Dog gives comfort to the bereaved

The dog is also in demandat local nursing homes,hospitals and schools.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Say the word visit, and Derek the golden retriever walks over and lays his head on your thigh, waiting for you to pat his head.
That's just one of 45 commands the Canine Companions for Independence graduate can perform, said Tom Flynn, his facilitator.
Derek is classified as a facility dog by CCI, a 25-year-old nonprofit agency that provides thousands of dogs free to people with a disability or those who assist them.
Levels of service: The agency, which has a regional center in Delaware, Ohio, just north of Columbus, has four classifications for its trained golden and Labrador retrievers:
UService dogs perform tasks for people who use wheelchairs or have other serious mobility limitations.
UHearing dogs alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing to sounds such as a doorbell or a fire alarm.
USkilled companion dogs are provided to children with disabilities or other conditions where third-party supervision is required.
UFacility dogs like Derek work with professional caregivers in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes and other programs.
There's a one-year waiting list to get a dog.
Flynn, owner of Hillcrest Memorial Park, said he heard about the program from Dr. Robert Stein, who worked for CCI while earning a medical degree and still maintains contact with the agency.
Flynn used the Flynn Funeral Home, owned by his son, John, as the base for his application, suggesting that a dog might be an excellent addition to bereavement services the funeral home offers.
Breaking new ground: Flynn said CCI replied that it had never placed a dog in that atmosphere but was eager to try.
Flynn was accepted into the program and met Derek at the Delaware training center Nov. 6. Derek, who is 2 years old, was already fully trained, but he and Flynn had to learn to work as a team. They graduated Nov. 18.
CCI retains ownership of Derek, but he is assigned to the funeral home with Tom as his facilitator.
Flynn can keep Derek as long as he maintains him and uses him as intended.
"He's so sweet and so lovable," Flynn said. "It's a humbling experience walking around with him. He just brings so much happiness to everyone he comes in contact with," Flynn said.
Derek has his bereavement work with the funeral home, but he's branching out.
In demand: Flynn keeps Derek busy, visiting area hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other facilities, and he's looking for other activities.
They are forming a support program to aid people who have lost a pet. That group will meet the first and third Mondays of every month at Whispering Oaks on Buhl Farm Drive beginning in April, Flynn said.
He would also like to see a CCI chapter started locally to raise specially bred puppies and raise money for the program.
"I see a time when there will be dozens of Dereks in the community helping people," Flynn said.
For information on CCI, call (740) 548-4447 or visit the agency's Website at www.caninecompanions.org.