T HE G RE E N W AVE G AZE T T E
P AGE 7
Zoe the Service Dog- Tiny dog impacts lives in big ways
Kylie Williams, Contributor
by the time she was about 5 months old.
In times of distress or need, who is always
there for you? That‟s right, it‟s man‟s best
friend. Dogs have frequently been important parts in many people‟s lives. Whether
it‟s Cleopatra‟s Bichon Frise or a police
officer‟s German Shepherd. Specific dogs
that help people are known as service
dogs. Service dogs are trained to provide
assistance to an individual with a disability. These dogs provide support for people
with disabilities such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), hearing impairment (deafness), mobility issues, epilepsy,
visual impairment (blindness), autism,
seizures, diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS),
and other physical/mental disabilities. I
know of many people who need and have
service dogs, and one of them is my mom.
My mother realized how much she needed
Zoe with her, so she decided to register
her as a service dog. Although the dogs
must be approved, the papers and tags to
identify that they are a service dog are not
required. It just avoids confrontations
between people. Regardless of whether
they have been licensed or certified by a
state or local government, if they meet the
definition of a service dog and are well
trained, animals are considered service
animals by the ADA or Americans with
Disabilities Act. To transport Zoe around
easily, my mom has a pocketbook and a
dog carriage for her. Zoe is trained to not
jump on people, bark or run away. She is
house trained and knows different commands. Zoe is sweet, harmless and adores
kids.
Most service dogs are larger breeds, but
my mom‟s dog is only five pounds. Her
name is Zoe and she is a Pekepoo. Zoe
goes everywhere with my mom, whether
it‟s the movies or the beach, she is always
by my mom‟s side. Zoe was trained at a
Xander Bogaerts
very young age, making her well behaved
(Courtesy of the Boston
Red Sox)
Service dogs don‟t always only have one
person to give service to. Some service
dogs are used in hospitals or senior centers
to bring joy to the ill and elderly. My mom
works at South Coastal Animal Health
where there are often difficult times for
pet owners and their families. Zoe, of
course,
goes to
work with
my mom
and whenever there
is a “put-to
-sleep” or
another sad
moment,
the client is
asked if
they want
to hold Zoe
and spend
Kylie Williams and Zoe time with
(Kylie Williams Photo) her. Zoe
will give
them kisses and lift their spirits. A few
weeks ago, there was a story in the news
of service dogs brought into a school during finals week. The students played with
the dogs. Test scores were said to have
been brought up, and stress levels brought
down. So, Zoe is just one of the many
amazing dogs that help humans every day.
She may be little, but her impact is huge.
How to Get the Perfect Summer Job
Go to work the smart way
Jake Snyder, Staff Writer
One of the biggest perks of being 16 is
the ability to get a summer job and
make some hard earned money. One of
the biggest problems is the fierce competition out there for those few select
jobs. A big problem in 2014 is that
teenagers are now in direct competition
with adults who have been laid off and
are feverishly looking for employment.
These adults have the work experience
that employers are looking for and one
look at their resume would tell a manager that they are reliable and a good
candidate for the job that YOU are on
the lookout for.
In order to help you gain an advantage
on this tight summer market, we spoke
with Patricia Snyder, Assistant Vice
President at State Street Bank to develop a great list of tips you can use to
pump up your job search:
Use social media wisely. Go onto Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and let
anyone out there know that you are
ready and able to start working as soon
as the school doors close for the summer. While you are there, clean up your
Facebook and Twitter pages just in
case a potential employer does a background check on their own. Be sure
everything out there is appropriate.
Start looking early before anyone else
even thinks about looking for summer
employment. Be the first to get your
application in and you will be the first to
get an interview.
Fill out your application neatly and be
prepared for your interview. Even if the
job consists of outdoor work, go into
your interview well dressed and with a
lot of energy. Potential employers are
looking for someone they can trust – and
a good first impression is imperative!
Get yourself a list of good references
and have them handy to provide to your
potential employ