim is currently waiting to be placed with her perfect match, and while she waits she has become a dedicated volunteer. “I love finding ways to help support and promote the organization, which means a lot to me, and I have fun!”

“I am relieved knowing I will be placed with a dog in the future, and I am excited because I can once again go on longer drives, long walks, and to conferences by myself without the fear of someone finding me passed out (or even worse) due to low blood glucose.” “It is my hope one day every diabetic can benefit from the peace of mind a D4D dog has to offer.”

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ARMSTRONG’S DOG HOUSE- by Danielle, Mark Ruefenacht’s trusted Medical-Alert Dog & Best Friend

Woof! I hope all of you have been shopping at Pet Food Express. I know many of my furry friends were out having fun at 22 different Pet Food Express Stores this April, selling Dog Wash tokens for their great spas. Big tail wags for your help with this fundraiser... we couldn’t have done it without your support! Incase you didn’t hear, Pet Food Express generously donated all the proceeds back to D4D, and helped us raise over $34,000!!! This is a tremendous help to us dogs, as it allows us to serve more D4D clients in need!

Also, did you get to check out some of our photos in the Pet Food Express Stores? Their “My Mutt” program is in full swing and new photos are going up in stores around the Bay Area, honoring our dogs, and D4D. Armstrong has his photo up in the Walnut Creek and Clayton store. My friend, Jalina, has her glamour shot going up in the East Antioch Store. So tell your humans you too can be a star, and on display in a Pet Food Express store near you. All they have to do is donate $250 to D4D’s mission, and go to the link below, and get started. www.petfoodexpress.com/my-mutt

Lastly, don’t forget we are planning our best walk ever for Saturday, June 6 at Heather Farm Park. Set up your own walk page on our website with your personal photos, videos, and message as to why you are supporting D4D. We have a great video to help you promote the event and motivate your friends and families to donate to your effort. The day in the park will include music from KKDV 92.1 FM, prizes, food, vendors as well as a lot of fun dogs and people. Get involved today, and make a difference D4DDogWalk.dojiggy.com.

All the D4D Dogs want Pet Food Express to know how incredibly grateful we are for their PAWsome support!

It’s a great time to be a service dog... we get to work with such great people, and with wonderful organizations,

which help us fulfill our mission!

- Woof, Danielle

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TREA

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Power

Many people don’t think about buying health insurance for their pet until they are standing in

a specialist’s office with a huge estimate in front of them. Too many well-loved pets are

euthanized because their owners are unable to afford the care needed in an emergency

situation. The time to get insurance is now, before any health problems arise.

What is the basis for health insurance? Health insurance is used to help owners pay for their

pets’ veterinary bills when the cost of the veterinarian’s service is more than the owner can

afford. It allows owners to be more prepared for any accidents and conditions that may occur

throughout their pets’ lives.

Why is health insurance so important? The science of veterinary medicine is evolving at a

very rapid rate. Today, animals receive care similar to humans, with specialist, advanced

surgeries, and physical therapy. With all of these advances, the cost of veterinary bills are on

the rise. Most people are not prepared when their pet needs extra care; sometimes, even

routine care can be pricey. Health insurance gives owners a financial peace of mind.

What do veterinarians think about health insurance? The veterinary field is in favor of

health insurance because owners are then able to follow the recommendations of their

veterinarian, no matter the cost. People who have health insurance tend to bring their pet in to

be seen more often than those who do not have insurance - with insurance pet owners are able

to take better care of their pets.

What are some things to consider when shopping for pet insurance? There are many things

to consider when shopping for insurance. Many people understand copayments and

deductibles from dealing with their own insurance. There is a lot to know about health

insurance before making a decision - do your research, read the fine print, and pick the plan

that makes the most since for you and your pet. With health insurance you can help give your

pet the best care and quality of life!

Some of the Most Common Companies Include:

• Embrace - was started in 2006 in Ohio, and covers pets in all

50 states.

• PetsBest - was started in 2005 by Dr. Jack Stephen’s who

originally founded VPI.

• Trupanion - was founded in 1999, and offers coverage in all

50 states. D4D uses this coverage for all our dogs in training.

• Veterinary Pets Insurance (VPI) - founded in 1980 it was

the first veterinary insurance company.

