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   From the Director:
     A tribute to a special lady.
     A move ahead for Swiftdog 

Canines Can Change Charter Canines

The Charter Canine must presently reside within the kennel or approved foster family and abide by the foster rules and regulations.
Our Charter Canines are certified by Therapy Dogs International, Inc.

The Charter Canines are dogs that have a reputation within the organization and programs.
The charter Canine should wear a buckle collar, or harness and should be current on all veterinary procedures and have presentable grooming appearance.
The Charter Canine can be of adoptable or adopted status.
The charter canine should be evaluated as a certified Therapy Dog, and/or Canine Good Citizen through an approved Evaluator and these certification requirements must be in active standing.
A minimum of one Canines Can Change Course must be completed before being accepted into the program as Charter Canine status.
These dogs have a list of certifications/qualifications, which are beyond the rest of the participating canines and these dogs act as neutralizers within the sometimes-chaotic classroom setting.

Priceless Pennies From heav'n "Penni"

Penni is a charter dog for the program and a retired agility dog. She is about 10 years old and was rescued from the Brooke County Animal Control in WV in 1995. She is Jenni's first rescued border collie and she was terribly abused the years before she was rescued. The authorities were going to euthanize her partly due to their personal dislike of her, and it was understandable...she was a mess, emotionally and mentally, and physically. She was dog aggressive, and she is the foundation of the start of Jenni's knowlegde on redirectional training techniques. She is sound and is the alpha dog here, but she does it rather passively now that she has gotten older. Although she was dog aggresive, she used to chew up the food for Jenni's yorkshire terrier when he got too old to eat the crunchy kibbles....She was his Mama, hence, today we have nicknamed her Mama-Dog.

Nate

Nathan King Cole is pictured here at the age of 7 years old, and was the second of Jenni's wayward border collies. Nate holds the top therapy dog position here at Swiftdogz, and has over 500 + hours of community service under his fur. He was rescued under extreme circumstances, (which can be further read about on the Other Programs link). Nate was the first of the Charter Canines to comple the Therapy Dogs International, Inc. Certification. He holds a Therapy Dogs International Active Award, Therapy Dogs International Active Outstanding Volunteer Award and a Canine Good Citizen Award. Regretfully, Nate has planned his retirement in December of 2004.

Challenge

This dog is owned both by Jenni Lough and Dawn Bierschbach, and he is certified under both names as a working therapy dog. He is a 5 year old rough collie and is a charter Canine for the CCC Program. Challenge has his TDI, CGC and is working towards his TDIA.

Stormmi is shown here at 16 months old, and has earned her CGC, TDI and has sent off for her TDIA. Stormmi has been recognized at the age of 9 months by US CUSTOMS as a pre-drug detection dog. Stormmi is training to become a certified search and rescue dog, and enjoys frisbee, ball and hide and seek. Stormmi is a charter canine for the program and was rescued at the age of 7 weeks.

Hoss

Hoss, pictured here at 22 months, is our Great Dane and is proudly owned by our co-director, Robert Watson.

Hoss has passed his Charter Canine requirements and is a Certified Therapy Dog and holds a Canine Good Citizen. Although Hoss weighs nearly 170 pounds today, he was extremely malnourished and neglected when we rescued him. Today, Hoss enjoys hiding tennis balls in his lips, and playing with his shepherd sister, Anna.

St. Stanley

I want to introduce you to the newest CHARTER CANINE. His name is Saint Stanley, and he was rescued from animal control just before he was due to be euthanized. Upon sight, Stanley was named after my grandfather Stanley D. Lough. Coincidentally, the day St. Stanley came home was the same day that Phil, my grandfather's brother passed away.

St. Stanley is only 7 months old, and cannot take his Therapy Dogs International certification test until he ages at one year. Until then he will be training to become the next Swiftdog Charter Canine, and when he is ready will be going into the field of Therapy Work.