Dogs can be trained to do just about anything. They are trained to work with police officers, sent to war with the military, lead people who are visually impaired, are a natural cure for PTSD, can detect Cancer and much more. All on top of being excellent companions! Stefany Shaheen learned this firsthand in her quest to find her daughter a service dog to help her manage her Juvenile Diabetes.
Shaheen is the daughter of longstanding New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Her mother is a true trailblazer in American politics, started her political career campaigning for the likes of President Jimmy Carter. In 1997 she became the first woman to be elected Governor of New Hampshire. Today she serves in the United States Senate as the first Democrat Senator from New Hampshire since 1980 and heads the Senate’s Small Business Committee.
The Shaheen’s have carved a clear path in their quest to make the lives of others better. Stefany is no exception to this family legacy. Her daughter, Elle, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was just 8 years old. There is no known cure and insulin administration is necessary for survival. After years of fearing for her daughter’s life Shaheen started searching for the perfect service dog for her daughter.
After tireless and thorough research Shaheen came across CARES, Inc. in Kansas. CARES has provided service dogs to those in need since 1994. As it stands CARES has placed 1100 service dogs with people across the United States and in five countries. These dogs are trained by foster families and by inmates in correctional facilities. This inmate training program is unique in that they are thoroughly screened before being accepted, have training sessions organized by CARES and raise money for equipment and supplies for these dogs. To find out more about CARES, Inc. click here!
Stefany Shaheen chronicles her family’s journey in her new book, Elle and Coach: Diabetes, the Fight for My Daughter’s Life and the Dog Who Changed Everything.
Animal Fair
had the exclusive opportunity to speak with Stefany Shaheen about her daughter’s medic-alert dog Coach, her work to help others in similar situations and her new book. Which is available for purchase now!
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What/Who inspired you to find Coach?
In 2011, Elle and I Co-Chaired the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C. We were there to advocate for continued funding of medical research. At this advocacy event, we witnessed a diabetes-alert dog in action. In the middle of a Senate hearing with 150 young people in attendance and sitting on the floor in front of the large Dias full of Senators, the dog alerted his little girl that her blood sugar was low. Witnessing this inspired us to learn more.
How did Elle find Coach?
It was not easy to find Coach because there is a lot of misinformation about service dogs and the training required and the costs associated. Ultimately, I did a great deal of research and found an article about a young boy in Georgia who got a dog through CARES, Inc. in Kansas. CARES is a truly remarkable organization that works with correctional facilities to help keep the costs of these dogs low by working with inmates who provide the basic training of the dogs. This savings is then passed along to families like ours. CARES is ultimately responsible for deciding which dogs get placed with each applicant. They tend to place golden retrievers and Labradors for seizure detection and diabetes alert and place German Shepherds with people who are coping with PTSD. Ultimately, CARES guarantees a successful placement and will take the dog back if there is not a good match.
Did Elle communicate with the trainer while training Coach?
Elle spent an entire week in Kansas working with CARES to learn how to become Coach’s trainer moving forward. She had an opportunity to meet the inmate who spent nearly 9 months with Coach. His name is Michael. During that meeting, Michael explained to Elle what a difference it made to him to see that his efforts could make a positive impact on someone’s life. Elle was extremely touched by this exchange and felt an even greater responsibility to Coach after seeing all of the energy that went in to his training.
Do you believe everyone with Type 1 and/or 2 Diabetes– should have a Coach?
The decision to adopt and work with a service dog is a very individual one because it comes with trade offs. It is a big commitment to have a working dog. Coach was trained to work and he has a hard time if he is separated from Elle or in a situation where he does not have a job to do. This means that Elle and Coach are together almost all of the time. It is a commitment to ensure that Coach has what he needs to be successful so Elle is often working with him on weekends to keep him groomed and trained. If he starts to develop a bad habit, she has to work to help him break the habit. All of that said, the difference he has made in her life is truly remarkable. Bringing Coach into our lives was the first time when Elle said “it actually felt like diabetes was giving something back to my family.” Coach has changed the dynamic from one that is heavily focused on managing the disease to one that emphasizes the love and relationship between a girl and her dog and her very grateful parents.
How are you helping other children with this issue?
The decision to tell our story was inspired by the chance to share the difference dogs like Coach can make for people living with chronic medical conditions. It is our hope that organizations like CARES will benefit by having the opportunity to expand the work they do with correctional facilities. In recent months, CARES has added two new correctional training programs and we are hoping this number will continue to grow. We are also donating a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the book to diabetes research and to establishing a scholarship fund for families seeking a service dog with the CARES Foundation.
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Since Coach joined the family Elle’s life started to turn around. This adorable Yellow Lab has been a blessing to the family and Elle and Coach have an incredible bond.
If you are interested in learning more about Elle, Coach and their incredible journey you can purchase Shaheen’s book from retailers nationwide. Click here to purchase and here to find out more.
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