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Running head: WILDCAT SERVICE DOGS

Wildcat Service Dogs Impact on Society and Culture

Payton Novak
University of Kentucky

WILDCAT SERVICE DOGS

Abstract

Wildcat Service Dogs is an organization on the campus of University of Kentucky, which

socializes and trains dogs for people in need. Disabilities that service dogs can provide aid to
include: Autism, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Diabetics, Aspergers Disease, and many more. I
conducted interviews with Katie Skarvan, the founder of Wildcat Service Dogs, and current
President, Alex Emerson for additional research. They explained that members earn points
by attending events and meetings. To become a puppy sitter they must obtain five points,
however to become a puppy raiser they must earn ten points. Puppy sitters take care of the
dog while the puppy raiser attends a class that will not allow the dog. Puppy raisers train
and socialize the dogs with a great deal of dedication. They train the dogs to recognize basic
commands such as sit, down, stay, touch, mark, and hit handicap buttons. They will move
on to advanced training after about two years of work put forth. In advanced training, dogs
must preform tasks with many distractions such as different noise environments and silly
outfits, but remain focused. There are some struggles with training a dog especially when
they have a bad day, but the puppy raiser must have patience. There are other
organizations that interact with service dogs such as 4 Paws for ability, but they are
responsible for the socialization of the dog and not the training. It is very difficult to give up
the dog after training; Wildcat Service Dogs is a beyond rewarding experience, and effects
the lives of many people in need.

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Wildcat Service Dogs Impact on Society and Culture

We see these puppies with the blue vests all around campus with common
generalizations; these dogs do nothing but work all day long. Common assumptions with service
dogs are that the handler must have something wrong with them, or these dogs only help blind
people. Throughout this essay puppy raisers as well as puppy sitters will be highlighted, along
with what the dogs do beyond the organization, how members have grown from being involved
with service dogs, and the differences between Wildcat Service Dogs and 4 Paws for Ability.
Wildcat Service Dogs (WSD) go beyond all these stereotypes portrayed by society.
The original founder Katie Skarvan never thought she would start an organization. She
trained a dog-named Graham on her own time through a woman in Louisville. Graham attended
classes with Katie, and people started to notice. More and more people came to Katie asking how
to get involved with service dogs until finally they had enough people. She figured why not start
an organization, and with the plethora of people it was founded fall 2011. WSD is a strong
community dedicated to training puppies for people in need of service. Being a puppy raiser is a
strong commitment with many benefits along with difficulties. The puppies they take care of do
not come trained, and it is a vigorous task to train them. Although this job seems difficult, the
outcome is beyond words of gratitude.
Katie and a colleague considered starting a business out of the organization. They
believed they had a wide enough knowledge base to accomplish their desire. The two girls
received five dogs from the Humane Society to begin their journey. After a couple of months
into the process of developing themselves, Katie was not confident in it. A major issue discussed
was whether or not they would be able to reimburse the students after putting their sweat, tears,
and money into these dogs. Since they never really filed to become a business yet, the two threw

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in the towel. Only one dog was cut out to be a service dog of the five, so they continued on as
puppy raisers.

Puppy Raisers and Puppy Sitters

Puppy raisers are the initial trainers of these puppies and their primary caretakers.
However, you must have a certain amount of points to become a puppy raiser. In WSD, members
are required to earn points by attending events; these events vary in what takes effect. For
example, there are events where they have police dogs come in with their trainers. Also the
Bluegrass Barkery, a trusted pet food source in Lexington, has come in to talk about a proper
nutrition for the dogs. Bluegrass Barkery only carries products with natural ingredients free of
corn, wheat, soy, bi-products, and chemical preservatives (Our Nutritional Philosophy, October
13, 2014). WSD also has fun socialization events where members can teach the puppies new
tricks. The organization tries to have approximately five meetings per semester. If the person is a
certified trainer then they are only required to attain five points to stay active in the community.
The minimum amount of points to be a puppy raiser is ten points. On the other hand, if someone
is not fully committed to training a dog, then they can be a puppy sitter by obtaining only five
points per semester.
Sitters are necessary when trainers are in class so the dogs are not left unattended and
make a nuisance of themselves. There have also been cases where puppy sitters have been too
lenient with the puppies while their trainers attend classes. One case last year occurred when a
sitter was reported to be handling the puppy too roughly and playfully, and they were later
removed from the trainers list. WSD is very serious about making sure the trainers know this dog

