Ray Collins and "Spencer" - On the Inside Helping Others

It was Memorial Day weekend of 2007. Ray Collins and Spencer, his new Fidelco guide dog, were training with John Byfield, Fidelco's senior placement specialist, in Ray's hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts. As the team walked downtown, Ray realized that he and Spencer were in the middle of the town's Memorial Day parade. He was none too pleased; but John, being the consummate professional, merely looked upon the festivities as a one-of-a-kind training exercise. Today, Ray laughs about his unconventional first day of training with Spencer.

But things weren't always this upbeat. In 1986, a car crash took Ray's sight forever. Not wanting to spend the rest of his life in an easy chair, he attended the Carroll Center in Boston for orientation and mobility training.

He learned to use a cane but as he says, "For me, a cane is like a 1969 Volkswagen beetle. A guide dog is like a 2008 Cadillac Escalade, fully loaded. There's no comparison." He should know; he has had four Fidelco guide dogs.

Each weekday, Ray and Spencer walk two or three miles through the Plymouth County Correctional Center where Ray is a case worker. "I love it," Ray says. "I work 40 hours a week and Spencer is beside me working at least 10 hours a day, including my commute. That's why when I get home, the harness is off, the dog is fed and we both kick back."

Ray firmly believes that the Fidelco difference is the care that the organization shows for the team; not just the dog, not just the person, but the team. He also says, "I love Robbie (Kaman) to death. She's an incredible woman. And John Byfield is the best. Even if he did walk me right smack dab into the middle of a Memorial Day parade."

Monica Wilkens and “Rembrandt”

Monica Wilkens’ voice cracked with emotion. “I just want to say thank you so much for Rembrandt. She is beautiful, she is brilliant. This is the greatest thing ever. I can’t thank you enough.”

Monica’s enthusiasm is inspiring, especially when you consider all she has endured. A brittle diabetic, Monica was mugged at a local ATM and afraid and unable to travel far from home to get a guide dog. At her wits’ end, she discovered Fidelco, applied for a guide dog and we quickly matched her with Rembrandt; “the greatest thing ever.”

But that’s hardly the end of the story. During a follow-up visit by Jason Stankoski, a Fidelco trainer/instructor, Monica got one of the most important telephone calls of her life. “I was so fortunate to have Jason with me when my cell phone rang. It was my doctor who told me that he wanted me admitted into the hospital in two hours. My kidney transplant had been scheduled!” The timing could not have been better. Rather than have to find someone to take her dog on very short notice, Jason told Monica not to worry; that Fidelco would take Rembrandt back to New England until she was ready for him again.

Rembrandt returned to live with Don and Rita Hannigan, his foster family, until Thanksgiving. Rebecca Cook, a Fidelco instructor/trainer, then brought him back to Monica for a long-awaited reunion. Monica’s anticipation of Rembrandt’s return could not be contained and as they met once again, her tears flowed and her gratitude to Fidelco made for a touching and heart-warming story of thanksgiving. The fact that it was her birthday made their reunion all the more sweet.
 
Today, Monica says she is “doing fantastic.” “I’m getting stronger and I definitely don’t miss dialysis,” she said. “And I’ve discovered the Fidelco difference all over again; that Rembrandt was worth the wait, that their concern for their clients can’t be beat and that I am so glad to have my dog back.”

 

Barry Honig and “Dylan”

Barry Honig is a busy man. As an owner of several New Jersey companies, one of which requires extensive travel, he has little down time and needs to be mobile and ready to go on a moment’s notice. So, when “Starks,” Barry’s Fidelco guide dog, became seriously ill, it was not only a personal crisis but a business crisis as well. Barry would not allow himself to get a successor dog until the time came that Starks passed away in his arms. So, when he turned to Fidelco for help, he needed immediate assistance. “I called Pete Nowicki and told him that Starks had died and that I needed a dog. Within a week or two, a Fidelco trainer came down with Dylan and we trained over the Memorial Day weekend.”

Barry and Dylan just returned from Israel where Dylan had gotten what Barry describes as “a graduate course in international travel.” This ability to come and go as needed, not only internationally, but to the office each day or into Manhattan on a regular basis, is the freedom and independence that Barry’s Fidelco guide dog brings to him each and every day.

“There is definitely a Fidelco difference,” Barry says. “It’s a place where you get personalized service and people know you and your dog by name. Fidelco is highly responsive and has a deep sense of caring when their student is in need. I’m a huge Fidelco fan.”

Cathy Burke and “Othello”

For thousands of commuters in Boston, the “T” subway system is a way of life. For Cathy Burke, it’s a lifesaver. “The ‘T’ makes it possible for me to get to and from work downtown with a minimum of hassle,” she says. “That’s why when Othello received an electrical shock while walking down the subway stairs, it was devastating to me.”

A seasoned guide dog user and a Fidelco client for more than 25 years, Cathy knew immediately that Othello’s injury was serious and might mean taking him out of service. And she was right.

Othello tried to avoid the stairs completely and would rapidly pull Cathy down them or try to escape backwards up them. Both actions were unsafe and she and Fidelco faced a difficult decision.

They could retire Othello, still a young dog, and put in place a successor dog or try and rehabilitate Cathy’s trusted guide and friend.

“I was beside myself until I talked with Des O’Neill (Fidelco’s supervisor of student services.) He recommended that we try to rehabilitate Othello and I was all for it.”

From February through April of 2007, Des, and then Cathy, worked with Othello to desensitize his fear of walking down subway stairs. Several sessions were held at other subway locations and once Othello seemed comfortable using those stairs, Des and Cathy took him back to the station where he been shocked. With a little hesitation, he safely led Cathy down the stairs and onto the train platform. Since that day, Cathy and Othello regularly use the stairs with no problem as they commute to and from Boston.

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Des and how happy I am that we’re back to normal,” said Cathy. “In this case, the Fidelco difference was the extraordinary effort to help Othello and me get through a major crisis.”