Our Wonderful Customer Spotlight

Brother Andre's has awesome Team Members, Support Staff, and Volunteers. AND we also have some amazing customers. I decided to begin to highlight some of them, so, welcome to my first 'Customer Spotlight' post!

I had the pleasure of meeting a new customer- or should I say two new customers- with a great mission. One day while I was working, I noticed a beautiful Golden Retriever and the dog's trainer. I absolutely love dogs, so I was very excited, and wanted to say 'Hi'. They both came over and we immediately started talking.

 Sue (the trainer) was training Fran (the dog) for an Organization called Warrior Canine Connection. This group trains service dogs for Veterans and Sue is the Program Manager. Sue and I bonded over our love of dogs. She was telling me about the Program and Fran's journey. Fran is learning many different kinds of cues. She's also learning how to behave in public - something all service dogs do.

I have a service dog named Skipper from an organization called Canine Companions. This organization provides service dogs to both adults and children with disabilities, including veterans-free of charge. Skipper is my partner in crime and I love him so much! Having Skipper has made such a difference in my life! I just know that the veteran who gets Fran will feel just as lucky.

Canine Companions and Warrior Canine Connections have similar processes. After the dogs are born, they go to a puppy raiser for a year and a half. The puppy trainer teaches basic commands: 'sit', 'stay', and 'lay down'. The puppies then proceed to advanced training where they learn how to pick things up, open doors and drawers, and tug items -like a basket- across the room.

Next, there's team training. This is often a two-week long event (at least it was at Canine Companions). Team training is when clients, who are waiting to receive a dog, come to work with all the dogs and instructors; then the instructors can see and decide which dog works best with which client. On the third day of the training, the instructors match the client with a 'forever' dog. I still remember being overwhelmed with happiness and excitement when I got matched with Skipper. I hope Fran's eventual owner feels that way, too.

When you think about it, dogs have impacted the world. Many dogs do very specific work - for the police and for blind people- and many dogs just offer much-needed comfort. A dog really is man's best friend! 

I'm so happy that I got to meet Fran and to hear about her journey through Sue. She has such a sweet personality that I'm sure she'll be a perfect service dog to someone!

Brother Andre's gets many different customers from all walks of life. It's a spot where community can come together and enjoy- by just being themselves. If you want to join in this party, you should definitely come to visit at either (or both) Cafes. Who knows, you might even get a shoutout in my blog , or maybe even your own blog post!