Monday, November 24, 2014

Baraga "stars"

August 14, 2014
Baraga

There were now seven puppies being raised in the Baraga Correctional Facility. Thanks to Tammy, an AKC CGC Approved Evaluator, the four oldest, FLDs Axel, Bear, Copo and Dax, were able to earn an ACK S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate.

As the "star" teams lined up for photographs, the other teams asked to have their pictures taken too. I was happy to oblige.

Here are the S.T.A.R.s...

Four men kneel on one knee on the cement, all are wearing the blue prison pants and white t-shirts. A young yellow lab is sitting between the second and third man, all are looking at the camera. The puppy is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana, and a medal around his neck. The men are holding certificates up, and there is a sign that reads "I'm a star" in front of the lab. In the background is a wooden staircase on the left and a white brick building on the right.
TEAM AXEL  Baraga has three-man teams with one main raiser and two assistants. From left to right are Doug (who joined the team after Steve was given FLD Farley to raise), Beano (FLD Axel's main raiser), FLD Axel, Mondo, and Steve (who started as Axel's assistant raiser). Steve was on the team when Axel passed the AKC S.T.A.R. test, but he wanted Doug in the photo with the team. "He worked his *** of with Axel," Steve said.

A man wearing blue prison pants and a long-sleeved white t-shirt is squatting in front of a wooden staircase and pointing at the camera with his right hand. He is looking down at a young yellow lab that is sitting on his left side. The lab is wearing a black graduation hat with a yellow tassel, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck. There are legs of two other men standing to the right.
Beano points to get FLD Axel to look at the camera.
Two men dressed in blue prison pants and white t-shirts are leaning over a young black lab who is sitting between the legs of the second man. The first man, on the left, is wearing a blue baseball cap. The men are smiling as the second man is putting a black graduation hat on the lab. The lab is also wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck. There are legs of a third man standing to the right.
Black (left) and Ricky (right) have fun putting the graduation hat on FLD Bear.
Three men are squatting in a row, all are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts, the man on the left is wearing a blue baseball cap. the men are holidng up certificates and smiling at the camera. A young black lab is sitting in front of the middle man with a pained expression on his face. He is wearing a black graduation hat and the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his nec. There are wood rails from a staircase behind them. The middle man is also holding a sign in front of the lab that reads, "I'm a star."
TEAM BEAR From left to right are Black, Ricky (FLD Bear's main raiser), FLD Bear and P (who is now the main raiser for FLD Gage; Doug has taken his place on Bear's team).

Three men dressed in blue prison uniforms and white t-shirts squat in front of a wooden staircase, holding certificates up. All are looking at the camera. There is a young black lab lying down between the man on the left and the man in the middle. The middle man has his right hand on the lab's back. The lab is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck, he is looking at the camera. There is a sign lying on the cement in front of the dog that reads, "I'm a star!"
TEAM COPO From left to right are Harvey (FLD Copo's main raiser), FLD Copo, Luke and Keylor.

Three men squat on cement in front of a wooden staircase, they are all wearing the blue prison pants and white t-shirts, and holding certificates up in front of their knees. Between the middle man and the man on the right a young german shepherd is sitting and leaning against the middle man, who has his left arm around the puppy. The puppy is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader dog bandana and a medal around his neck, the dog looks like he doesn't like the hat on. A sign is lying in front of the dog, and reads "I'm a star!"
TEAM DAX From left to right is Patrick, Chad (FLD Dax's main raiser), FLD Dax and Kyle. Dax doesn't seem impressed.


And here are the other teams...

Three men squat in front of a wooden staircase wearing blue prison pants, the two men on the left are wearing white t-shirts, the man on the right is wearing the blue prison shirt. In front of the middle man sits a small black lab puppy. Everyone is looking at the camera.
TEAM ECO From left to right are Wayne, James (FLD Eco's main raiser), FLD Eco and Jerod.

Three men are squatting in front of a wooden staircase on the cement, all are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. In front of the middle man is a small yellow lab puppy, who is sitting and looking at the camera. Between the middle man and the man on the right a small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy is lying down with his head facing the camera. The man on the right, an african american, is holding the leash to the puppy lying down.
TEAM FARLEY From left to right are Steve (FLD Farley's main raiser), Paul, FLD Farley, FLD Henry (the puppy I'm raising) and Brown.

Three men are squatting in front of a wooden staircase, wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The men in the middle and right are african american. In front of the middle man sits a small golden retriever puppy, who is looking slightly down to the ground, with his leash lying on the ground beside him.
TEAM GAGE From left to right are Mater, P (FLD Gage's main raiser; P started the program as an assistant on FLD Bear's team), FLD Gage and Shearon.


Before leaving, Tammy reminds the men to stay aware of the end goal and purpose of a Leader Dog. Stealing a line from Bev Blanchard, Manager of Canine Development at Leader Dogs for the Blind, she said, "If your grandmother became blind, would you want this dog to be her Leader Dog?"


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