Kiyla’s Journey: From Death Row to Having a Job

Sometimes here at Service Dog 411 we get an inquiry that requires a bit of creative problem solving. So, when I got a call from my friend Jane Spitzer at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, it was one of those times.

Jane asked me if I could help her with obtaining a service dog for her memory support and assisted living residents. Just like some of their residents, their previous “facility dog” had succumbed to old age. She’d been in touch with a couple of different organizations whose restrictions were so restrictive as to make it almost impossible to surmount. Not one of these organizations shared with Jane that what she really needed for her residents was a therapy dog … not a service dog. A service dog is one that is trained to perform one or more specific tasks for a specific individual. A therapy dog is one that is well-trained and who gives its love to many people in a group setting such as hospitals or retirement communities.

There was no need for Jane and her team to spend thousands of dollars on
a service dog when what they really needed was a therapy dog. Really what they needed was a pound puppy and a great trainer.

So, wheels up and in motion, Service Dog 411 martialed the help of our friend and colleague Dee Bogetti and Richmond Animal League’s Community Manager, Sarah Clinton. Did Sarah by chance have a dog that would have the personality and temperament suited to being a “facility dog” for a group of seniors? “Why, yes,” she said, “I believe we do.” Enter Mikayla, a beagle hound mix about 4 years old that had been rescued from a kill shelter after being picked up as a stray. After a rocky start to the relationship (Mikayla was adopted out within hours of Sarah’s email, but returned two days later by the adopting family due to military
deployment).


Dee made the preliminary assessment and with her “two thumbs up”, Sarah agreed to foster Mikayla (since renamed Kiyla by her new “grandparents”) and work with Dee on her obedience skills. Kiyla is now about halfway through her training and she’s doing great. From not having any experience living in a home, being consistently around people, and having regular access to food … Kiyla now sits on command (although her butt still wiggles a bit with excitement). She can also “down” and “leave it” both important commands for her new role as the new “grand-dog” at VMRC. Next week, she’ll have a trial run at a local (Richmond-based) retirement community to get a glimpse of what her new life will be all about … love, love and more love. Stay tuned for Kiyla’s next chapter.

Don’t know where to turn to get your questions answered about service or therapy dogs, organizations or programs? Visit www.ServiceDog411.com today; it’s your first stop on the journey for help and information.