by Anna Holton-Dean
Photos courtesy of Therapetics Service Dogs of Oklahoma
Allyson Anderson was born with a rare, debilitating disorder which
eventually took her ability to walk, requiring the use of a wheelchair. Her lack of mobility made everyday tasks harder and sometimes impossible.
Coincidentally, a little more than two years ago, her son’s friend was training a service dog for Therapetics Service Dogs of Oklahoma. Anderson reached out for more information and soon began to apply for a service dog.
“For me, the process went really quickly. My dog Angel happened to be available because she’s a smaller dog. It only took about six weeks before we finished the whole process. Angel has saved my life, not just with her skills but emotionally; she makes me feel safe.”
Because of Therapetics’ impact on her quality of life, Anderson began to volunteer for Therapetics and is now the client-selection chairperson and board member-at-large.
“My family would say my life has completely improved since Angel, and it’s why I have become so passionate,” she says. “It’s so rewarding to give my time, and I’m the one that gets to chair up the selection from our applications when there’s a dog available. I’ve placed three dogs that I’ve selected for clients. Hearing all the clients talk about how their dogs have improved their quality of life, it’s a rewarding thing to be a part of. I wanted to pay back an organization that changed my life and help other people have the same experience.”
Therapetics is a Tulsa-based nonprofit that serves the greater Oklahoma area. Susan Bello Phariss founded Therapetics in 1992. She had a dream to build a high-quality school for service dogs in Oklahoma so people with disabilities could live more independently. The organization focuses on training mobility and PTSD service dogs. Volunteers in a variety of locations train dogs to provide a wide range of experiences to serve clients.
Types of Service Dogs
Mobility-assistance service dogs are trained to perform tasks to help with everyday chores that are made difficult by limited mobility. Tasks include opening doors, carrying a bag, picking up dropped objects, and emptying the clothes dryer.
PTSD service dogs (or psychiatric service dogs) are trained to perform specific tasks to help reduce the symptoms of PTSD, such as turning on lights so a veteran does not have to walk into a dark room; sitting or staying in a particular position to create a physical barrier that protects a veteran’s sense of safe space; and alerting the veteran if a person is approaching, thus reducing the veteran’s hypervigilance by providing a sense of security.
“Ninety-five percent of the dogs come from breeders and are donated,” Anderson says. “Typically for service work, we prefer German Shepherds, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and standard Poodles or Doodles. Doodles and Poodles are hypoallergenic for people with allergies; my dog (Angel) is a Doodle.”
Therapetics takes in dogs at eight weeks old and tests them to identify whether each dog is a good prospect for service work. If the dog is a good candidate, it is in the training program for 18 months, ideally.
“Some take longer,” Anderson says, “like two-and-a-half years. There have been a couple of instances where a dog was two years old already, but she came from a trainer who was trying her for service work and then went a different route, so we purchased that dog from her.”
When a dog is “rerouted” because it turns out to not be an ideal service dog candidate, it is labeled a “career change pup.” Those dogs might become emotional-support animals.
Volunteer Trainers Are Needed Desperately
For 30 years, Therapetics has fulfilled the founder’s mission, but now more than ever, the nonprofit needs volunteer trainers. Anyone older than 14 can volunteer to train a service dog — no special credentials are needed.
“We are so desperate for volunteers,” Anderson says. “We are 100 percent volunteer run, and our trainers are just volunteers in the community. They make a commitment to train this puppy from that age to a year-and-a-half. They can do just the puppy raising, and then someone else will take the dog and finish it out and
do the fine-tuning, like mobility skills and PTSD.
“Right now, we are turning away puppies from breeders that want to donate good prospects because we don’t have anyone to train them. This started after the COVID pandemic. We have had the hardest time finding trainers. It has gotten a little better, but it’s hard to find volunteers willing to make the commitment. Even high school students can be trainers, which as an added bonus, looks nice on a college application.”
Anderson’s dog Angel was trained by a high school student and went everywhere the girl went, including school.
Therapetics provides all the training materials, and volunteers attend weekly group training sessions. They are asked to take the dogs wherever they go so the dogs can experience everyday environments. Therapetics also provides all the necessary supplies such as food, treats, crate, etc.
David Martin is a volunteer with Therapetics who is training a canine named Knox.
“I chose Therapetics because they’re one of the most established service-dog nonprofits in the area,” he says. “I love the bonding and incremental progress when training service dogs. As a veteran with PTSD, it has been therapeutic for me as well.”
Although anyone can be a trainer, it is a full-time commitment. For those unable to make such a commitment, intermittent puppy-sitting is also needed from time to time.
To volunteer or for more information, visit therapetics.org, call (918) 270-4226, or e-mail [email protected].
