Greetings from the Desk of the Executive Director |
Dear friends: What motivates you? I'm motivated by what I experience everyday and the knowledge that I can make a huge impact on the lives of those that are touched by our programs. Right now, my own life experiences are motivating me to grow and nurture our Hounds for Heroes service dog program. Every time I talk with a veteran, they tell me they "want a buddy, someone they can count on" and that they "want their lives back". I believe deep in my soul that our service dogs can provide the unconditional love and support that these men and women need to live the lives they once did.
 In my own life, I have five dogs that give me unconditional love everyday. I recently underwent surgery on my knee. Those first few days after surgery, when I was quite drugged, my 100 pound German Shepherd, Max, stayed by my side and guarded me. My family could cajole him to eat or go outside for potty only when I was sound asleep. At those moments when I was restless and uncomfortable, he would gently rest his head on my back or shoulder. It sure made me feel better. On day three, post-op, I attempted to walk to the kitchen, stepped wrong and let out a squeal. My buddy Max started circling me and whining. He didn't understand what was happening, but he knew that nothing was going to get close enough to me to cause more pain.
So, for all the veterans that have served our country and experienced situations that no human brain should have to process, I will do my best to grow our Hounds for Heroes program, so that we can provide you with a buddy, someone that will have your back.
If a dog has motivated you to give back to the community, send me your story. I'd love to hear from you. If you are interested in hosting a service dog in training, contact me. We will start training our next class of dogs early September.
Debi Krakar
Executive Director and Founder
Austin Dog Alliance
PS - The Fall schedule is loaded into the registration system. Look for new Service Dog Training classes, an Advanced Pet Therapy skills class, a Bow Wow Reading Dog seminar, more reactive dog class options and lots of opportunities to learn the basics.
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Hounds For Heroes
New program - service dogs for veterans | 
 Last month we launched Hounds For Heroes, a program created to help veterans dealing with PTSD regain the lives they once lived.
Psychiatric service dogs have been proven to provide a healing and positive impact to those diagnosed with PTSD.
Our goal is to provide these highly-trained dogs at little-to-no cost for those who need them most and who may not have the ability to afford the cost on their own.
Each service dog receives hundreds of hours of training, providing service men and women with not only a well-behaved animal, but one that understands their unique needs.
You can make the difference. Every donation counts. There are various levels of sponsorship and benefits to donors who support Hounds For Heroes. See our Hounds For Heroes page on the Austin Dog Alliance website to learn more and make a secure donation. Become a part of this important program and support those who have served our country.
** Special Hounds For Heroes shirts are in! Donate today! **
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Volunteer Spotlight - Eric Sparks and Tai Shan
by Kelly Parker |
 Eric Sparks got involved with Austin Dog Alliance about five years ago after watching his wife Debbie and her dog YYZ test for Pet Partners certification. They went to Williamson County Animal Shelter one day "just to check it out" and wound up falling in love with a "dirty two-year-old Great Pyrenees" that became their dog, Tai Shan. After many baths and lots of head butting, they came around to Tai's way of doing things. Eric recalls "Luckily, Tai wanted to do things like YYZ did". Thus the road to being a therapy team began.
The Sparks and their dogs were involved in the early stages of development for the ADA K9 Autism Club and made regular visits to Austin Recovery and their in-house addiction recovery clients. For their work as a therapy team, they also visit hospitals, retirement homes, libraries, K9 Club, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Special Ed Programs, Parties, Art in the Park, Texas Book Festival... and many more.
Eric says that "ADA was, and still is, the premiere nonprofit organization in the state of Texas! They take care of their volunteers and dogs. The people are what makes ADA special to us".
 Eric has experienced many gratifying experiences during their many visits to area hospitals as a team. Eric says, "There have been many times that Tai has gone into a room at Dell Children's Hospital and turned a child who was in pain and/or crying into a happy one, if only for a short time. So many times, he has hopped on a bed and made everyone in the room laugh. At one of the Autism Walk Events, Tai and a child sat together for over an hour, giving the child some much needed love and the mother a much needed break".
One of the things Eric and Debbie enjoy seeing the most is when YYZ and Tai take over a situation. He has observed that the dogs seem to have an ability to feed off each other and know just what to do and when to do it, e.g., one dog will console a parent while the other dog keeps the child busy.
