Winter Days

Ena looking a little upset and cold

I don't know how many people enjoy the cold but, I for one, do not. I do not enjoy being cold and winter is one of my least favorite seasons but, I am perfectly content sitting inside with a blanket, warm fuzzy socks, a fireplace and, a cup of hot chocolate watching the snow fall. Ena seems to agree with me on some of these things. She does not seem to like the cold or snow. I know we have only had a little bit of snow but, every time she has gone out in it, she acts like it's getting her. She walks faster and shakes everything off moments after we get wherever we were headed. I get to take her home over Christmas break so, she and I will never be leaving the comforts of our warm house. Today, we had to go to physical therapy and it was snowing outside. When we got in the car to go there, her nose was already running and, her ears were freezing. I think my family and I will have to get her a sweater for Christmas. It'll be interesting to see how she will do for an entire month living in the Snowbelt up in Cleveland where snow is a regular occurrence. We usually get a few feet around Christmas. So far, all of my puppies have enjoyed themselves while out in the snow but, Ena not so much. Hopefully, she does not plop in the snow and give up on life the instance snow hits her feet. Here's to hoping and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

The Gold Coast Tour

Over break, I had an amazing opportunity to travel with our university marching band to California. We left at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning and headed to Detroit to fly out to LAX. It was a long day on Friday preparing for the trip. We would be gone for five days and would fly out on Thanksgiving Day. Saturday morning came very quickly and we all drug ourselves out to Presser to prepare to leave. The Kappa Kappa Psi brothers got everyone packed and on the buses within 45 minutes.

Our marching band was split up into three flights. There was a Delta flight leaving at 8:30 (which was the one I was on), a Southwest flight at 8:35 and they had a layover in St. Louis and, another Delta flight at 11:30. MY flight was smooth. The take-off and landing were easy and there was little turbulence. When my flight landed in California, we had to wait for the other groups to come in. When we all landed and got our luggage together, we headed to our first hotel.

Mark Harmon's star on the Walk of Fame

We got to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Los Angeles, Hollywood. It was about a 15-minute walk from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We went to the walk the first night and it was amazing. We got a chance to see a lot of the stars and took a couple of photos of them. The next morning, we went out to Mel's Diner for breakfast and to go down the walk again. We departed for San Diego at 11:45 a.m. that morning. On the way, we got to stop at Griffith Park and take some photos.

We successfully got to San Diego around 2:30 and it was breath-taking. I've been to San Diego once before and my love for it has not changed over the years. Our band got to stay at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. It was very close to the ocean and we had a view out on the bay. The next day, we had a performance in Balboa Park. The performance went well and, we had a pretty good turnout. Everyone seemed to enjoy the music. After getting back to the hotel, a group of friends and I all went out to go find some dinner and hit the beach. We went to Coronado beach. The ocean was cold but, we still all went into the water. It was a great opportunity for some beautiful photos and shell collecting. I found bunches of sand dollars and shells that I brought home for my family. We took off the next morning for Los Angeles again.

The view from our hotel room in San Diego

We stayed in Doubletree by Hilton. At 8:30 in the morning, we took off for Disney and our last day in California. It was the hottest day out of the few days of being in California and we had to dress in our full uniforms to march a parade. It was so hot but, walking down Main Street with all those people watching was 100% worth it. I love performing and things like that always remind me why I started it in the first place. The rest of the day was filled with rides, eating, and having a great time.

Coronado Beach

Our marching band departed for LAX at 5 a.m. We were all exhausted and ready to get home. We only had two flights this time. It was a huge relief landing and knowing we were almost home. I was so ready to get there and see my family and pets again. It was an amazing trip and I fell in love all over again with California. I hope to live there one day but, I got to spend the rest of my Thanksgiving break with my whole family. Even though I spent most of my Thanksgiving break on a plane, bus or, car, I couldn't ask for a better break!

