ACO
06-09-2008, 09:21 AM
Thanks to Chief and all others in our leadership of the City of Eastland this past Thursday until Saturday evening I was able to attend the G.A.P. training program and have been certified as a Gifted Animal Diagnostician Level I (level II this fall hopefully). This certification will allow us at the Shelter to diagnose dogs who may qualify to be Service Animals ie. E.O.D dogs, Drug Dogs, Police Dogs, Cadaver Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, Hearing dogs, Seeing Eye dogs, Therapy Dogs, Water Rescue Dogs and a whole slew of various detection dogs including cancer sniffing dogs.
Only about 1 in 1000 dogs tested will qualify for placement in any of the detection fields. But the others may qualify for other placement depending on criteria met by standards set up by other agencies looking for certain dogs.
As a G.A.P. diagnostician the Eastland shelter will be better able through networking with agencies in finding these very gifted animals a job and a new life. Another benefit for us at the Eastland Shelter is with the training I recieved with a few simple test I can tell more about the animal and be better able to place that animal in a home here by knowing what he can and is willing to do and his deameanor. We will now have a better knowledge of all the dogs bought into our shelter and can match them up better with a prospective family.
Soon I will be ready to test animals from the public to evaluate their own dogs ability. These test are very to the point and at each stage a failure to meet any phase will disqualify the animal from detection work. Their criteria is very strict and they do not take chances...thats why only 1 in 1000 of these animals is determined to be highly gifted...but just because they do not pass the detection test (which is given to all regardless of what field) they may make GREAT service animals in other fields.
Thanks again to our fine leaders here in Eastland who strive to make this a better place for all of us and who want to place all the animals they can with good homes. If you think that they dont care...then you are sadly mistaken.
I will post back at a later date with further information.
Only about 1 in 1000 dogs tested will qualify for placement in any of the detection fields. But the others may qualify for other placement depending on criteria met by standards set up by other agencies looking for certain dogs.
As a G.A.P. diagnostician the Eastland shelter will be better able through networking with agencies in finding these very gifted animals a job and a new life. Another benefit for us at the Eastland Shelter is with the training I recieved with a few simple test I can tell more about the animal and be better able to place that animal in a home here by knowing what he can and is willing to do and his deameanor. We will now have a better knowledge of all the dogs bought into our shelter and can match them up better with a prospective family.
Soon I will be ready to test animals from the public to evaluate their own dogs ability. These test are very to the point and at each stage a failure to meet any phase will disqualify the animal from detection work. Their criteria is very strict and they do not take chances...thats why only 1 in 1000 of these animals is determined to be highly gifted...but just because they do not pass the detection test (which is given to all regardless of what field) they may make GREAT service animals in other fields.
Thanks again to our fine leaders here in Eastland who strive to make this a better place for all of us and who want to place all the animals they can with good homes. If you think that they dont care...then you are sadly mistaken.
I will post back at a later date with further information.