A cat with an unlikely name has an important job at a training center for service dogs.
Support Dogs, Inc., in St. Louis took in the black-and-white cat over the summer. Staff named him D-O-G. (It’s pronounced dee-OH'-jee). He’s more than a mascot or a company pet. He plays a key role getting the dogs comfortable around other animals.
Assistance dogs need to be well-behaved. They cannot be distracted in their jobs while they are helping people who are deaf or have mobility problems. If another animal—cat, squirrel, whatever—darts by, an assistance dog must stay on task.
Support Dogs president and CEO Anne Klein says D-O-G is “fearless” around the larger canines. He plays with their tails, sleeps in their beds, and even eats and drinks from their bowls instead of his own. The dogs are learning to deal.
The dogs at Support Dogs, Inc., go through a two-year training program before they’re given to clients for free. D-O-G is helping make sure they’re really ready for anything.
(AP Photo: D-O-G, a black-and-white cat with an unlikely name, lies next to a support dog in training at Support Dogs, Inc. in St. Louis.)
