THERE is plenty of
laughter and happiness nowadays in one of the most popular disabled training outfits
in Rawang, Selangor, called the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC).
And it is no secret as to who is
creating all the smiles.
It’s the latest “member” to join
in the self help disabled organisation situated in the quiet neighbourhood of
Taman Garing.
It’s not a disabled person – but
a dog.
Meet Toto - a bright and spunky three-month
old mongrel that was rescued recently from the streets in Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
“When Toto came into our lives a
couple of months ago, it was like a dream come true not only for my husband and
I, but for all the half dozen physically disabled residents in our home,” says
Gurdip Kaur known also as Rina who serves as secretary of the ILTC.
“Toto has brought back all the
fond memories of our previous service dog Dusty the Golden Retriever who died
two years ago,” adds Rina who has been using a wheelchair for nearly two
decades.
Rina spotted a picture of Toto
on an Internet dog adoption list and immediately fell in love with the pup.
She wasted no time in getting
her tetraplegic husband Francis Siva – paralysed for 25 years – to drive all
the way from Rawang to Subang Jaya. It was a journey that took more than a 100
kilometres to and back - just to bring Toto safely into his new home.
Today, there is no part of ILTC
that Toto doesn’t light up each time he enters a room. He loves all the
residents.
Their wheelchairs and walking
sticks are no obstacles to him in getting close enough to them to give them a
“happy new day” lick on their hands or faces.
“It was so exciting to go
shopping for Toto to get his food and proper utensils that go along with it,”
Rina recalls.
“It sure beats just sitting
around and thinking about our disabilities and our problems,” she adds.
However, the part Rina enjoys
the most is how the marvellous mongrel has bonded with her so quickly.
Toto loves to cuddle up with the
couple in bed before he retires in his crate for the night in their bedroom.
Toto relishes his baths because
he knows he has to “look good” to welcome visitors to the centre.
And when the time comes for him
to attend to the calls of nature, Toto just communicates to the couple through
a whine and they get the message.
Toto never leaves Rina alone for
one minute. He follows her wheelchair everywhere and even loves sleeping under
it at every opportunity.
Both Siva and Rina say they
can’t recall when they have been happier over the past two years until Toto
came into their lives.
“Our little boy just gives us
the ‘oomph’ to carry on each day.” They smile.
The young puppy will soon be
enrolling into class with the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the
Disabled and Elderly Association to become a therapy-cum-service dog graduate
for its wheelchair-using and loving guardians.
And that will be another tale to
tell for another day.
Meanwhile, Zhar my latest
service canine candidate turned 15-months old a few weeks ago.
This is the ideal age to start
intensive training and the Doberman has been passing his marks with flying
colours.
His ability to pick up a variety
of objects and bring them to me has even surpassed that of my previous Golden
Retriever that died last year of old age.
The young Dobie refuses to sit
still. Whether it is in the bedroom or the bathroom, Zhar is ever-ready to
serve.
And the tailless wonder is a
great help during car rides too.
Zhar is the perfect four-legged
assistant to leap out from the backseat to the front and get to objects from
hard-to-reach places in the car.
Last week the incredibly large
Doberman managed to contort his body in order to retrieve a mineral water
bottle that strayed into the corner end of the floor of the passenger seat.
He can also pick up anything, from
two-litre water bottles to delicate items such as combs, coins and business
cards from the floor and bring them over to me.
However, the part that is most helpful
about my Doberman-assistant is his patience when it comes to my wheelchair –
which even puts some human helpers to shame.
Zhar will sit like a rock by my
side when I do transfers like getting from my bed to my wheelchair and in and
out of my car.
It’s as if he perfectly
understands these critical moments of my life where if I fall, I could break it
by falling on him and escape injury.
With a completely caring canine
companion like Zhar to help me along, no one could ask for a better friend in
life!
THE END
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