By Kate Sommers-Dawes2013-05-11 21:58:11 -0300
On the night of May 5, a golden retriever named Gucci gave birth, live and online via puppycam, to a healthy litter of adorable puppies, each one with an important task ahead. The eight pups, who are visible via live stream (below) courtesy of Explore.org, will grow up to assist wounded veterans and others with disabilities as service dogs.
East Coast Assistance Dogs (ECAD), which has a program for wounded veterans, Project HEAL, trains dogs "to retrieve items, open doors, activate light switches, pull wheelchairs, balance, brace, and perform many other highly specialized tasks."
As future service dogs, these tiny puppies will eventually spend two weeks training with their new companion, who may be a returning veteran, learning to help him or her with mental and physical disabilities such as traumatic brain injury or blindness. Housing during training, as well as the service dog, are provided to returning soldiers free of charge by ECAD.
Former army captain Luis Montalvan sustained injuries to his brain and spine while serving in Iraq, and suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. In the video below he says the service dog ECAD provided, named Tuesday, has helped "to keep me in the moment, rather than looking backward."
Explore.org, a division of the Annenberg Foundation, has brought Gucci and her litter of future service dogs to the world on the puppycam as part of its "Pearls of the Planet" initiative. The program aims to bring nature to viewers virtually and in real time, "to help people fall in love with the world around them."
“At explore we are archivists,” says founder Charles Annenberg Weingarten, via the organization's website. “We strive to create films that allow the viewer to join us on our journey as we go on location and experience what unfolds.”
You can see the future service dogs and their mom in action on the live puppycam. The more adventurous can see archived video of their live birth (which, we warn you, is a little messy) here.
Thumbnail image courtesy of Explore.org
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Lauren Indvik2013-04-25 21:33:37 UTC