Va. Beach retirement community nurtures guide dogs

VIRGINIA BEACH

The newest tenants of the Atlantic Shores retirement community are a tad young - 11 weeks, to be exact - with careers that are gearing up instead of winding down.

They go by Joanie and Godrick, and they're black Labs training to become guide dogs for people with disabilities.

The pups, all clumsy legs and curious muzzles, moved into Atlantic Shores two weeks ago and were formally introduced to the whole community Thursday.

Joanie promptly settled in the lap of a resident sitting in a wheelchair, while Godrick sniffed at the hands of those who crowded around to pet him.

"People come out of the woodwork to see him," said Jack Stokes, 82, who held a frisky God-rick as people gathered for their first look at the pair, who are already approaching celebrity status.

It's the first time the Guiding Eyes for the Blind organization, based in upstate New York, has placed puppies in a retirement community like this. The pups will not only have contact with residents here, but also with children from two nearby schools.

Joanie and Godrick will live with Linda Palminteri and Stokes, respectively, who each live in the independent section of the community. Stokes, Palminteri and four backup trainers went through a six-week course before the pups arrived to learn how to care for them.

Eventually, Joanie and Godrick will be able to visit residents in the nursing and assisted-living sections of the community, and also will cozy up to people with Alzheimer's disease who live in another unit.

Retirement communities have become more accepting of animals on campus over the years, as studies have shown health benefits that range from lowering blood pressure to increasing owners' exercise. Some long-term-care models - such as the Eden Alternative - incorporate plants, animals, senior citizens and children in regular activities.

Several residents at Atlantic Shores brought their pets to the welcoming ceremony to sniff out the new dogs in the 'hood.

Godrick and Joanie, however, will have stricter routines than most.

"They have purpose," resident Fran McKean noted.

The elevators, sidewalks, sliding doors, dining areas, wheelchairs and walkers will provide a variety of elements the dogs need to get used to for their professional lives, and the dogs will also get to know schoolchildren at Ocean Lakes and Corporate Landing elementary schools.

"It's good information for them to have in their reference library," said Gina Rose, regional coordinator for the Guiding Eyes organization. "We want information in their brains that they can refer back to."

The Guiding Eyes organization has 400 puppy-raisers up and down the East Coast. The dogs usually stay with raisers for 16 to 18 months, learning obedience and socialization. Then they return to New York for another 18-month training session, where they're teamed with the person they will guide for more specific instruction.

The organization, which has been around since the 1950s, graduates about 170 dogs a year, pairing them mostly to people with visual impairments. More recently, some have been teamed with people who have autism, a developmental disorder.

On hand Thursday to testify to the importance of the task at hand was Brian McCann and his guide dog, Julie. McCann, 28, has retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive eye disease that usually begins with a loss of night and side vision. When he was paired with Julie in 2007, he was skeptical about her usefulness. But she helped him navigate the streets of New York City, where he used to live, and has been a constant companion since he moved to Virginia Beach.

"She's traveled with me all over the country," McCann said. "I trust my life with her now, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Stokes and Palminteri have had pets all their lives, though this will be the first time they've trained guide dogs. Palminteri, 61, has an emotional stake in the task. A guide dog helped her twin sister, who has muscular dystrophy, maneuver through daily life for 16 years. The dog, Carmichael, died last month, and Palminteri is training Joanie in his honor.

Palminteri said if it were her dog, she'd do a little more "loving on her," but she knows she needs to teach Joanie obedience that will be vital for her next owner.

For instance, she'd normally cuddle with a dog on her couch, but she can't allow this dog on furniture. She is teaching her commands such as "Sit," "Down," "Go to crate," "Follow me."

Joanie's backup trainer, Betty Brown, 84, has nothing but praise for her: "She is the best dog I have ever seen. She can sit, heel, she can do anything you want her to."

Joanie demonstrated her therapeutic qualities when she curled up in the lap of resident Susan Paige, whose face lit up in a smile when the dog rested her head on Paige's arm.

Stokes, a retired lawyer, said the first few nights were rocky as God-rick got up multiple times during the night and also had a few accidents. But he's settling in now. Stokes said he knows there will be some heartache down the line for him and his backup trainer, Marge Miner, when the dog has to leave for his next leg of training:

"I'll try to think about the somebody out there who he'll be matched with to make life complete."

Elizabeth Simpson, (757) 446-2635, elizabeth.simpson@pilotonline.com