Sleeping Beauty's Castle in Disneyland

Puppy Snuggles

Ena snuggles

Puppy snuggles are always the best. They can be so relaxing at times but, others can make you feel like you're just a chair to be sat on. Ena loves to cuddle so I always cuddle her as often as possible. I have fostered a total of five puppies and Ena and RossCo have been the only ones to snuggle regularly. For Boo, we used to have to force snuggle her. We have a command called lap and the puppy must leave their head in our lap until we release them. We would always make her do it and she would glare at us so much but, I personally think she secretly liked it. Babs would let me snuggle her when it was on her own terms. She would lay in bed with me when she wanted to but, if she didn't want to, she didn't. RossCo is a very snuggly puppy and he likes sitting in people's laps and on their feet. He makes you feel like you're his chair. He is so much fun to pet because he has so much chub on his neck and around his face. He also likes having his eyes pet but, I not like touching them because he gets eye boogers sometimes and I cannot stand touching eye boogers. Saber was snuggly sometimes. She was like Babs. She liked to be pet a lot but, snuggles happened on her terms and her terms only. Ena has been my snuggliest puppy so far. When she got sick the other day, she snuggled even more than usual. This made me both very happy because she was being really snuggly again but, also sad because she wasn't feeling well. When we first got her, she non-stop snuggled with us. She's slowed down a little but, she always pretends like nobody ever pays attention to her. She will flop around and show her belly off. She is such a sweetheart and I've fallen in love with her. She will (hopefully) someday make an amazing service dog and best friend for a child.

Babs would snuggle on her own terms

It's the Little Things

I always love to look out for all the little things the 4Paws dogs do that show what they're meant to do in life. This past weekend was one of those moments where I could see how much Ena both cares about me and how great she would be as a service dog.

These past few months I have been having one medical mishap after another. In September, I had to get surgery done on my shoulder to remove a bone spur and fix an impingement. I have been going through physical therapy to get it working again. I have to get my other shoulder worked on in December. I just had another medical issue dealt with recently too. I have been on a lot of prescriptions to help improve my well-being and it hasn't been easy but, I have had my little sidekick with me through it all. I feel as though through everything going on, Ena has shown me her true colors.

This weekend was not easy for me. I had two appointments to go to and I had brought Ena home with me, so she could experience what a hospital environment was like. She seemed to be very clingy to me throughout the morning and all through my appointments and even into the night. My family and I never really thought much about it because I hadn't seen her as much during the week. During my first appointment on Friday, Ena sat by my feet the entire time and did not like it when I left the room to get an x-ray done. During my second appointment, she was again by my feet and paying close attention to what was going on around her. While at my second appointment, I noticed some red spots showing up on my arms. I didn't think much of it since I hadn't been feeling well for a couple of days and it didn't seem important. Turns out, it was an actual problem.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I was bright red, running a very high fever, had flu symptoms and, had a very high heart rate. My family took me to the emergency room and Ena was coming with us. They had to run a lot of tests and I was not handling it well. It turns out that I had a severe allergic reaction to some of the medications I had been on. Ena was a lifesaver to me. She was trying to do her best to make sure that she was within reach and was checking on me occasionally. She had tried to jump on the bed multiple times since she knew that I was freaking out from having so many needles stuck in me. When I was finished and finally starting the process of getting discharged, we decided that it was all right for Ena to jump up and sit with me. She gladly leaped right up and laid down to comfort me.

This all just showed me what kind of program I am involved in. They are meant to make the lives of children with disabilities and their families' lives easier. They are there to improve the quality of life for a family in need and to be a best friend for their child. Ena has shown me that she can be just that. She seemed to be able to sense that something was happening and, we didn't fully understand what it was until after the fact. She has formed a bond with me and with my family. Ena has some amazing potential to be a service dog and I am so honored to be her raiser and to be a part of the 4Paws for Ability program.

