Last weekend I was able to combine two of my favorite pleasures – dogs and wine – at the debut of DogSmarts at the annual Celebrity Chef fundraiser for Canine Companions for Independence. We spent a delightful evening up in Sonoma County, enjoying tasty food and wine surrounded by very cute dogs while we raised money for a great cause.
We raffled off copies of DogSmarts, WineParty , and WineSmarts with a fun quiz and placed DogSmarts cards at each place setting, which was a great way to get the conversation started at the table. I had always though our games can be used as great ice breakers at big dinners such as this, and it was great to see my theory proved correct at this dinner with people sharing cards and showing off who knew more.
I first got connected with CCI through my friends Tara & Dane (at right), who have raised several puppies for CCI. They were always so cute, and when we decided to do a DogSmarts game and start our charitable giving branch of SmartsCo, CCI was the natural choice. It was especially nice to have them be a local organization with lots of wine lovers (and WineSmarts fans) in house.
My first visit to the CCI campus included a graduation ceremony which was so amazing. These dogs are specifically bred to be service dogs and have the most amazing demeanors. They also go through a ton of training, about a year or so with a volunteer puppy raiser and then intensive training with the CCI staff for about six months to nine months. Finally, the dogs are introduced to their potential partner, and the two go through two weeks of training together. At the graduation, the new partners get to meet the puppy raisers over lunch and then everyone goes to a graduation ceremony.
It’s amazing to watch how these dogs can change people’s lives, be they hearing dogs, service dogs for people with physical disabilities, skilled companion dogs for children with developmental or emotional disabilities, or facilities dogs for rehabilitation professionals, caregivers or educators and utilize a dog to improve the mental, physical or emotional health of those in their care. Pretty neat stuff.
Once you’ve experienced CCI, it becomes an addictive organization to support through volunteer activities or through financial support. My friend Tara and Dane were such successful puppy raisers, that they now have a breeder dog—Mondo—he’s such a stud (and so sweet—I would want one of his progeny).