In his spare time, Eric likes to bowl, play volleyball, play his drums and take care of his many pets in their menagerie. Their pets include: five Sugar Gliders (Peter, Wendy, JJ, Tiger Lilly and Maxx), four cats (Moon Pie, Milky Way, Jinjur, Isomere), two Crested Geckos (Gleeko and Roja), one Veiled Chameleon named Josie. and of course, "the boys", eight-year-old Tai and YYZ.
We appreciate all that Eric and his wife, Debbie, do for our organization. We love their dedication and time spent helping out at all the various events over the years. ADA would not be ADA without the amazing Eric, Tai, and the entire Sparks team!
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Amazon Smile
Support Austin Dog Alliance when you shop at Amazon.com | 
You shop. Amazon gives.
Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to Austin Dog Alliance when you shop at AmazonSmile. Visit smile.amazon.com and choose Austin Dog Alliance as your preferred charitable organization.
Thank you for your support! |
New Classes & Seminars
Attend a group training class or seminar - reserve your spot today! |
 Are you interested in volunteering in canine-assisted therapy with your pet, and want to learn more about whether this is a good fit? Attend our 2-hour Pet Therapy Seminar (August 11) to learn more about how to become involved and get a preliminary assessment of your dog's suitability for this work.
A new round of K9 Nose Work classes begins August 17. Introduction to Nose Work and Intermediate Nose Work are open for registration!
Psychiatric Service Dog Seminar: Do you have a medical diagnosis for which a psychiatric service dog is appropriate? Do you already have a calm, well-mannered dog and you'd like to pursue comprehensive training for your dog to become your service dog? Attend our Train Your Own Psychiatric Service Dog seminar (1.5 hours) in September to learn more about what is realistic and achievable (September 8).
New Courses Coming in September:
See our online course listing for details on these and all other classes, including Dog Manners, Reactive Rehab, Pet Therapy training course, and more!
Revenues from training classes enable us to offer pet therapy outreach throughout central Texas. Thank you for training with Austin Dog Alliance! |
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K9 Cookies
Make a batch of these cookies to treat your pups!
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Here's a recipe your dogs will enjoy! 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
Mix together:
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (no added sugar)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4-1/2 cup "95% Chicken" by Wellness Dog Food
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Add and mix into a cookie-cutter-consistency dough (moderately firm):
1 3/4 - 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour (e.g., King Arthur brand); wheat flour can be used if preferred
Use chicken stock to thin the dough if needed.
 Flour the work surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4-1/2", cutting the cookies into preferred shapes.
Depending on the size treat we want to give our dogs, we have used both medium/large and very small cookie cutters.
 Bake about 12 minutes. I usually bake them so they are "al dente" rather than crisp. The dogs seem to prefer a little 'toothsomeness' and I prefer fewer crumbs on the floor!
Store in the fridge.
Contributed by:
Asha Jane & son, Otis (and dogs Ted & Shorty)
Thank you, Asha Jane!
We tried this recipe in our house; our dogs give it a "paws up"!
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Thank you, Pedernales Electric Cooperative
Grant awarded
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Thank you, Pedernales Electric Cooperative, for your generous grant enabling our Austin Dog Alliance Training Center to benefit from more energy efficient thermostats and monitoring capabilities.
Our clients, summer campers, staff, and volunteers appreciate it, especially during these "dog days" of summer.
Our four-legged friends send their thanks, too! |
| Planning a Meetup or Party? Remember us! | 
Are you planning an end-of-summer get together? Want to host a meetup with friends and dogs? Our (awesome!) training center, agility field, and dog park are available for rent! Get all the details here.
Revenues from our facility and field rentals help us offer low- and no-cost services to clients throughout central Texas. Thanks for considering Austin Dog Alliance for your next celebration or meetup! |
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| Mission | |
Austin Dog Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Our mission:
To improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and families through programs incorporating the powerful connection between dogs and humans.
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| Contact Us | Board of Directors
Board Chair
Founder and
Executive Director
Adoption Program
Pet Therapy Director
Pet Therapy Volunteer Coordinator
Foster/Adoption, PR
PR, Marketing
Youth Association
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