As part of our mission of education, research, and training, Hearts of Gold places service dogs with veterans who have mobility and/or psychiatric disabilities. Mobility and Psychiatric Service Dogs can perform numerous commands after their 2-year training, which can be tailored to client needs.
At Hearts of Gold, we have had the great opportunity to partner with the The Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of West Virginia University to offer university courses in service dog training, to research the relationship between veterans and assistance dogs, and provide education and support to the greater West Virginia community.
Our program currently serves clients in a 100-mile radius of our training center in Morgantown, WV. We do not place dogs with people under 18 and do not currently train dogs owned outside of the organization. Hearts of Gold trains its own dogs who are insured and provided by the Human Animal Bond organization.
Hearts of Gold matches dogs with clients based on the dog's ability to meet the client's needs and suit their lifestyle. Clients must be able to provide for all their service dog's emotional, physical, and financial needs. If any client can no longer care for their Hearts of Gold assistance dog, Hearts of Gold will accept responsibility for the dog.
OUR COMMITMENT TO STANDARDS
We are currently a candidate member of Assistance Dogs International.
Hearts of Gold service dogs must respond to commands in public and home environments, whether through voice or hand signals. All tasks trained to mitigate a client’s disability are visibly identifiable. Clients who receive a service dog from Hearts of Gold must be able to demonstrate knowledge of acceptable training techniques, an understanding of canine care and health, local access laws and appropriate public behavior.
In addition to these standards, Hearts of Gold seeks to provide the highest quality of service to all clients by following ethical procedures. All clients are considered for an assistance dog regardless of race, sex, religion, or creed, and have the right to be treated with respect and dignity at all times by all members of the organization. All clients are provided with sound educational material to aid in the care and utilization of their assistance dog. Clients have the right to regular evaluations and follow-up support including: any additional training that is needed due to a change in the client’s functional level, behavioral management problem with the dog, consultation regarding a major veterinary problem, or legal problems pertaining to the use of the assistance dog as outlined by the law. All client information will remain confidential at all times.
OUR DOGS
Hearts of Gold dogs have been acquired through breeder donation, shelter selection, purchase, and our in-house breeding program. We have trained several breeds, but our program mainly trains Labrador and Golden Retrievers. These breeds are consistently favored for service dog work and are the breeds we have most often chosen when available.
We are transitioning our dog procurement program to purpose-bred and donated dogs from well-known breeders with multiple generations of health clearances and demonstrated favorable behavioral traits. Dogs that are not placed as service dogs are often placed as therapy or visitation therapy dogs; in fact, there are several dogs currently placed in our visitation therapy dog program in different units across campus where they serve staff and students, including Service Members and/or Veterans.
Veterinary Care
All assistance dogs in training within the program receive veterinary care from Cheat Lake Animal Hospital. Cheat Lake Animal Hospital is located approximately 10 miles from the training center. It is a 24-hour general practice and emergency facility. Breeding dogs undergo screening for heritable diseases, hip dysplasia, eye and heart diseases.
Hearts of Gold dogs are vaccinated with all core and regionally appropriate vaccines, routinely tested for heartworms and intestinal parasites and maintained on preventative medications. All dogs are spayed or neutered prior to placement. All dogs are temperamentally and physically screened to ensure working ability and are trained tactically using the most humane methods.
HOW WE TRAIN YOU
Student Service Members and/or Veterans, may enroll in the WVU courses A&VS 276 and A&VS 277 to learn about service dog training. Most of the offerings of 276 are online, allowing Service Members and/or Veterans to take the course from wherever they live. Because these are university courses they meet or exceed Quality Matters Certification for accessible online content. Non-student veterans are provided service dogs and required training for free.
Post-placement Follow-up
Hearts of Gold conducts follow-up sessions weekly or biweekly with trainers and staff for the first 1 to 3 months after placement. After this time, a partial transfer of ownership occurs, and Hearts of Gold personnel will document follow-ups monthly for the first six months, and then at the 12-month mark and annually thereafter. All service dog teams will receive a laminated ID card. *Please note that no national service dog certification exists; therefore, a badge, certificate, or “proof” of service dog certification is not legally required.*
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