We're Off To See The Wizard

Halloween is always a fun and exciting time for many people. You can go pumpkin picking, go through corn mazes and, dress up to go trick-or treating. My absolute favorite thing about Halloween is seeing what everyone has for costume ideas. I've seen things ranging from Buzz Lightyear to zombies to a box of Cuties. One thing Polar Paws did this year was dress some of our babies up. We all went with the Wizard of Oz theme. RossCo, Chromia, Frenzy and, Edwena all participated. RossCo went as the (not-so) cowardly lion, Frenzy as the Tinman, Chromia as Dorothy and, Edwena as Glinda the good witch.

(From left to Right) RossCo, Mia, Frenzy, Ena

We got to go to the Founders Hall trick-or-treating event where all the kids of Ada come through and get some treats. Ena was eating the attention up. Almost everyone wanted to say hello and she was getting a lot of treats. It was a lot of fun and everyone loved her costume. We could go see Mia after everyone had left the hallway. Mia was looking very stylish in her Dorothy costume.

Ena and Mia after trick-or-treat

I absolutely love Halloween and all the fun things associated with it. This was one of my most favorite Halloweens so far, all thanks to the Polar Paws puppies!

Mia and Frenzy

Birthday Celebrations

Everyone has a birthday and what better way then to celebrate than with a party! Polar Paws has celebrated many puppy birthdays. The first semester that there were dogs on campus, we had celebrated Babs and Scarah's half birthdays. The next semester, we did not celebrate anyone's birthday. The next celebration was for Boo and Levee. This semester Polar Paws got to celebrate Eagle's and RossCo's birthdays. The most recent was RossCo's.

Our celebration for RossCo was on October 18th which, is also his birthday. Another puppy that should have celebrated her birthday recently, was Babs. She turned two this year and RossCo turned one.

When we celebrated RossCo's birthday, Polar Paws went to Affinity Commons to let the puppies run and play with the birthday boy. Ena, RossCo, Kip, Silkie, Frenzy and, Harpy were all there. Most of the time spend in the room was a game of chase the puppy who has the tennis ball. Ena was usually the one with the ball. She kept trying to hide in the corner so nobody could reach her. For as small as she is, she was pretty fast. RossCo and Frenzy were the only ones able to keep up with her.

When it was picture time, we all set the puppies up in a row and took some photos. It turned out looking pretty good.

(From left to Right) Ena, Silkie, Kip, Frenzy, RossCo, Harpy

When it came to "cake" time, all the puppies present got a peanut butter and dog food cake. They all scarfed it down. RossCo decided that since he was the birthday boy, he was allowed to run around to all the other puppies' plates and eat off of theirs. It was funny to watch him run from one plate to the next eating it all. Ena downed hers in a minute. It looked like there wasn't anything originally on the plate.

It was a fun celebration and I hope we can celebrate the next birthday with as much fun as RossCo's!

Babs' Babies: The Introductions

Babs was my first foster and just a few weeks, she had puppies. She had nine babies overall. They were all named after cartoon characters. Recently 4Paws had posted some pictures of them and they are the cutest little babies ever. I want to introduce them to you all. I really hope that I get Bambi or Zatanna when Ena goes back but I would be very excited with any of them.

This is Leela. She comes from the cartoon Futurama. In the show, Leela is spaceship captain, pilot and, head of all aviation services on board the Planet Express Ship.

This is Jiminy. Jiminy is a character appearing in Disney movies such as Pinocchio and Mickey's Christmas Carol. The character's real name is Jiminy Cricket and he was designed as comical and wise partner who accompanies Pinocchio on his adventures, having been appointed by the Blue Fairy to serve as Pinocchio's official conscience.

This is Sofi. I cannot find where Sofi is from but, I wanted to include her anyway.

This is Muttley. Muttley comes from the show Wacky Races. He first appeared in 1968, as the sidekick of the accident-prone villain Dick Dastardly. The character is known best for his mischievous, wheezing laughter.

 This is Zatanna. Zatanna Zatara is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Zatanna is both a stage magician and an actual magician. As such, she has many of her father's powers relating to magic, typically controlled by speaking the words of her incantations spelled backwards. She is known for her involvement with the Justice League.