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is not their own, but is someone elses gift. One rule stands that the dogs are not allowed on the
furniture. This applies as a reminder to the trainer that this is not his or her own dog, but also
because it is easier to teach a dog to never go on furniture rather than to get off the furniture.
Although the puppy sitters watch the dogs temporarily, a puppy raiser is constantly training and
correcting the dog.
The title puppy raiser comes with many responsibilities. To even be considered they
must attend the orientation meeting, two training classes for humans, two weekly training classes
with the dog, pass a handling evaluation and policy test, attend a socialization event, and lastly
take a program dog to class with the supervision of a trainer (About Us, October 13, 2014).
Puppy raisers are responsible for the training of the puppy along with food, grooming, treats, and
veterinarian bills as well. A background in training is not required whatsoever.
WSD teaches the puppy raisers as well as puppy sitters everything they must know. This
includes the basic commands such as down, sit, stay, touch, mark, and hit handicap buttons. One
of the most efficient ways of training is using the clicker, which is a handheld device that makes
a clicking sound so the puppy knows they did something correctly. Service dogs can be very
difficult to train; sometimes the dogs arent cut out to be service dogs. For example, they may be
reactive towards other dogs, have fear issues, be too hyper, or have health problems. Many
different factors play a roll in the behavior of the dog. One of the major struggles of training a
dog is staying positive and keeping your patience. The dogs have bad days too, and will
sometimes shut down on the trainer; the puppy may refuse to perform tasks they usually preform
effortlessly. Despite how unwilling the dog may be that day, the puppy raiser should remain
calm and not punish the dog. After about two to two and a half years of training, these puppies
graduate from WSD.

WILDCAT SERVICE DOGS

Beyond Wildcat Service Dogs

Considering how fairly new Wildcat Service Dogs is, it has only had two dogs graduate
through this organization. Katie herself trained the first dog,
Graham (pictured left). Having Graham move on was an
emotional step to let go for her, but he is now in South
Carolina with his forever person. The other dog to graduate
was Princess Aurora nicknamed Rory. Rory is currently in
advanced training now. WSD has very high standards for their
dogs to reach, and have now set a good reputation for
themselves. Originally, the organization received dogs from
breeders who did not initially breed dogs to become service
dogs. With this respected reputation, Wildcat Service Dogs
Picture taken by Katie Skarvan 2011

has received another round of puppies that were bred to be

service dogs. After completing their training and socialization, these dogs will move on to
advanced training.
Organizations such as Assistance Dogs For Achieving (ADAI) continue with advanced
training of a dog through a series of tests for two to three months of boot camp. These tests make
sure the dog will not be distracted while preforming their tasks. For instance, they put different
costumes on such as masks and hats. In addition to this, they try to expose the dogs to different
types of environments and noise levels. In advanced training, dogs also get exposure to

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wheelchairs and walkers. Working with wheelchairs requires dogs to retrieve objects when they
are dropped (Service Dogs, October 13, 2014). The dogs will help with balance with a
technique called bracing. Bracing requires the dog to stand still and endure the weight of their
partner. After passing the evaluation test, the dogs move on to be placed with their forever
person.
Service dogs help aid a wide variety of people. One group of people they help is people
who are autistic. Especially in public, these dogs are used to calm their owner down. They also
help soldiers with posttraumatic stress disorder that are having flashbacks from the war and need
to come back to reality. A new awareness that has come about is a diabetes awareness dog that
could help alert others when the diabetic is experiencing hypoglycemia also known as low blood
sugar.

WILDCAT SERVICE DOGS

In one particular case, Katie trained Chevy to help a
14 year old boy named Miles who posses Aspergers
Disease. Miles also has cerebral palsy, brain bleeds,
seizures, and migraines. Chevy is trained to pick up
dropped objects and hold it in his mouth until given the
command to release it. If Miles is uneasy, Chevy is
Picture taken by Katie Skarvan in Summer 2014

prepared to brace him. In addition to this, he is trained to

bark and lay next to Miles when he has a seizure. This alerts others that something is wrong, and
comforts Miles when he wakes up from his seizure. Chevy is still evaluated through monthly
checkups to make sure he is still calm and focused. These dogs are not fixes, but they do help
mentally and physically. To the right is a picture of Miles and Chevy on the beach showing that
service dogs are not working all the time, but have time for fun as well. Not only the owners, but
also the trainers become emotionally attached to the service dogs.

