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Many ways to make a difference Volunteers don’t need to get their paws dirty to make a difference. There are many roles to fill, from serving on event and outreach committees, to getting involved at the training facility. When the pups graduate, potential clients spend two weeks at the Kinkeade Campus with a dog, to undergo training and ensure it’s a good match. Milinksy envisions that Josephine’s graduation will be similar to when her two children left home for college. “That’s what I hope it will be like,” she said, “and when she gets matched with a client, that’s when your kids get married. It’s really amazing to hear how carefully they match the dogs with their people.” She’s heard from other puppy raisers that they’ve formed a relationship with the clients over the years – even meeting up and exchanging Christmas cards. That will assuage Nichols’ sadness when he thinks about Brielle leaving his home. “I knew going into this that I would have to give her up,” he said. “They make sure you understand that when you get attached to a dog. It’s for a higher purpose.” LEARN MORE To learn more about becoming a volunteer puppy raiser or supporting Canine Companions in other ways, visit canine.org. To get in touch with the local training center, call 214-259-4700 .
SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL SERVICE DOG MONTH JOIN WITH BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE IN CELEBRATING THESE LIFE-CHANGING DOGS.
CHANGING LIVES ONE PUPPY AT A TIME Neither Bryan Nichols nor Jennifer Milinsky were sure they were ready for a puppy – let alone one they would train as a service dog for Canine Companions. Nichols, CFO at Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano, who had no experience with puppies and lives alone, knew he would need to lean on his co-workers to help train Brielle, a black Labrador / Golden retriever cross with a magnetic personality. Milinsky, a Baylor Scott & White revenue cycle manager, wasn’t sure her heart was sufficiently healed after losing her two beloved Alaskan malamutes, the most recent succumbing to cancer in September 2022. She picked up Josephine, a full yellow lab, at DFW airport in June of this year. But both were swayed when they considered the lifelong impact the dogs could have in the life of a child, adult or veteran with disabilities. “I think a lot about that – what Brielle will become and the purpose she’ll serve,” Nichols said. “I know they can be trained to turn lights on, pull wheelchairs, and even get clothes out of the dryer. It’s pretty amazing. And if they’re partnered with a veteran who’s having trouble during the
night, the dog can go to their bedside and comfort them, or even wake them up if they sense they’re having nightmares.” THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP In 2015, Baylor Scott & White partnered with national non-profit Canine Companions, which is headquartered in Santa Rosa, California. The healthcare system helped open a state-of-the-art service dog training facility in Irving. The Canine Companions at Baylor Scott & White – Kinkeade Campus is named after U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade, who helped forge the partnership between the nonprofit and the healthcare system. Since then, Baylor Scott & White has provided critical funding, engaged employees as volunteers and puppy raisers and even has six facility dogs working within the system. The training center, opened in November 2015, places up to 55 service dogs and facility dogs per year, and is currently serving more than 300 clients across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. “If you haven’t been to the training facility, you need to take a tour,” Milinsky said, adding that tours are offered the last Thursday of each month. “It makes you proud that Baylor supports a facility like that.”
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