We have volunteered to be one of a few veterinary clinics in Portland, Oregon to partner with the Portland Veterinary Medical Association and Coffee Creek Correctional Facility for women and sponsor a puppy in training. It’s a win-win for everyone. The inmates learn how to care for the puppy and help social and train the puppy. This may sound simple. We assure you, it’s not. Working with puppies takes a tremendous amount of patience and love and positive energy. These are important life skills that also benefit the inmates. In return, the inmates receive the unconditional love only a puppy can give. The puppies receive ample attention and training to help them prepare for the next step of their journey – being considered for the Canines for Independence program. This is a wonderful organization that trains dogs to assist humans with a variety of physical and/or mental illnesses who need help. We get to help these puppies grow up to be healthy and strong. We also get to experience the joys of giving. And we get to play with them and receive puppy licks and puppy love, and stinky puppy breath.

Visit us again soon to see the next Chapter in Little Yonder’s visits to Fremont Vet.   We expect him and his trainer to arrive sometime in January, 2016.  They grow up so quickly.