Patty Via

I am forever thankful to my good friend and fellow puppy raiser Staicey Scholtz, for introducing me to Canine Companions for Independence. In 2009, Staicey raised her first CCI pup, Elroy II. I had the pleasure of watching him grow into an incredible dog.

I never thought I could raise a puppy for 18 months and then give it back until I attended Elroy’s 2011 CCI graduation. Elroy ll made a perfect match and I’ll never forget the joy on the recipient’s face when Staicey handed over the leash!

And so my journey began with CCI.

In 2012 I received my first CCI pup Chai. She was a joy to raise and did well through the entire training process until her third semester in advance training.  It was then that Chai decided being a service dog wasn’t for her. Instead, Chai decided to change careers and became a pet to a wonderful family.

Then in February, 2014, along came Haven IV who we affectionately nicked named Miss B – short for misbehaving.  Haven, a lab/golden cross (80% Labrador and 20% golden) stole my heart from the minute I picked her up!

We socialized Haven right off the bat and held a public puppy raising awareness event at our local library. We introduced Haven to the town as Vermilion’s newest service dog in training.  We held the event on a cold winter’s day, yet we had a great turnout. People came to hear about Canine Companions’ newest puppy in training, Haven, and were curious what puppy raisers do to prepare a pup for a career as a service dog. They also couldn’t resist snuggling with an adorable puppy.

With the help of our amazing Northern Ohio Volunteer Group of puppy raisers, and our family’s obedient pet lab, Sophie, Haven easily learned the commands she needed to know. But time passed too quickly for us.

In May of 2015, Haven was off to advance training or what puppy raisers refer to as college.

Six months later, in November of 2015, Haven graduated, finding her perfect match with Janie Mejias.  They bonded instantly. 

It was a true honor to raise Haven, and I am so proud of the tasks she performs for Janie.