Disabled veteran gets assistance from canine pal called Partner
Doug Vitale was serving in the Marine Corps in Afghanistan in 2013 when an IED blast left him with brain damage.
Unable to perform routine tasks, he is helped by his assistance dog, Partner, who was trained by Canine Companions for Independence.
The Peters Township resident and Partner were joined by Doug’s wife, Alexis, and a puppy raiser from Canine Companions at PetSmart in South Strabane Township on Friday to discuss how assistance dogs such as Partner help the disabled.
It is part of an effort across the country between PetSmart and Eukanuba.
For each bag of Eukanuba dog food purchased from PetSmart this month, five pounds of dog food will be donated to Canine Companions.
Partner is a Labrador and golden retriever mix, as many assistance dogs are. Puppy raiser Lori Barrante, who is currently training one named Briar, joked it’s because “Labs are loyal to anyone who will feed them.”
“They are not aggressive,” Barrante said. “Their temperament is an asset to individuals with disabilities.”
There are different categories of assistance dogs. Partner is a “skilled companion.” Partner sleeps with Doug, performs such tasks as opening doors for him and accompanies him to therapy sessions.
After they were matched, there was a two-week course to learn the commands and for the dogs and owners to get used to each other, which can be difficult.
“(Partner) didn’t listen at first, because we hadn’t built that rapport,” Alexis said.
Since Doug is unable to speak, Alexis is responsible for issuing commands to Partner, because assistance dogs won’t act until they are given a command.
While it may seem like that could be confusing for an assistance dog, Partner knows exactly why he is with the Vitales.
“Partner knows he serves Doug, even though I’m the boss,” Alexis said.