Colorado Springs All Breed Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing dogs from shelters and placing them in loving homes. Animal Instincts is a fee-based training program for all species. Polaris Project Unlimited is a nonprofit community crime prevention outreach program geared toward empowering female victims of violence. One of the programs established by Polaris Project initiators Steve and Janna Vought is a service dog program that matches appropriate rescue dogs with female violent crime victims and their families. All three organizations are working together to create homes for dogs and a safer and more secure world for victims of crime.Lauren Fox is the president and foster director of Colorado Springs All Breed Rescue (CSABR) and the vice-president of the F.E.N.R.I.S. (Fearless Endeavor to Naturally Restructure Interspecies Society). Foundation, parent company of Animal Instincts. Fox is an animal trainer, behavior counselor, tricks teacher and agility coach. She has been rescuing animals for over seven years and has performed temperament evaluations on over 1,000 dogs at local shelters. She has trained and rehabilitated cats, dogs, wolves, parrots, horses and other species. Fox has also rescued and found homes for over 500 dogs. After a three-year apprenticeship with Megan Randolph, the two started Animal Instincts in October 2000.Megan Randolph is president of the F.E.N.I.S. Foundation. She is also the director of behavior and training for Colorado Springs All Breed Rescue. Randolph works as an animal trainer, behavioral counselor, service dog trainer and advanced obedience coach. She also does temperament evaluations and, along with Fox, has been called as an expert witness for several court cases involving animals. She is a certified canine behaviorist.With over 10,000 hours of research, covering everything from nutrition to animal behavior in the wild, Fox and Randolph have developed a training program that will work for any species. All Breed Rescue provides and trains service dogs for individuals and organizations, including Polaris Project Unlimited.All Breed Rescue first tests the dog for temperament through various exercises involving rough play, treats, loud noises and aggressiveness towards other animals. Fox and Randolph are quick to point out the test does not predict the dog’s future behavior, but is a general test to assess the dog’s stability and trainability. Once All Breed chooses a dog, it is placed in a foster home for a minimum of two weeks, where the dog’s behavior is monitored.All Breed Rescue matches each woman referred by the Polaris Project to a specific dog. The women is immediately given the dog, and then required to attend training sessions at Animal Instincts. The training includes basic obedience and other training designed to match the victim’s specific needs. Randolph and Fox believe a stronger bond is created between the dog and the female if both are involved in the training process. The training also empowers the woman when her dog responds to her commands and needs. The Polaris Project pays for the adoption and the training at a reduced rate.The dogs are trained using the “clicker method.” By using a simple clicker to get the dog’s attention, using positive reinforcement methods that include treats, pats, belly rubs and toys, the dog will train quickly and easily. The animal owner must learn to read “dog language,” which is also covered in the basic obedience class. Most women want an intimidating breed, such as a Pit bull, German Shepard or Rottweiler. “There is no such thing as a mean dog,” Fox said. “Scientific research shows that no breed is a bad breed. Breed is totally irrelevant. Genetically, the difference in Dog DNA is less than .02 percent.”Many female crime and abuse victims suffer from debilitating mental and emotional issues. The Americans with Disabilities Act allows the victims to have service dogs that stay at home with them to provide companionship and protection and other service dogs that participate in all areas of their lives. It takes almost eight months to become a Certified Level 1 service dog. When the dog, with additional training, reaches level two status, the dog can accompany its owners to the movies, the grocery store and work. Level 3 service dogs can go everywhere, including planes and trains.The Polaris Project also offers violent crime prevention classes, long-term housing for violent crime victims and date/acquaintance rape prevention seminars. For more information on all three organizations, visit the following Web sites.www.polarisprojectlimited.orgwww.animal-instincts.orgwww.geocities.com/csabr_rescue