This is Pickles. Pickles comes from the show Doc McStuffins. She is the rabbit that helps Doc McStuffins repair all the broken toys.

This is Peppa. Peppa is named after the main character in the show Peppa Pig. In the show, Peppa goes on adventures with her friends.

 This is Bambi. Bambi is the main character in Walt Disney's Bambi. Bambi is a white-tailed deer and his friends are his friends Thumper, a rabbit, Flower, a skunk, and his childhood friend and future mate, Faline. They all go adventuring throughout the movie together.

This is Magica. Magica De Spell is a fictional character of the Scrooge McDuck universe, an Italian sorceress. She constantly steals or attempts to steal Scrooge McDuck's Number One Dime, which she believes will play a vital role in magically obtaining the same fabulous wealth of its owner.

Zoo Pals

Kip with the kids

Sunday was one of the most fun days that I have had in a while. Some members of Polar Paws had brought their puppies to the Columbus zoo! It was quite an adventure for some of them. Our group consisted of four dogs and five raisers. Our puppies were Kip (poodle), Benden (black lab), RossCo (lab retriever), and Ena (black lab retriever). The raisers were myself, Megan (with RossCo), Bailey (with Kip), Rachel (with Benden), and Megan (with Ena). We all had a great time with some really great memories that I would love to share with you.

When we first got to the zoo, we had to wait around outside the entrance for about a half hour because we got there before it opened. While we were all waiting around, a lot of kids had come up to pet all of the puppies. It was a good socialization opportunity for them because there were just so many kids. We had about fifteen come up to us and ask. They all did a stellar job and they were almost sad to leave that spot but, we had a zoo to explore.

RosscCo and Amelia Gray

After we got through the entrance, we headed up toward the North America section. On the way, we stopped and saw a bear and the wolves. The wolves usually come straight up to the puppies but, they were uninterested that day. When we got to the Polar Bears, we got to see Amelia Gray and her mom. Amelia Gray was very curious of RossCo when he was by the glass. She had swum right over to him and hung on the edge. She even tried to bite at him! RossCo was unfazed and seemed to not have a care in the world.

Kip watching the monkeys

We headed over to Africa next. We went and saw the lions and the monkeys. I think Ena's favorite part were the monkeys. She kept trying to play with them but, kept hitting her nose on the glass. The monkeys came right over to the puppies and were staring them down. The cheetahs' reactions are always my favorite part because they were raised with yellow labs. Since we always seem to have a yellow dog with us (RossCo this time), they usually come right over the glass to see us. When we started heading out of Africa, we went through a space where they had a bald eagle and we all took a quick break. The puppies all loved sitting there and watching the eagle fly from one side of the exhibit to the other.

RossCo with the cheetah

We then headed towards Asia and got to see the elephants, tigers, and a few more lions. We had also stopped to see the Wolverine exhibit and all puppies had to put their paws on the ledge to see into the habitat. It was a good photo opportunity for me since I was voted the designated photographer.

We lastly headed towards the aquariums. Ena did not seem to mind all of the fish floating in front of her face and she didn't seem to care too much about all the people either.

Benden, RossCo, and Ena all needed a better view

Overall it was a very successful day for Polar Paws. We all had so much fun and all the puppies were passed out on the drive back to campus. I can't wait to be able to go again!

Everyone lined up for a photo with the polar bear statue!

My Week Without Ena

Last Friday I had to go in for surgery on my left shoulder. When I was told I needed surgery, I immediately knew that I was going to have to give up some things during my recovery and it was not going to be easy to do things that I normally could do before. Some things I would have to do was that I could not play in marching band or wind orchestra, I could not go to work and lastly, I would not be able to be a part of Polar Paws. This devastated me the most because once you get used to having a puppy around, it becomes very strange when they aren't. It has been a rough week already with not being able to move around as much as I did before, I'm almost always tired because of the medication they have me on, and I cannot participate in as many things as I wish I could. It's also been hard because I don't get to see my little partner in crime. I have only seen her twice since last Thursday but, neither have been for more than ten minutes. I miss seeing her a lot but, I know that I can't handle her by myself since my arm is not working properly. I am hoping to be able to have one of the members bring Ena over this weekend so I can see her for a little while and I don't have to worry about anything. I really miss her a lot and she makes everything seem so much better. Here's to hoping for a speedy recovery so I can see my little Ena again soon!

