4 Paws for Ability
by Olivia DeFine
As a senior at The Ohio State University in 2018, Adrienne Myton had her heart set on fostering a dog with 4 Paws for Ability.
4 Paws for Ability allows members across Ohio to foster service dogs-in-training as they learn basic obedience, socialization and house manners. Eventually these service dogs-in-training grow to meet training standards and can be placed throughout the country to assist their new families. Depending on their placements, these dogs can help with a variety of roles, including helping people with diagnoses like autism, Alzheimer’s Disease, FASD and diabetes. Some dogs provide mobility assistance, seizure assistance or “hearing ear” support. Veteran’s assistance dogs may be trained to turn on lights, pick up dropped items, open doors and help carry things in a backpack.
Adrienne applied to foster right after graduation and found herself with a puppy just a few weeks later. As she prepared to enter the College of Nursing’s graduate entry program, she found her second foster, Alfred, to be a welcome companion. “It was easier than I expected to manage the responsibilities of having a foster, because he could go anywhere with me. If I had to go to class or the grocery store, he came with me,” Adrienne said. 4 Paws requires people fostering dogs to take their puppies on five outings a week in order to promote socialization.
“The 4 Paws community at Ohio State really is like a family,” Adrienne said. “Anytime you need someone to help out or watch your dog, you can message in our group chat and everyone is really happy to help out.”
As a future nurse practitioner, Adrienne has found that working with service dogs-in-training has made a difference in her ability to provide quality patient care. “I think that there is a huge lack of knowledge that surrounds service dogs and what they do, so I think this experience was really helpful because it gives me that context as a healthcare provider,” she said.
After experiencing the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to her foster, Adrienne has stayed active in 4 Paws as a sitter. “You really are helping the dog just as much as they are helping you,” she said.