Pete Wagner, who lives in the Double Palm Villas in the Village of Duval, is a veteran and was told that a service dog would help with his disabilities.
He found a two-year-old Chiweenie, black with a white muzzle, at Max’s Rescue.
“We fell in love with him, but before they would allow us to adopt they wanted to see if he would bond with our dog, Maxie, a min-pin. They did and after we had a background check, he came to live with us. We re-named him Karl, and he became a part of our family, even Maxie. Unfortunately, Maxie passed away and Karl was very lonely without her,” Wagner said.
Wagner’s doctor gave him a brochure from an organization called K9 Partners for Patriots.
“This organization will allow you to use your dog and train them to be a certified service dog. First, Karl needed to see if he was suitable for this program. He was tested for aggressiveness and spooking at loud sounds and several other tests. He passed with flying colors,” Wagner said.
He and Karl entered the program, attending training one day a week for 21 weeks.
“You learned new commands each training session and then perfected them during the week. After six weeks the dog was tested by the staff and either was moved on to the next phase or returned to week one. Karl passed the first phase and had some issues in Phase 2, but did graduate, and has been re-certified in the group’s yearly testing,” Wagner said.
The difference Karl has made in Wagner’s life is nothing short of amazing.
“He is a totally different dog when you place his service vest on. He is a regular shopping at Lowe’s and the staff respect his working status. When I take him to PetSmart for grooming the salon staff treat him like Norm on ‘Cheers,’” Wagner said.
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