4 Paws Meetings

You wouldn't ever think a meeting is interesting. Well, these kinds of meetings can be. As a member of the 4 Paws for Ability puppy raiser crew, we have to attend meetings on campus and once a month, go to Xenia for a monthly meeting. Every Monday at 8 p.m. in the Bear Cave, Polar Paws meets. I love going to these meetings because you pick up on a trick or get some answers and then afterward, puppy play times! Four of our lucky puppies get to run around together to their heart's content or until their foster parent wants to leave. It's a lot of fun to be able to watch all of them play together and how excited they get when we go to the Bear Cave.

The monthly Xenia meetings can be way more interesting though. It is a two-hour long drive to get to the building and to get parked. I love driving a lot and when there is a puppy riding with you, it makes it a lot more fun. I usually end up driving down to the meetings and I almost always have a puppy in the car with me. My roommate and I go down together most of the time and we jam out to music. Whoever the lucky puppy is, typically ends up passing out in the backseat completely unaware of how bad our singing is. When we get to 4 Paws, there is a room off to the side of the main entrance where the raisers have to go in at. It's a big room and they do all the classes for the placed puppies and all the classes for the raisers at. As a raiser, we are not permitted to be involved with these classes unless we are on staff there. The meetings go over three things. We cover any problems we have with the puppies, a new trick or command, and then we gather any supplies needed for the next month. Almost everyone gets one bag of food and monthly medicine. Sometimes you can meet other puppies while you are waiting on the meetings to start. I was able to meet Rayne from the Video Games 2 litter. She is Saber's sister. She looked so much like Saber that I was shocked that it wasn't her. Our monthly meetings only last two hours and when we get our supplies, we are able to go.


The rides back to campus usually consist of a nap for either the puppy or the passengers. RossCo was one of the most memorable nap takers. He had just gotten neutered and had to wear a cone to keep him from picking at his stitches. He had scooted so close to my car door that his head was straight up in the air at a 90 degree angle. He was completely passed out and snoring.

These meetings may seem boring to some people but, they hold a lot of good memories for me.

Give Back Day

I know when I have a puppy, people typically come up and ask us if they are allowed to pet them. I usually will say yes and to fill the silence people will always do one of two things; talk to my puppy or ask me questions. My puppy usually gets the rundown of how cute they are or how sweet they are. We will sometimes get praise on how calm they are. When people talk to me, I usually get asked a lot questions. Basic questions are usually how old are they, what breed are they, what's their name, are they in training and finally, how do you give them back?

I want to explain to you what give back day is like.


Give back day is one of the hardest things to do in the world. This has been your puppy to care for and look after. You've fallen in love and know who they are and what they can do. You're nervous of seeing them fail or not be able to do what they were meant to do. You sit with them throughout the meeting. Everyone goes over problems with their puppies and what you can do to fix them. You know your puppy is perfect (at least in your eyes). You're tearing up about how much you two have gone through. You've had them since they were a baby and now they are all grown up.

The meeting is starting to wind down. You're starting to think about what is about to happen.

The meeting ends. The people in charge start handing out papers for your new puppy. You first look at the name; is it cool, interesting, dumb? You then look at their date of birth, are they fixed, their breed, and everything else listed on the form. You look down to your current puppy thinking that no one will be able to replace them.

The people in charge start asking who is ready to go back. You're thinking "I'm never going to be ready." You give your puppy one last hug and one last goodbye wishing them good luck. You start to head toward the front of the room to hand them off. It's heartbreaking to watch your baby walk away. They look back at you and you're about to lose it.

