Betty Firth

Melissa Fay Greene, an Atlanta-based journalist, is a new favorite author of mine. She has written a number of books on disparate subjects, which have in common her ability to write about complex subjects, shining a light onto various components and perspectives from her research and experience. The results are informative, enlightening, often humorous, and always a good read. She would need a whole wall (or two?) to display the awards she has received.
The first book by her that I read was “Praying for Sheetrock,” when that title grabbed me. It is the true story an uneducated, unemployed black man, Thurnell Alston, who in the 70s challenged the prevailing powers in a county controlled by a racist, white sheriff and his cronies, in spite of civil rights legislation.
Delighted to find five other books of hers to read, my second read “No Biking in the House Without a Helmet,” which tells her personal story. She and her husband, Don Samuel, had four biological children and then adopted five older children from international orphanages - one from Bulgaria and four from Ethiopia. It stretched my imagination to the brink to put my feet in that many shoes – with so many meals to prepare, clothes to wash, arguments to referee, but Greene manages to take the reader right into her kitchen making countless cupcakes for classrooms and in the plane with her as she navigates the world of international adoptions. Her forthright stories of the joys and challenges of sharing their home and the solid values she and her husband lived by should bring joy and wonder to your day.
The third book I delved into was “Underdogs,” which the author describes as having three main components: what has been happening in modern science regarding research on animal behavior and feelings; the stories of wonderful service animals and the evolution of dogs to the modern day; and the children with disabilities, who are the underdogs of the title. Greene weaves all these stories and research together like a master tapestry weaver, bringing richness and color to every being described, whether they get around on two feet, four feet, crutches, wheels, or in someone’s arms.
Karin Shirk is at the core of the story. Felled by myasthenia gravis (MG), a rare neuromuscular disease, at the age of 26, she was transformed from a healthy college student studying to be a social worker to living on a respirator, on long-term disability in nursing homes or assisted living, facing a bleak future. Karin had been sunk in depressed hopelessness for six years when her nurse suggested she get a service dog. She resisted her bossy nurse, who persisted, thinking it might bring Karin back to the land of the living. Karin had a lifelong love of dogs and did eventually seek out a dog, only to be rejected by agency after agency who responded: “We do not place our dogs with respirator-dependent individuals who will never lead a productive life” or “Others with greater abilities will make better use of our dogs in their reintegration into the community.” Karin started saving up pills to end her life. Her nurse said, “Get your own damn dog!” And she did, a black German Shepherd puppy named Ben that forced her to get out of bed and into her wheelchair to make the Herculean effort to do everything that puppy care demands. Ben brought her back to life, and then there was no stopping her.
She found out that service animals were also not available to children. She decided that she would start her own training school to fill that niche, thinking she might train five or six dogs a year for people who had been rejected by the other agencies. She created 4 Paws for Mobility, hired a trainer when she saw it was going to grow beyond what she could handle. They adopted orphaned dogs of all breeds, learning which breeds were better at the skills needed, and later bred puppies to maximize the characteristics needed in service animals. Service dogs can be trained to provide assistance with medical-alerts when a condition flares, hearing loss, mobility needs, nurturing attachment, multipurpose assistance, and tracking, often needed with autistic children who tend to take off and run. Karin’s agency was the first in the country to train dogs to work with children and people with disabilities who used respirators and other challenging equipment, paving the way for other service agencies to see what was possible and expand their services. Since 1998, they have placed 1800 dogs in service.
For some children, their service dog is their first friend. Dealing with severe disabilities take up all a child’s time. Even when out with other children, they may be ignored, partly because kids and adults can be shy about approaching; sometimes the equipment is scary, and people usually don’t want to cause harm. That problem disappears when there is a service dog. The child now becomes the cool kid with the amazing dog.
Some of the threads of this book’s tapestry examine the evolution of dogs and their important relationships with us throughout human history. I was surprised to learn how recently the scientific community looked down on those scientists who pursued animal behavioral studies, which deterred some scientists from pursuing their interests and delayed more meaningful research. Even the research of Diane Goodall with gorillas and David Mech with wolves was considered “soft” science initially. Those “pure” scientists were quick to shout “anthropomorphism” if anyone dared suggest that animals have feelings, motivations, and interpersonal skills with their own kind and with other species, including us. Any dog owner could have set them straight, and service dogs in all shapes, sizes, and abilities prove them wrong every day.
The well-told stories about Karin, her dogs, other service dogs, the people they assist, and the children’s parents reveal the resilience and courage of them all. These few paragraphs cannot do justice to those stories, so if you’re interested in learning more, pick up the book or go to 4pawsforability.org. You won’t regret it.