April 11, 2018
Puppy partnership O’Fallon trainer and veterinarian join forces to help send trained, healthy service dogs to people with special needs
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By Brett Auten It is a partnership that is paying dividends for those who need it most. Becky Flannagan, of O’Fallon, is a service dog trainer for Canine Companions for Independence, a California-based nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of people throughout the country with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. Dr. Marcy Hammerle, who operates The Pet Doctor, located at 2301 Technology Drive in O’Fallon, answered Flannagan’s call for assistance when she launched this rewarding adventure. “Before I got my first dog I sent out letters to every vet in this area, probably 40 total, saying that I am about to raise a dog, the first in this area, for the oldest and biggest organization that trains service dogs, would you like to partner with me, meaning this is expensive for me, would you be willing to give me a discount,” Flannagan said. “(Hammerle) stepped up and said sure. The other vets were either, ‘no,’ or there was no response and she said absolutely, I will help any way I can.” The pair has developed a friendship, and Flannagan says that Hammerle has been instrumental. “She is so very skilled in all of her techniques and her certifications, she is across the gamut of pure professional as you can get,” Flannagan said. “Compassionate, knowledgeable, she’s just the whole package.”
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Veterinarian Marcy Hammerle, DVM BABVP, and Becky Flannagan, trainer, sit with Fallon the training dog.
Flannagan and Hammerle are getting ready to start their third puppy together. Hammerle was motivated to help because she feels that it is essential to give back to the community as much as one can. The Pet Doctor, who has been around since 2005, also provides free service for the O’Fallon Police Department canines. “Our mission statement for the clinic is all about supporting the bond between people and their pet, and when you think about it, there is no stronger bond between a service dog and their owner,” Hammerle said.
Photo by Ray Rockwell
“That dog is their life, and it helps them do everything that they do. It is the ultimate human/animal bond.” When it is all said in done, a dog from Canine Companions for Independence, which was founded in 1975, costs around $60,000 when you factor in all of the training, but they are offered free to clients thanks to private fundraising. After their first eight weeks of life, the puppies spend 18 months with a trainer like Flannagan where he or she will learn a set of 40 comSee ‘PUPPY’ page 2
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