The rest all go back and everyone is silently crying to themselves or talking about the new ones about to come out.

The first puppy comes out. It's a tiny little thing. Everyone immediately lights up. The mood of the room suddenly lifts. You're thinking about the loss of one of your best friends but, you know that they are off to do great things and you have a new puppy to take care of. You have to show them what to do so they can live up to the legacy of the ones before.


I always say that give back day is one of the hardest things in the world, but you know that wherever your puppy ends up, you'll never forget them and you know they are going to do great things. If you get lucky, you can sometimes go to graduation for your foster. You can see what they have accomplished and you can meet their forever family. You can see how much they will make their family's life so much easier. You give them their last and final goodbye with a smile on your face.

Edwena

I don't know who has all meet my newest child but, you are about to learn about who she is. If you have been following my blog posts regularly, I typically post things relating to my foster puppies in 4 Paws for Ability. This week I am going to introduce one of the newest members to the ONU family, Edwena or Ena for short.

Ena's siblings and mom

Ena is a retriever lab mix. She comes from the Paw Patrol litter. Her mom and dad are Kendy and Eggster. She was born December 29, 2016 which, makes her now eight months old. Her sisters are Zende, Sabina and, Bettina and her brothers are Tracker, Seabee, Smiley, Raimundo and, Robo.

How can you say "no" to this face?

Ena is a very loving puppy. She loves to take naps and snuggle. She is very attached to whoever is watching her at the time. She has climbed into the shower with me one more than one occasion because she was not able to see through the shower curtain. She is fun-loving and energetic. She loves to play with squeak balls and tennis balls. Ena will make sure that we play together when we get back to my apartment. She is also very curious about the world. She loves to stop and stare at the ducks as we are passing by, or she will stare out the window and whatever is going on. It's very hard to resist her when she gives doe-eyes.

Naptime in mom's arms

She is still learning in her training. She has been getting better at her basic commands such as, sit, down, heel, come and, her implied stay. We have trouble staying in place sometimes because Ena just wants to come and be cuddled. Most times when people come pet her, she will lay on her side and bring her one leg up so they can pet her belly. She loves her belly rubs. Feel free to come and ask to pet her! I'm sure she would love it. I hope you now know a little more about Ena!

Babs and Her Cartoon Litter

I don't know how many of you know, but I am a puppy raiser with 4Paws for Ability. I help socialize puppies who will become future service dogs. I have worked with four dogs during my time in the Polar Paws program. I have helped raise Babs, Boo, RossCo, and Saber. Babs was my first foster and she was from the Back to the Future litter. Babs went on to become a breeder dog for 4Paws. Boo was my second foster and she was from the Monsters Inc. litter. I was sad to hear when she failed her evaluation, but she is now a fabulous flunkie and is enjoying life as a pet. RossCo was my third foster and he is from the Mascots litter. He is currently still in training on ONU's campus. Saber is my fourth foster and she is from the Video Games litter. She will be going on to advanced training very soon and I will soon have a new puppy to add to my list.



I wanted to share with you all about one of the most exciting things I have personally experienced as a puppy raiser. Babs was able to have her first litter of puppies! She was my first foster and I was very close with her. It was very exciting to be able to hear that she was now a mother and that I had the opportunity to go and visit them all.









      She had nine babies overall. There are seven girls and two boys. The girls are named Sofi, Bambi, Peppa, Zatanna, Leela, Pickles, and Magica. The boys are named Jiminy and Muttley. If you can not tell already, they are the Cartoon litter. They are lab retriever mixes and they were born on August 15. They were all well over a pound when Babs had them so, they are very healthy babies. I can not wait to be able to see them grow up. I am hoping to help raise one of them when they get old enough to come out into the college foster program. Here's to hoping!

