Rendering of the Jan Rees-Jones Canine Center
At the board meeting, Retired Air Force
Staff Sgt. Jason Morgan, shared his personal testimony on the impact of his canine
companions. In 1999, 10 years after enlisting in the Air Force, Jason was deployed to
South America on a narcotics mission along
the Columbia-Ecuador border. While providing security for two soldiers, their SUV
flipped and crashed down a cliff. Jason was
ejected as the SUV rolled over him. Unable
to move, he had a broken back and numerous internal injuries and spent three and a
half years in the hospital.
In 2009, Jason was partnered with Service
Dog Napal, a black Labrador trained by
Canine Companions for Independence.
“It’s hard to get back on your feet when
your feet don’t work,” said Jason. “Having a
companion like Napal made a real difference on both my physical and emotional
rehabilitation. Once I had Napal, I was no
longer the guy in the wheelchair; I was the
guy with the cool dog. It opened up so many
doors for me and enhanced my life in so
many unexpected ways.”
The Kinkeade Campus is a training facility for dogs beginning at 18 months of age.
It is also a training facility for the clients
who will be matched with assistance dogs.
At the Kinkeade Campus, three types of
assistance dogs will be trained to master
more than 40 specialized commands.
Service Dogs assist adults with physical disabilities by performing everyday functions
like turning on lights, picking up dropped
keys or opening a door; Skilled Companions
enhance independence for children and
adults with cognitive and developmental
disabilities; and Facility Dogs work with a
professional in visitation, education, criminal justice or health care setting.
The average cost to breed and train each
assistance dog is $50,000, and assistance
dogs are provided free of charge to
individuals.
In order to provide this service to the
community, the Foundation is seeking
community support to cover capital and
operating costs for the construction and
maintenance of the Kinkeade Campus. To
date, more than $3.5 million has been
raised in support of this program.
For more information on Canine Companions
for Independence at Baylor Scott & White
Health – Kinkeade Campus, please contact
Sarah Burdi at 214.820.4721 or Sarah.
[email protected].
Retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Jason
Morgan’s service dog Rue
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