Specially trained dog comforts grief-stricken
Five-year-old golden Lab O'Shea looks like any friendly family pet, but her blue nylon vest makes it clear that she is no ordinary dog.
O'Shea's vest contains a special license that designates her as a facility dog, trained to understand 42 commands, from basics like "sit" and "stay" to more complicated tasks like standing on her hind legs and turning a light switch off and on.
She also knows how to carry a small basket filled with mints and offer them to guests at the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home in Butler, where she has worked since 2006.
To be able to do her job, she completed several months of training with Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit agency that provides assistance dogs at no charge to those in need.
As a facility dog, O'Shea is trained to work in a health care, visitation or education setting.
With her understanding expression and calm personality, she helps comfort people during gatherings at the funeral home and at the grief support groups coordinated by Robin Miller, bereavement specialist and educator and the funeral home's secretary.
"She brings unconditional love and helps to change the atmosphere," Miller said. "She brings peace to people going through an unsettling time."
Miller has also taken O'Shea to visit schools, clubs and other community groups and given talks on service dogs.
Facilitators like Miller are working professionals who are responsible for their dog's care and handling.
O'Shea lives with Miller full-time and goes to work with her most days, following behind patiently and obeying every command.
O'Shea is Butler County's only licensed service dog working at a funeral home, Miller said. "It's just amazing what a dog can do," she said.
Robin Miller's brother Glenn had heard of other funeral homes with therapy dogs, so they researched organizations before contacting Canine Companions for Independence.
After a multi-step application process, the funeral home waited for CCI to match the business with a dog.
"It was like adopting a child, with the regulations, the paperwork and the interviews," she said.
Once the application process is complete, it can take between one and two years to receive a dog from CCI.
After being accepted in October 2005, Miller received the call about O'Shea two months later.
"We were ecstatic," said Miller, who was expecting a much longer wait.
Miller then attended a two-week training session in February 2006 in Delaware, Ohio, to learn how to interact with O'Shea before bringing her home.
All of CCI's dogs are raised by volunteers from the age of 8 weeks to about 15 months and then returned for six to nine months of additional training at one of five regional centers, said Tonya Halford, instructor for the North Central Region of CCI.
Golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers and crosses of the two breeds are used.
Families can request for O'Shea to be present at any time, even during services at the funeral home or church. As a service dog, she is not restricted from public places."She stays with families and she will not move, no matter how long the service is," said Miller.The dog seems to sense who needs her most and goes to them, Miller said."She'll look at them like, 'How can I help you?' and then lay at their feet," Miller said.As guests climb the stairs to the funeral home, many of them smile in spite of themselves when they see O'Shea."I used to have one just like her at home," said a woman last week at the funeral home, tucking away her tissues for a moment and pausing to stroke the dog's ears.O'Shea is extremely sociable and adores people, said Miller, who also tries to be mindful of those who don't like dogs."We're very aware of people who are afraid or allergic; in fact, we're glad when they tell us," Miller said. "We'll just pass them by."Children are especially comforted by O'Shea, since they are often unsure of what to do when they are at the funeral home, Miller said."Sometimes when there are kids here, we'll take her into a separate room where the children can play fetch with her as quietly as they can," Miller said. "The interesting part is that a lot of the adults end up over there to watch them play. It's an opportunity to see something happy."Countless other visitors have been comforted by O'Shea, Miller said."She just allows people to be whatever they want to be, whether they're laughing or crying," Miller said. "She's had children all over her and adults cry over her and she's just accepting."There has never been a problem with the dog's behavior, though she is always kept on a leash.Only the top 30 to 40 percent of dogs in each class graduate because CCI must make sure the dogs are temperamentally stable, Halford said."We know we can trust her," Miller said. "We know she is very well-behaved and loving."O'Shea spends at least 20 hours per week at work, interacting with people at the funeral home and in Miller's support group.When she's not on the job, O'Shea loves to play fetch and take walks like any other pet. On her days off, she stays home with Miller's parents Richard J. and Gloria Miller.O'Shea is legally owned by CCI and the organization keeps in touch with the funeral home, Miller said.The recipient of a dog must keep in contact CCI through written follow-up as well as meeting with representatives every one to two years.Miller said O'Shea would keep working "until she tells us she's too tired to do this."Dogs have a "service life" of about eight years and then live out their lives as pets, according to CCI literature.Dogs can be returned to CCI when they're ready to retire, but handlers also have the option to adopt the dog and O'Shea has found a permanent home with Robin Miller."She's staying with me forever," Miller said. "She's not going anywhere."