Welcome to the ONU Family

As you all know, Boo went back to 4Paws for Ability to get additional training. When she went back, we got a new puppy named Rossco. Rossco is a six-month-old golden-lab. He comes from the Mascots litter. He has eleven siblings and his parents are River Tam and Bodi. Rossco is adorable. It was heartbreaking to give Boo back, but having Rossco helps. He was at Ohio Northern for about a week as a temporary puppy while Saber was getting spayed. He is now a permanent ONU pup. Rossco has a big personality. He loves to snuggle and he loves people. We went to Ada Elementary last Thursday to have kids read to the puppies, and he did great! I enjoyed being around the kids. He kept wanting to climb into their laps, sniff their books, or lick their toes. Rossco also really loves to snuggle. My co-handlers and I are always seen petting him and having him lay with us when we are in our rooms. Rossco is known as the puppy who doesn't walk on campus, but we are starting to fix that. Treats are very helpful during this process. Rossco is smart and he is starting to learn what to do. He'll be my summer project since he will be my summer foster. We will have to learn how to hold commands and learn some new ones. I'm very excited to work with him and I hope he thinks the same. All I can say is 'Welcome to the ONU family, Rossco'!

 

Goodbye Boo

I don't know how many of you know, but Boo had to go back to 4Paws for Ability for additional training. It wasn't easy when my co-handlers and I were told the news. She was an amazing dog to have around and we weren't expecting it. We learned it on April 19, which meant we had five days to say our goodbyes to her. She finished her last classes with me on Thursday and completely finished with my co-handlers on Friday.

 On Saturday, we took her to the Columbus Zoo to give her one last day of fun with us. She seemed to have an amazing time while we were there. We started off by seeing the baby polar bears. She was very excited when Aurora came up to her and was looking at her through the glass. Boo took having a polar bear in her face like a champ. When we were wandering around, the North American part, the animals were very curious of Boo and Boo didn't care one bit. She only really cared about seeing on animal and it was the wolverine. She was too short to look into the exhibit so I ended up picking her up so she could see.

We headed to Asia and she still didn't care too much about any of the animals. Though the leopard was very curious of her and tried to follow us. We then moved on to go see everything in the Africa portion of the zoo. The cheetahs there kept trying follow her when we started to walk away. When we got to some of the monkeys, they were very curious of her. They all just stared at her, and she just stared back. She did really well with the lions also.

We then moved on to Congo. She had the most fun there. The monkeys are either very curious of dogs or they don't like them at all. I know we had a bunch staring us down and we also had some come up to the glass and pound on it. She always had fun staring at them and that's when we finished our day. She really had a fun time and was so tired at the end of it that she slept the entire way back to campus.

On Sunday, she had her big day. We had to drive to Xenia to give her back for good. Before going to 4Paws, we stopped at Wright Sate University to play at their service dog park. She had a lot of fun and I was able to get a lot of nice pictures of her. My co-handlers and I were able to take photos with her to try and show her growth over the past seven months. She's gotten pretty big. When we got to 4Paws, we said our goodbyes and watched her head out. It was heart-breaking but, she's off to go do amazing things. I wish her the best of luck and I hope she finds her forever home soon.

Boo's Easter Break

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter break! I know Boo and I did! As you might have guessed, Boo went home with me over Easter break. Though she didn't for the first two nights. She was with my co-handler during that time. Boo really had a lot of fun while being at her house. She had a little change in scenery, but still had a great time. They were able to go to the Columbus Zoo and while she was there, she got to see a bunch of the animals. Boo also got to go Easter egg hunting while at home with her handler. As you can see in the pictures, Boo was very happy to be surrounded by so many colorful round objects. She wasn't allowed to play with them though. For Easter, Boo got an entire box of Milk Bones and she also got a brand-new blanket to lay on at home. She really loved it. I got her on Sunday afternoon and she was so much fun. We got to go play at a family friend's house and she got to eat a bunch of treats. Monday, before we went back to campus, we got to play and run around outside. She really seemed to enjoy herself. I hope everyone had a great Easter break because I know Boo and I did!