FIDOS Facility Dogs is a local non-profit organization that brings motivation, comfort, hope, and encouragement to the community through companionship with man's best friend.
Enjoy Hoover sat down with Kelly Schaeffer, one of the organization's founders, to learn more about how their carefully trained standard poodles meet a wide variety of needs for our friends and neighbors.
Enjoy Hoover: How did FIDOS Facility Dogs get its start?
Kelly Schaeffer: FIDOS Facility Dogs was founded in November 2021 by Judith Thomason, Tracy Anderson and myself. We share a passion for dogs and for serving our community. We collectively had experience raising and training therapy, facility, and service dogs. We wanted to start an organization that focused solely on raising and training facility dogs and placing them within the community.
EH: You have a big fundraiser coming up! Where and when will it be held? And how can people learn more about it?
Kelly: As a 100% volunteer non-profit organization, we are ALWAYS fundraising! We are planning an October event at a local brewery to spread the word about who we are and what we do in the community. Check our website in September at www.fidosfacilitydogs.org for more details.
Our primary fundraisers are individuals and corporate partners who believe in our mission and volunteer to host a "Friends of FIDOS" event at their house or place of business. They invites friends, family and colleagues over, and we bring a presentation, some swag and dog or two for your guests to interact with.
EH: What does the training process entail?
Kelly: It takes a lot of time, patience and training to get a facility dog ready for work at his or her placement. Our unique training model incorporates the future facility and its staff early in a dog's training. The dog gets to know the staff, the facility and the people attending that facility at a young age. When they finish their training at 18–24 months, there is a smooth transition from FIDOS to the facility and handler. We believe this model reduces stress on the dog and handlers and encourages the dog's early adaptation to their role at the facility.
EH: Where do FIDOS dogs go after completing their training?
Kelly: Our dogs are placed at educational and non-profit organizations and facilities. Our dogs may also partner with healthcare professionals, law enforcement or other non-profit organizations that serve special populations. We welcome all facilities that are interested in getting a facility dog.
EH: Is there a well-known FIDOS dog in the community?
Kelly: Liberty, known as Libby, serves at the Hoover Public Library. She was our first placement, and she is a tremendous asset to the community. Libby excels in the Read with Me programs and is frequently seen greeting library patrons, participating in children and teen programs, or reading with young students. She also provides emotional and social benefits to her colleagues and fellow employees at the library. She is an amazing partner to her handler, Wendy Geist.
EH: Why are trained facility dogs important to the Hoover community?
Kelly: There is so much empirical evidence about the role that dogs have during intentional interactions with humans by lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving mood, reducing fear and anxiety, and even lowering pain during procedures. Dogs can motivate and encourage adults and children to stick to a task and exercise. Our dogs have even worked with occupational therapists to help facilitate the client to meet their therapy goals. We believe our facility dogs play a unique and significant role in bringing together and serving a diverse community.