C is for Circle Tail

I've written about Circle Tail before on this blog, but I love the organization so much that I couldn't resist using it for my A-Z of Cincinnati "C" word.

Circle Tail is actually about 30 miles northeast of Cincinnati, in a town called Pleasant Plain, and the organization trains service dogs for the disabled. In addition, they operate a rescue program with adoptable dogs, which is how I got my dog Clancy, who was clearly not service dog material.

I have such respect for the people behind Circle Tail, and I've learned so much about service dogs since becoming involved with them that I'm simply amazed at what these dogs can do. I've had the good fortune to become friends with a woman named Jane who has a hearing dog through Circle Tail, and it's really been astounding to me to see just how much this extraordinary dog has changed her life.

Photo courtesy of Jane Biehl

I actually owe both Circle Tail and my friend immensely, as because of them I was able to get my first paid writing credit last year. I wrote about Jane and her spectacular dog Sita for an e-journal called Thrive in Life, and I can't even describe how excited I was when I got that first payment. If you'd like to read the article and learn more about the amazing Sita, it's available here. 

Photo courtesy of Jeff Routt

Since I started writing about Animal News for the Examiner website, I've been able to write about a few more Circle Tail alums. Last week, I wrote about a dog named Jackson, who wasn't right for the service dog program but now works as a therapy dog at a funeral home run by his adopted dad. I'd never heard of a dog working in a funeral home before, but I think it's a fantastic idea. If you'd like to read about Jackson's work and see him in action, that article is available here.

There's no question that Circle Tail has changed my life since I first came upon the organization back in 2008 while browsing the web. First and foremost, I have Clancy because of Circle Tail, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. But I also owe Circle Tail for introducing me to these amazing dogs that have been such a pleasure for me to write about in my articles.

So I'm glad to have the opportunity to sing Circle Tail's praises once again. I can't imagine a more deserving organization. 

Photo courtesy of Circle Tail

Much More Than A Hearing Dog: The Story Of Jane And Sita Biehl

I'm really excited to be able to share my article that was published today at Thrive In Life. This article is a big thrill for me as it is my first paid credit! It also means a lot to me as I met Jane and her dog Sita through Circle Tail, and I admire that organization so much. And, I am totally in love with the spectacular Sita, she's such an amazing dog. :)

This is the start of the article. (Photo courtesy of Jane Biehl)

Jane Biehl resisted getting a hearing dog for years. Biehl, a counselor and professor in Canton, Ohio who has been deaf since childhood, felt that she had managed fine without a hearing dog for decades, and she could easily continue to do so. 

Her attitude changed after a friend was robbed and beaten in his own home. Biehl felt vulnerable, and set out to change that by getting a hearing dog. As with so many things in life, the timing was fortuitous. If Biehl had decided to get a dog sooner, she wouldn’t have been partnered with Sita. And if there is one thing that has become clear in the nearly four years they have been together, it’s that Sita and Jane were meant to be.

Click here to read the rest:

Much More Than A Hearing Dog: The Story Of Jane And Sita Biehl