Take a look at heartwarming tales of special animal/human bonds, puppy raisers, and helping paws.

Thirteen-year-old Haliee Albury just adores her girlfriend, Rane. She reads books to her at night, while her BFF sits and listens raptly. They cuddle together on the floor while they watch TV. Haliee even uses Rane as a pillow. You see, Haliee has mild-to-moderate cerebral palsy and epilepsy and Rane is her assistance dog.

This special dog was given to the Albury family, free of charge, through Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), to provide not only assistance, but companionship as well. In 2009, after undergoing a six-month process that involved interviews and two weeks of training with CCI, Haliee and her mom, Becky Albury, graduated from the program trained as a skilled companions team and received their assistance dog, Rane.

Wherever Haliee and Becky go, Rane accompanies them. “When we go into Target, people want to talk and say hello to the dog. It basically shifts the attention away from Haliee’s disability to the dog,” says Becky.  “People want to learn about the dog, and the rest [the disability] is just forgotten.”

Caring for Rane strengthens Haliee’s sense of responsibility and accountability. Because of her diminished fine motor skills, providing water is a bit of a challenge, but Haliee does very well when feeding Rane, taking her outside, and brushing her.  “Haliee is very self-sufficient in a lot of different ways and doesn’t have to rely on a wheelchair to get around,” says Becky. Haliee goes to therapy several times a week to help improve her fine motor skills.

“Canine Companions for Independence has pioneered the concept of training dogs to assist people with disabilities and is now recognized worldwide as the leading authority in assistance dogs programs,” said Martha Johnson, CCI Southeast Region public relations coordinator. Since its founding in 1988 in Orlando, the CCI Southeast Regional Center has placed more than 300 trained assistance dogs in homes and, currently, has more than 130 volunteer puppy raisers.

Puppy raisers care for the puppies for the first 16-18 months, taking the little puppies to obedience classes, feeding them a healthy diet, teaching them house manners, and giving them lots of love and attention. All of the assistance dogs come from CCI’s own breeding program. “These specially bred dogs are either Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, or a Labrador/Golden Retriever mix,” says Johnson. Once the puppies are old enough, they are returned to one of CCI’s five regional training centers to receive formal specialized training. Every dog in the Canine Companions program serves about eight years and then is retired to live out the rest of its life as a loving pet.

Shannon Neller is a 17 year old young woman who has a genetic chromosomal disorder called Isodicentric 15, also known as IDIC15. Her Mom, Debbie Neller, thought she could use a friend, someone or something that would respond to her daughter, so shecontacted the CCI program. Shannon and Debbie graduated from the CCI training program in 2010 as a skilled companions team and soon after received Steve, Shannon’s beloved canine companion. “Shannon’s interests were very limited and she had an obsessive nature,” states Debbie. “She needed to have something that she could talk about with kids her own age and even people on the street. It was time to learn to take care of something outside her own needs.”

Since November 2010 when Steve joined their family, Shannon has become noticeably more outgoing. “Shannon is more confident and courageous and feels safe because the dog is always with her. Steve has changed our lives in ways I never would’ve expected,” says Debbie with pride. Whenever Shannon and Debbie go out to a store or restaurant, they take Steve with them. Shannon loves to tell people about Steve and share the story of how she got him at CCI. “People will ask her questions and she answers all of the questions appropriately and tells them all about CCI. It’s like she has blossomed.”

“CCI dogs serve as a social bridge to people who are not used to relating to a person with a disability,” Johnson notes. “The dogs are trained to serve a range of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, autism, and Down’s syndrome.” CCI also has a Wounded Veterans Initiative program that provides an assistance dog for wounded soldiers who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

Becky is thrilled with the bond that has grown between her daughter and her service dog. “It’s nice for Haliee to have another…I guess you could say ‘person’ …to have fun with. Haliee and Rane have played hide-and-seek together and the dog has come trick-or-treating with us. If Haliee jumps in the pool, Rane is right behind her. She’s a great sport.”

Shannon has assumed responsibility for Steve and considers the dog her best friend.  She takes care of his physical needs, from feeding to cleaning his ears. “Honestly, he has just changed her life. Steve has been the single biggest blessing in Shannon’s life…he really has,” Debbie says with motherly delight.

Canine Companions runs solely on donations from individuals, businesses, foundations, civic groups, and ongoing fundraising events and activities. To learn more about the program, contact the Southeast Regional Center at 800-572-BARK, or visit the web site at HYPERLINK “http://www.cci.org”www.cci.org. For volunteer information, and to find out about  CCI’s 15^th Annual Tales & Tails Gala, please visit: HYPERLINK “http://www.cci.org/takesandtailsgala”www.cci.org/talesandtailsgala or call 407-522-3300.