Published: August 20, 2008 10:09 pm         

West Vigo junior with Muscular Dystrophy soon to get a little canine assistance

Four-legged helper will allow Devin Thompson to be more independent

TERRE HAUTE — In a matter of months, Devin Thompson will have a special friend to help him become more independent.

That friend will be a specially trained dog.

“The dog will help open doors and help me get things I can’t reach on the floor,” Thompson said.

“And companionship,” said his mother, Angela Pruitt.

Thompson, 17, was first diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at age 5. He uses a motorized wheelchair to attend West Vigo High School, where he is a junior.

Thompson’s future dog, from Canine Assistants, is sponsored by Del Monte Food’s Milk-Bone and Kroger Co.’s Central Division. The announcement that Thompson will receive a dog was made Wednesday at Kroger’s store at 2140 Fort Harrison Road in Terre Haute, a store where Thompson and his mother often shop.

Canine Assistants is a not-for-profit organization based in Georgia and founded in 1991 that trains and provides service dogs for children and adults with physical disabilities or other special needs. Thompson will be paired with a dog and learn about his dog’s training at the organization’s facility in Alpharetta, Ga.

“I’m excited about that,” Thompson said.

He will go to the facility in January or February and spend two weeks, his mother said.

Pruitt said she had been looking on and off for a trained dog for her son for the past three years.

“We came across Canine Assistants’ Web site and we were put on a waiting list. I assumed it would be a few years, but six to eight months later, they called and got the ball rolling. It was really awesome,” she said.

“This will allow him to be more independent and stay at home alone with his dog. He doesn’t really feel like he has anything he belongs with and this will be his, something he can feel attached to, so I am excited,” his mother said.

John Elliott, spokesman for Kroger, said the company seeks partnerships with customers, vendors and community leaders for community engagement.

“Del Monte and Milk-Bone asked us to partner with them,” he said. “I can’t imagine a more impactful way to make a difference in this young man’s life than this canine assistance. It is a whole family difference.

“When you have someone who has extra medical needs or needs some special care, that takes some energy, mental and physical, from the family members who do that,” Elliott said. “So this canine assistance will help the caregivers in the family, so it is not just for him, but his whole family.”

About 20 family members came to the northside Kroger store in support of Thompson.

Sponsorship is part of Milk-Bone Canine Heroes Program and the celebration of 100 years of providing dog treats.

“We’re all about dogs and their owners and this is a special relationship between dogs and owners. A lot of people buy Milk-Bones and this is our chance to give back,” said Dave Monte, business development manager for Del Monte Pet Products.

He said Milk-Bone and Kroger will sponsor two dogs this year. Milk-Bone’s Canine Heroes program includes the training of police dogs and over the past 10 years has sponsored more than 450 police dogs nationwide. Training can cost more than $5,000 for each police dog. Kroger since 1999 has sponsored 125 dogs to people like Thompson.

Canine Assistants, from its sponsors, through the course of this year will prove 35 new trained service dogs, which can cost nearly $20,000 to train.

Jim Saul of Montgomery brought his dog, Lincoln, to meet Thompson. Saul has been involved with Canine Assistants for the past 10 years. His first dog woke him and saved him from a house fire in 2001, he said. Saul, who has multiple sclerosis, told Thompson that each dog has 94 basic commands and can be trained to perform custom commands, such as to untie shoes and remove socks.

He joked with Thompson about his future dog. “Leave the dog at home if you do not like to talk to people, because people will come up” to see the dog, he said.

Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.