Personal Growth
After connecting with the puppies after years of training, it often becomes difficult to let
them go. Katie expressed how the puppy raisers have to go into this program knowing this dog is
not theirs. The dogs raised by Wildcat Service Dogs are someone elses gift. For Katie, giving a
dog to someone is the most gracious thing she could ever give. The people in need are in return
forever grateful of all the hard work and dedication put forth in training the dog. Not having the
puppy with the puppy raiser anymore constantly by their side is a big adjustment to overcome.

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Many tears are shed in the process of giving up the dog, but the rewards outweigh the losses. The
public people also show appreciation for the organization.
Alex pointed out how having the dogs around campus helps the UK students as well.
They constantly have people come and ask to pet the dogs; which the dog has to sit first before
being pet. Petting the dog distresses students around campus and often helps them cope with
their intense testing. Alex thinks it is great to see how interested the public is with the
organization and how thankful they are for what they are achieving. This has been one of the
most enriching things about college for him and reinforces his choice to be a doctor one day.
Katie has been even further influenced by Wildcat Service Dogs.
Being the founder of the organization, Katie was very sensitive to let her trainee go since
she had fostered it from day one. She retired from her position as president her senior year due to
some growing pains within the group, but believes she grew more as a person since being away.
Learning from her mistakes especially, she claims not to be a perfect leader nor perfect herself.
Being a part of WSD and watching they impact her actions have on another persons life has
made her very selfless in all aspects of life. Katies biggest realization is that it is impossible to
please everyone. She is still training dogs upon graduating from University of Kentucky and is
involved with another organization.
Organization Differences
There are other organizations in Lexington who also interact with service dogs, but have
some differences. 4 Paws for Ability is another service dog organization in Lexington and is
similar to Wildcat Service Dogs with some differences. In particular, 4 Paws for Ability is more
responsible for the socialization of the dogs where WSD is required to socialize and train the
dog. The duration of time spent with the dog is also longer than 4 Paws for Ability. WSD

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generally obtains the dog for a year and a half to two years unlike 4 Paws for Ability who houses
their puppies for a semester. A big difference between the two also involves reimbursement.
While housing a puppy through 4 Paws for Ability, all expenses including grooming, food and
veterinarian bills are free of cost. WSD on the other hand does not get reimbursed for these
expenses paid by the puppy raisers.
Researching the Wildcat Service Dogs community and culture has put my stereotypes to
rest. It was difficult to understand what types of services these dogs offer, let alone the vigorous
training they must endure. It is not easy to train a puppy that has a greater purpose, and there will
be times of doubt. In addition, the dogs will have their good days but their bad days as well
which requires a great deal of patience. These dogs are not on the job all the time, and need time
to be a dog as well. Despite the difference in Wildcat Service Dogs and 4 Paws for Ability, both
are achieving a greater cause to help people in need. Interacting with service dogs is a rewarding
experience for all participants including the puppy raisers, puppy sitters, owners, and even
students on campus. Throughout this essay puppy raisers as well as puppy sitters were
highlighted, along with what the dogs do beyond the organization, how members have grown
from being involved with service dogs, and the differences between Wildcat Service Dogs and 4
Paws for Ability. This organization shapes the lives of all of those who are involved.

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WILDCAT SERVICE DOGS

References

About Us. (2014, October 13). Wildcat service dogs. Retrieved from
http://www.wildcatservicedogs.org/about-us/

Our Nutritional Philosophy. (2014, October 13). Bluegrass barkery. Retrieved from
http://www.bluegrassbarkery.com/#!about/c1wk9

Puppy Raisers. (2014, October 13). 4 Paws for ability. Retrieved from
http://4pawsforability.org/foster-a-puppy-house-a-breeding-dog/

Service Dogs. (2014, October 13). Ability center. Retrieved from

http://www.abilitycenter.org/programs-and-services/assistance-dogs-of-americaprogram#top