If you attended the Fall Festival, then you most likely met Greg and Gretchen Turner. The Turners graciously hosted the event in their backyard. There was an elite group of judges for the event hand selected for their discriminating palates. And once again, this year’s winner of BOTH the chili and the cornbread was Dr. Steve Towns. Congratulations to Dr. Towns for his well-earned victory.
While at the social event, neighbors may have noticed the cutest little puppy longing to join the fun and food. There is a story behind the puppy. Greg and Gretchen Turner raise puppies from Canine Companions for Independence’s own breeding program. The Turners receive the puppies at around 8 weeks old and keep them for approximately 16-18 months. During that time, the Turners are responsible for the puppy’s obedience training, socialization, medical care, and feeding. The organization use Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden/Lab crosses for their program.
Gretchen’s family lived in Morristown, NJ when she was growing up. She would see the Seeing Eye staff training their dogs downtown and it was always something she was interested in doing. When she was doing obedience class with her family’s first pet dog, there were Canine Companions puppy raisers in the classes. She and her family started attending the local chapter meetings and volunteering at fund raising events. Then they submitted their own puppy raiser application and were approved.
The Turners raised their first puppy, a black Lab named Volpert, 19 years ago. He graduated as a service dog and was placed with a young woman from Minnesota when the Turners’ son Graham was 1 week old. Then they took a 16-year hiatus while their two boys were young. The Turners got back into puppy raising when their son Graham needed to complete a year-long personal project in high school. The recently received their fourth puppy.
Gretchen admits that giving the puppy back to the organization is very difficult. In her family, they spend more time with their Canine Companion than their pet dog because he goes to work with them once the puppy reaches 6 months of age to learn good behaviors while in public and they become very attached. “But when you see the physical, emotional, and social support the dogs bring the humans they work with, you know you have done all this work for an amazing cause.” Gretchen states. Neighbors interested in the Canine Companions for Independence organization can learn more at http://www.cci.org/.