proudly provided by
The Kiwanis Club of Grand Junction
Click here for our Alert Service Dogs for Kids brochure
Check out the Kiwanis International Magazine’s Child’s Best Friend article
Please scroll down to find out more about this amazing program,
the kids and their dogs and read Halle’s speech
(when our Club formally gave Sandy to her).
At the meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Grand Junction, Thursday, January 13, Rita Crumpton graduated Remi and her boy Kadyn. Along with Remi and Kadyn is pictured Kadyn’s mom Rachel. Remi, always alert, was busy checking out the bag of goodies from Chow Down Pet Supply. Below is a picture of Remi and Kadyn when they were raw recruits.
Welcome to Kaden & Remi
our newest recruits
Congrats to Curry – One of our Graduates
This is Curry’s graduation to Alert Service dog for Kaden Means. Pictured left to right are Kaden’s dad Andy Means, Kaden, Curry and mom Julie Means.
Here’s Curry’s first day of school.
Farley’s now a Graduate!!
Pictured left to right: Kelli and Mike Kingery, parents of Gwen; Farley and Gwen Kingery, handler/diabetic; Rita Crumpton, project manager; Aleisha Largent, trainer; Marion Wilson, trainer; Edna Schenck, Hidden Springs Labradors, breeder; Kent Beverly, Chow Down Pet Supplies, supporters of the program.
It truly does take a village to accomplish some things. This picture represents all involved with Farley’s journey to alert service dog status. Not pictured but gratefully mentioned, San Juan Vet Clinic, Dr. Franklin, in Montrose. This dog will be Gwen’s constant companion and will alert her when her blood sugar goes dangerously low or, at times too high. This means that parents may now get a full night’s sleep instead of getting up every hour to test Gwen. Our club is honored to be a part of this effort.
Here’s Gwen & Farley being BFFs
Meet Dove & Steven
Puppy Dove (16 weeks old) is our newest in training Alert Service Dog.
Dove’s kid is Steven Clink. Dove shares his home with Steven’s parents,
Steve & Cydney Clink. Cydney recently joined Our Kiwanis Club.
Lt. Gov. Stewart looks like he wants the treat Rita is holding for Dove!
There is a growing prevalence of “silent disabilities” such as diabetes and extreme allergies among our community’s children. Many of these children’s lives are severely constrained and socially limited by their need to be continuously monitored and protected.
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Children’s lives can be dramatically improved with a well trained “alert” service dog. These dogs alert to a diabetic episode or the presence of a dangerous allergen. They can locate and retrieve medications, even when misplaced.
We strive to change the lives of children in our community who are afflicted with these silent disabilities by providing them with dogs bred with specific characteristics suitable for service work.
Our club invites selected families, with an afflicted child, to apply for enrollment in our Academy where they receive a puppy at NO COST to the family.
Halle’s Speech
Sandi means the world to me. He is my little alerter that helps me realize that I’m low, my little guardian angel, my angel in disguise.
He helps me with my diabetes and epilepsy, even farther on maybe with my sight.
He even wakes us up in the middle of the night to tell us that I am high or low and grabs my tester off the counter.
Sandi is my little angel. Thank you all for letting me have a chance to have him as my service dog.
Halle
December 8, 2016
We’re not kidding when we say, Rita did it!
This special program would not be possible with the “dogged” (we mean that in a good way) efforts of long time member and Past President, Rita Crumpton. She enlisted many other members to help, notably two of our veterinarian members, Drs. Pete Jouflas and Mark Ryan, along with “people” doctor Danny Mistry.
Rita put together a fantastic team that “find” our special dogs at an early age, puppy train them to see if they have the qualities, temperament and intelligence to be an Alert Dog. They are pictured below.
Rita’s Alert Dog Team
Left to right: Sue Sternberg – Evaluator/trainer, Marion Lewis – Trainer, Rita Crumpton – Project Manager, Betsy Howell – Breeder – Shakira Berg, Proud Mother
Seated: Halle Berg – owner; Sandi Berg – lifesaver and designated “Angel”
KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND JUNCTION 