ATHOL – He had lived in five different homes and no one would adopt him. Then he found his “forever” home with Tom and Joanne Rich of Phillipston, and for eleven years, the team shared a devoted alliance.
Millhouse passed away in early February from cancer, but his loyal legacy will be carried on through a scholarship established in his name by Worcester-based Canines For Disabled Kids. “This continues his legacy to give back,” Tom said.
Part Border Collie and Alaskan husky, two intelligent working breeds, Millhouse was scheduled to be put to sleep on the same day a trainer from NEADS (National Education For Assistance Dog Services) was looking for a dog to partner with Tom, whose previous service dog “Jessie” had passed away two months earlier. Tom, who is profoundly deaf and uses a hearing aid, has trained with service dogs since 1977. He doesn’t regard himself as disabled but “challenged.”
It was important for Millhouse not to become a pampered pet. “Part of the training is learning to take care of each other,” Tom said.
Millhouse had never learned to do basic commands like “sit” or “stay,” but was considered a good candidate to train as a service dog. “He just needed someone to tell him what to do and how to use all the energy he had,” Tom said. In 2008, after about five months of training through NEADS, the partnership began. “He was constantly by my side alerting me to the every day sounds a hearing person takes for granted.”
Canines For Disabled Kids is a non-profit resource center that helps parents find programs for their disabled child depending on their specific needs, and provides scholarships twice a year to help defray the cost of a service dog. The first scholarship in Millhouse’s name will be awarded in June. Millhouse was an ambassador and demo dog for CDK, traveling extensively up and down the East Coast doing presentations at schools and expos and for veterans groups and hospitals. Whenever it was time for a group photo, Tom would command the word “picture” and Millhouse understood to sit still.
There are people who will put a vest on their canine and call it a service dog when it hasn’t been certified to be one. Currently in the service dog industry there is no federal law requiring identification. “It makes it tough,” Tom said, “but laws are changing.”
Some handlers have disabilities that aren’t apparent. The owner could have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), diabetes, or it could be a seizure or medical alert dog. Tom recalled a visit to Walmart in Keene, N.H. where a woman came down the aisle with a dog that became out of control when it spotted Millhouse. Having been trained, Millhouse went into sit/stay mode and paid no attention to the other dog. The woman started to lecture Tom until he explained that his was a certified service dog. She mumbled something and walked away. “It’s an education process,” he said. “A certified dog will stay and not wander.”
Joanne uses sign language to help Tom translate spoken words. If she needed Tom for something, she would call Millhouse to her and give him the command to find Tom, and “with great relish” he’d go running through the house to find Tom and lead him to Joanne. Whether it be a ringing doorbell, a knock at the door, or a smoke alarm indicating a low battery, Millhouse would go to the source of the sound and run back to Tom, touch him with his paw, and lead him to the sound source. If Tom didn’t respond, he’d keep touching him. One time on a television program a doorbell rang for a pizza delivery and “always alert” Millhouse followed through.
He was allowed to be outdoors while attached to a dog run, enjoying playtime with the neighbor’s dogs. Once he was indoors, he was back on duty.
When Millhouse became ill, the Richs discussed all options with their veterinarian, choosing medication to keep him comfortable. “Part of the training is to do the right thing for the dog and his quality of life,” Tom said.
Kristin Hartness, Executive Director of CDK said Tom and Millhouse educated “thousands” of people over the years and that for Millhouse, “the best game he played was ‘look at what I do.’”
Several places Millhouse visited paid tribute to him online. “Millhouse had a gentle spirit that touched so many lives,” Tom said. “He loved people. He always brought smiles to people’s faces. He exemplified in every way what a service dog should be.”
“It’s sad when a canine partner passes,” Hartness said. “I’m a user myself, but to be able to celebrate all that dog gave to help his person have full access of everything is exciting.” The scholarship not only remembers Millhouse, “it passes the independence that was allowed for Tom onto a child to expand their independence. He was a great example.”
For more information about CDK, visit www.caninesforkids.org or call 978-422-5299. Donations referencing “Millhouse” can be made online or mailed to Canines For Disabled Kids, 65 James St., Suite 210, Worcester, MA 01603.