In this ultra-modern world where laser beams adjust people’s sight and hyperbaric chambers mend their bones, Susan Luehrs, founder of Hawaii Fi-Do, eschews technology in favor of a more natural way to heal people’s bodies: man’s best friend.
“There is documentation that people with service dogs don’t need as much medical assistance, need less care and don’t go to the doctor as much,” says Luehrs, who was formally trained at the Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, Calif. “Psychologically, they feel better and they don’t use as many meds.”
The idea of formally training dogs to aid the afflicted is a fairly new one. A pioneer in the field, Bonnie Bergin came up with the idea 20 years ago after watching guide dogs helping the blind and wondered why they could not assist people in other ways. Through her institute and its offshoots, like Hawaii Fi-Do, they are training dogs to open doors, turn on the lights, pull wheelchairs, use medical alert buttons and even fetch help if their owner becomes incapacitated.
Luehrs founded the nonprofit Hawaii Fi-Do 12 years ago after having great success using dogs to aid in her previous profession as a special-ed teacher at Kahuku High School.
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