Confined to a wheelchair since she injured her right leg, Carmel Kaczmar was desperate to find people to walk her specially trained dogs that need to keep their skills active.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And following her appeal in the Maitland Mercury last week, volunteers aplenty came forward to help.
Quick off the mark yesterday to display their zeal were Fero, Moet and Digger – all keen to meet the people who will be taking them for walks for the next few weeks.
“The response to the story in the Mercury was very encouraging – and it has saved our programs,” Assistance Dogs NSW director Ms Kaczmar said.
“Our three valuable dogs are highly skilled and are being trained to bring
vital help to people in medical and other emergencies.
“And they all need to be taken for walks so they can accustom themselves to noises of cars and of people and to see kids passing on skateboards.”
Now several volunteers have come forward to help and all three dogs will be well exercised.
“I have been blown away by the response to my call for help and by the quality of those volunteers.”
Volunteer Rhys Dever calls at her house every week and offers his services to mow lawns and do other jobs to help Assistance Dogs NSW.
“I can’t have a dog of my own because the fence around my house is too dodgy,” Mr Dever said.
“But the work they do here is so valuable that I am happy to help where I can. And walking these dogs will be a delight.”
Volunteer Jenny Jones also calls there once a week to help brush the dogs.
And volunteer Katrina Bell summed it up: “Carmel does so much to help others, so we want to support her now she is disabled.”
