Jensen and Callie

I was walking around a proud man, knowing I was doing the right thing; but yet it brought tears to my eyes to give her back. Callie, a yellow lab, golden retriever cross, that my family had raised for 18 months was going back for her training to become a service dog. We got her when she was just a “squirt” from CCI, Canine Companions for Independence, which breeds, raises, and trains working dogs to be placed with children and adults with physical or mental handicaps other than blindness. This was her turn-in day.

When we arrived at Medford, Long Island (CCI Headquarters) and I took one foot out of the car onto the ground, with Callie by my side, the first thing I thought about was when we first got her. I remember I looked through the thin window on the door to see what she looked like and all I saw was this adorable puppy tugging on a rope. I could literally hold her with one hand that’s how small she was. Then the instructor had to bring us into another room to explain our responsibilities and what we had to do for the next year and a half. She would tell us things like how we shouldn’t let her beg, sit on the couch and not let her chew on baseballs. The basic stuff. For this whole entire hour and a half, all I remember thinking was, “Hurry up lady” with a grin on my face.

We were the “puppy raiser” half of her training. We taught her the basics. From us, she would go through intense training with CCI. Then, if she passed, she would be assigned a handicapped person to help. The moment had come. I held my breath and pet her for the last time. I watched her walk away. I called her one last time, she looked back, “Callie… bye,” I said. I could tell she understood what I had told her because she just stood there for a second staring at us. I glanced away for a few seconds and looked back.

Callie, the dog we had raised for 18 months, was gone. I never wanted to let her go, but it was a good deed. My family had done the right thing, and we know that. We had learned a valuable lesson that we will never forget. Callie, the little puppy tugging on a rope at just a few weeks old, will always be in our hearts and especially, someone else’s.

Jensen Butler

Age 13

Throughout the past year and a half, I had seen Callie do things I never knew a dog could do. She had become part of our family and I didn’t want to let her go. I looked back on all the fun times she had with us, and especially Blue, our other dog. We named him after “blue grass” since he’s from Kentucky. Callie would wrestle with him all the time. A typical puppy. Don’t get me wrong, she sure was a puppy, but when she put on her yellow vest, she knew to get serious.

Throughout the entire duration of raising her, I was in denial about giving her back. We would joke about making plans on how to keep her. We didn’t realize what we were saying until we got there. With Callie by my side, I walked into the building and already saw a dozen handicapped people. My whole entire perspective changed. I finally understood the meaning of why we were raising her. I thought to myself, “I love Callie, but these people need her more than I do.” There were a few other dogs graduating that day as well. When I saw some working dogs, it had a significant impact on me. It made me realize how grateful I really am.

Giving Back: The Story of Jensen and Callie