- thanks to Just Labs for these great tips on pet insurance

S E Q U O I A C L U B

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DOGS4

DIAB

ETICSTM

June 6th

ANNUAL

Saturday ~~

Create

backjoin

a team

WALK

Heather Farm Park 301 North San Carlos Drive

Walnut Creek, CA 94598

Walk Party: 8:00am ~ 1:00 pm

Walk Check-In: 8:00 am

Walk Begins: 9:00 am

Food, Games, M

usic, Vendors

, and Raffle Prizes

GET INVOLVED: d4ddogwalk.dojiggy.com

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MEET OUR SPRING CLASS - we are growing the D4D family, with 5 new clients

Our Spring class will go through 130 hours of training over the next three months to become expert dog handlers, and learn all there is to know about becoming a D4D client. Our primary objective in our training program is to provide a successful placement of a trained Medical-Alert Assistance Dog, and improve the life and safety of our clients.

The classroom work is comprehensive and covers the topics noted below (note there is additional field work):

• D4D Program information, guidelines and contracts

• Assistance Dog History and Etiquette

• Workplace and School Accommodation Laws, Public Access and Housing Law

• Introduction to the Dog’s World: Commands

• Corrections, Behavior Modification, Dog Body Language

• Living with your Dog: Feeding, Relieving, Riding in Vehicles, Play & Exercise, Equipment, Daily Routines

• Grooming & Health Care: Grooming, Health & Illness, Preventive Measures, Safety, Poisons, First Aid, CPR

• Hypoglycemic Alert Training and Charting

Our dogs are a support tool, which provides a means to transform the client’s diabetes management in several ways. Of greatest importance, the client will develop increased confidence in their insulin therapy, due to the ability of the dog to warn them of an impending low blood sugar, allowing them to treat the condition before suffering the debilitating symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Meet Erin... she joined our Spring class, and works for Kaiser Permanente as a

Mental Health Professional.

A few members of our Spring class learning dog obedience with Juno Rugs (practice dog).

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FIND US ON FACEBOOK, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER & SHARE US WITH YOUR FRIENDSCHECK US OUT ON YOUTUBE - WWW.D4D-IMALIVE.ORG

SPECIAL WAGS DONATE TODAY

SPECIAL WAGS... We are proud to call Worldwise Inc. our organizational

partner, as they have been generously supporting D4D and our mission in meaningful, and impactful ways. Worldwise believes in making environmentally responsible products that are attractive, affordable and accessible to every pet owner. Their brands feature innovative products made principally from recycled, reclaimed, renewable, and certified organic resources, which our dogs, and clients love.

Kevin Fick, the Chief Executive Officer of Worldwise has been involved with D4D for many years, and is the father of a Type 1 Diabetic son. He has a interest in diabetic issues, and has been involved with the development and growth of our organization since the very beginning. Additionally, Kevin is a trusted advisor to our Board, and has helped guide D4D in a positive direction with his invaluable skills and expertise.

D4D is sincerely grateful for the support of Kevin Fick, and Worldwise, which is helping us fulfill our mission to provide quality Medical-Alert Dogs to insulin-dependent diabetics!

D4D THANKS YOUThanks to all who’ve made this newsletter possible:

• Mary Hooker, Yellow Neener Photography

• Ralph Hendrix, Executive Director

• Christy Gillham, Director of Development

• Carrie Skym, Programs Manager

• Christina Vincent-Power, Trainer

• Diane Ketcham, Programs Coordinator

DONATEThank you to each and every donor, your donations, large and small, contribute to the success of our program!

• Donate online at www.Dogs4Diabetics.com

• Mail in a donation to: Dogs for Diabetics, Inc.

1647 Willow Pass Road, #157 Concord, CA 94520-2611

• Or visit www.dogs4diabetics.com/donate/ to find out the various other ways you can contribute

Yellow Neener Photography

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CORPORATE SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTBECOME A PARTNER OF D4D

The following Organizations have supported Dogs for Diabetics, Inc. for many years with donations of Dogs, financial resources and various other goods and services which have been critical to D4D’s mission. They have earned the right to be thought of as Partners to the Achievement of our Mission.

We welcome other organizations to develop a similar commitment to serve the medical assistance dog community throughout the United States and the World.

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Yellow Neener Photography