Rhapsody’s Chronicles "In The News"

The June Orinda Dog

In June 2006, Rhapsody was featured as Orinda's Dog of the Month on the front page. She was raised by Tom and Cinda MacKinnon for the Guide Dog for the Blind program as her puppy raisers. (To view Original Newspaper Clippings (in PDF format), CLICK HERE).

The June Orinda Dog

The MacKinnon's dog, Rhapsody, was raised as a guide dog for the blind. Local residents will remeber Rhapsody going in and out of businesses and restaurants during her training. rhapsody's grown-up guide dog photo is on page 2 along with other wonderful Orinda dogs. (The Orinda News, p. 1)

Here is Rhapsody, our June Orinda dog featured on page 1, in her grouwn-up state. She passed her 10 phases of training and has been paired with a blind person as a guide dog. (The Orinda News, p. 2)

SOURCE: The Orinda News. 2006. The June Orinda Dog. The Orinda News, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 1-2. (Orinda, California: The Orinda Association, June 2006.)

Story Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Russellville Man, His Best Friend Complete Guide Dog Training

     Matthew Friend of Russellville graduated recently with a Yellow Labrador/Golden Retriever Crossbreed guide dog named RHAPSODY at his side. The duo completed a month of intensive training at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. in San Rafael, Calif.
      Friend is a student working toward a degree in education and substitute teaches fourth grade. During the course of training, skilled guide dogs and their new partners learn to negotiate stairways, elevators, overhead obstacles, crowded sidewalks and busy streets. The dogs are trained to avoid distractions and disobey commands to cross a street if traffic is approaching.
      Guide Dogs for the Blind is the only school in the country that has built its program around both the functional and personal aspects of a guide-dog partnership. The school is committed to matching each person with the right dog, developing a personalized training program matched to each person's lifestyle and providing unprecedented support services to establish a lifelong partnership.
      Guide Dogs for the Blind has been in service since 1942. It has produced more than 10,000 trained guides for graduates across the United States and Canada. There are currently more than 2,000 people with vision loss enjoying the comfort, companionship and safety of these exceptional dogs.
      The school also ensures that every one of its dogs is well cared for during its life, whether or not it becomes a guide. Students are offered air transportation, room and board, training, equipment, financial assistance for veterinary care and support services free-of-charge. Upon the retirement of a guide, the graduate is invited to return for training with a new guide dog.
      Guide Dogs for the Blind is a nonprofit organization supported entirely by private and charitable donations. For more information on Guide Dogs for the Blind, call (800) 295-4050 or go to the Web site www.guidedogs.com.

SOURCE: Courier News Online. 2006. Russellville Man, His Best Friend Complete Guide Dog Training. The Courier News [Online]. (Russellville, Arkansas: Courier News, 26 July 2006.)<http://www.couriernews.com/ archived_story.php?ID=12153&Search=Rhapsody>. Accessed: December 2007. [Original Article placed in the newspaper also.]

Broken Rule

This newsletter from the Russellville School District featured Rhapsody and I because of one of our class assignment requirement to attain ten hours of teacher's observation. Mrs. Beth Sharbaugh had asked me if she could write something for their school district newsletter. Needless to say, the original article has been sharply shorten in this newsletter (Read: Original Article CLICK HERE). However, Rhapsody and I truly enjoy our visit with Mrs. Sharbaugh and Ms. Lee, as well as, all the children, especially the ones that allowed her to kiss their faces. (View: Original Newsletter CLICK HERE).

     In the nursery rhyme, "Mary had a little lamb" an animal followed the little girl to school. Due to that open-mindedness and willingness of superintendent, Mr. Randall Williams and principal Mr. Al Harpenau, an animal followed its owner to school. Matt Friend, a UCA student, and his service dog, Rhapsody, observed in RMS teachers' Mrs. Dawn Lee and Mrs. Beth Sharbaugh's classes.
     Mr. Friend is an education major at UCA in Conway and hopes to obtain a master's degree in special education. Matt is visually and hearing imparied. Thus, he and Rhapsody are a working team. In advance of their arrival at school, students received educational resource information pertaining to guide dogs and their assistance with blind individuals. (RSD, p. 8).

SOURCE: Sharbaugh, Mrs. Beth. 2007. Broken Rule. RSD Newsletter, Vol. 4, Iss. 1, p. 8. (Russellville, Arkansas: Ruseellville School District, Summer 2007.) [Original Article attached to the PDF file.]

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