[nfbmi-talk] Beyond Accessibility - Detroit Metro Airport Goes to the Dogs

[Terry D. Eagle]

At Detroit Metro Airport, this trip's for the dogs One by one, the six black
labs and their trainers boarded the escalator to the tram inside the Ed
McNamara

Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport. Passersby took pictures of the
well-behaved pups. Some wanted to stop and play with them. This mission,
though, was

serious business. The dogs were in the airport getting real-life experience
as part of a tour through the terminal to see how they would behave while
using

the tram, waiting at the gate or boarding a plane when eventually paired
with disabled partners. If they can feel comfortable here, they're going to
feel

comfortable when they go home (with their new owners)," said Katie Rebella
of Mort Crim Communications, who was working with Rochester Hills firm
Leader

Dogs for the Blind for their training mission. The airport has been home
base of sorts for about 10 years for training guide dogs in connection with
the

partnership with Leader Dogs for the Blind. Delta Air Lines and the
Transportation Security Administration also participated in the experience,
which saw

dogs going through the airport process from the security line to being
seated on the plane. The dogs would be brought to the airport in the past,
never

making it beyond the security check-in as part of their experience. "It's
our goal to provide real training with dogs to put them at ease when they're

paired with their owners," said Michelle Plawecki, community relations
manager with the Wayne County Airport Authority. "And we hope that in itself
will

encourage more people to fly. Tina Goedertier, an apprentice for Leader
Dogs, tries to get Connie, a black labrador retriever, situated under the
seat

of an airplane as part of their training at Detroit Metro Airport on
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015. (Photo: Jessica J. Trevino Detroit Free Press)
Leader Dogs

for the Blind, started in 1939 by three Detroit-area Lions Club members,
seeks to give independence to those blind, visually impaired or deaf and
blind

through the dogs. Selected at birth, the dogs are raised for a year in
foster homes then put through four months of intense training with guide dog
instructors.

After the training, their potential owners are brought to town where they
are trained along with the dog for a month. "It gets complex matching the
right

dog with the right person," said Keith McGregor, the director of canine
training and deaf-blind services for Leader Dogs for the Blind. Most of the
dogs

are German shepherds, golden retrievers or Labrador retrievers, and are at
least 17 months old when they go home alone with an impaired owner. More
than

14,000 dogs have been paired with impaired owners through the program. The
only hic'cup' along the demonstration came as the trainers and their charges

headed toward the service animal relief area. A few dogs didn't make the
final turn before they had to relieve themselves. Leader dogs patiently sit
while

in training at Detroit Metro. (Photo: Jessica J. Trevino Detroit Free Press)
McGregor came to the rescue, revealing a plastic bag he said he had on hand.

Just in case. Tina Goedertier of Lake Orion, who has been working with
Leader Dogs for the Blind for seven years, including the last year as an
apprentice

guide dog mobility instructor, said the job combines helping people and
animals, which is a big plus for her. She feels a sense of accomplishment
when

a dog she's trained is paired and goes home with an owner. It's also when
the waterworks start, she said. "It's very rewarding to watch them succeed,"

said Goedertier, 33. "But I'm a crier. I try not to let anybody see it,
though. Contact Marlon A. Walker: 313-223-4531 or mwalker at freepress.com.
Follow

him on Twitter: @marlonawalker.