Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Special-needs dog changes master's life for the better

By Karen Walenga

When Green Valley resident Chuck Shipman was recovering from surgery last year, he thought about getting a little dog, a fuzzy one that could sleep on his bed.

A mid-size, vision-impaired shar-pei up for adoption at The Animal League of Green Valley "was not what I had in mind," says this former Green Valley Community Coordinating Council executive and local justice of the peace. The shar-pei was too large and, well, unattractive, he thought.

But TALGV adoption coordinator Jean Davis thought Shipman and the shar-pei were a good match. And sure enough, Shipman fell in love with the gentle, cream-colored pooch after a few visits to TALGV.

"From the moment Emma Woo was brought in, I thought to myself, 'This is the dog for Chuck Shipman.' I just knew it was a match," Davis recalls. "Maybe it was because she was so loving and optimistic despite all that she had been through."

Shipman and his wife Pat decided their new dog, formerly dubbed Brownie, needed a new moniker. They came across Chinese author Emma Woo's name while browsing online, Shipman notes.

Trainable dog

Certified trainers Roger Nelson and Helaine Prince of Green Valley Canine come to the Shipman home in Esperanza Estates to work with Emma and her new master on such basics as "come," "sit," "stay" and "heel."

They've also shared with Shipman printed information on training and living with a blind dog.

"They said she looks like a happy dog," says Shipman. "I'm very happy. She's not a lap dog and not a bed dog, but she's a nice dog, a mellow dog."

He's also encouraged to see how trainable she seems to be.

He and Emma now go for an early morning walk, usually for 45 minutes to an hour, almost every day.

Good for them both

"She looks forward to that," Shipman says, admitting that he resented it a little when he first brought her home. However, it's the best thing for him, too, the 72-year-old acknowledges, explaining that it helps him deal with some health conditions stemming from his diabetes and vascular surgery last year.

Adopting Emma Woo has "changed my life, probably made it better. Now I have a companion," says Shipman, noting that his wife works full-time and "the cat doesn't act like I belong here."

It's hard to say how long Emma was wandering in the desert before a couple in Amado found her and brought her to TALGV, but Shipman now intends to give her "a cushy life."

"This dog has the right to be cranky, but there's not a cranky bone in her body. I'm glad she has a good home. She deserves a break," he says.

kwalenga@gvnews.com | 547-9739
Vision-impaired

Veterinarian Thomas Pescod at the Duval Animal Hospital in Sahuarita determined that canine Emma Woo is probably about a year old, needed treatment for an ear infection, and has no sight in her right eye and limited vision in her left.

That lack of sight can be a pain in the neck, with Emma running into things in the house, Shipman acknowledges.

Since coming to live with the family about a month ago, Emma has also encountered the resident feline, Missy.

So far, "it's Cat--2, Dog--0," Shipman notes.

While Emma may be a bit timid with the cat, she does have some dominant shar-pei tendencies, with a desire to be the alpha animal, so Shipman has started her in obedience training.