IAADP
International Association of
Assistance Dog Partners
IAADP Veterinary School
Outreach ProjectBeginning in 2006, Fort Dodge Animal Health will sponsor Ed and Toni Eames to continue their mission of educating veterinary students and veterinarians about the needs of clients with disabilities, particularly those partnered with guide, hearing and service dogs.
In their presentations, the multiple roles of the veterinarian as healer, helper and humanitarian are explored. The Fort Dodge grant is part of its mission to foster the role of the veterinarian in enhancing the human animal bond. Issues explored in the lectures include techniques for making disabled clients feel welcome, unique medical needs of assistance dogs, counseling clients needing to retire or euthanize their assistance dogs and helping smooth the process of uniting with a successor dog. An important topic relates to fee discounts for disabled clients, many of whom are unemployed and in low income categories.
The Fort Dodge grant supports their presentations at six veterinary schools a year. In addition, support is provided for their presentations at regional and national veterinary conferences.
Ed and Toni have spoken at the American Veterinary Medical Association convention, North American Veterinary Conference, Wild West Veterinary Conference, Western Veterinary Conference, Central Veterinary Conference, and the state conferences of veterinarians in California, Michigan and Iowa. The Eames were keynote speakers at the 1999 American Animal Hospital Association convention in Denver. In 2001, they spoke at the World Small Animal Veterinary Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2006, they are scheduled to do four presentations at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando.
In addition to lecturing at 27 veterinary schools in the United States, the Eames have done presentations at the two in the Caribbean, two in Canada and the one in South Africa. Now they are returning to schools previously visited to educate a new generation of students. As part of their veterinary student educational efforts, they have spoken at five Student American Veterinary Medical Association Symposia.
Extending their activities into other segments of the animal health care community, the Eames have lectured at veterinary technician training programs. In 2003, they were the keynote speakers at the Western Veterinary Conference veterinary technician section. In 1999 and again in 2001, they spoke at the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators meetings. The Eames have also been featured speakers at a number of veterinary technician teaching programs
As part of the educational effort, the Eames have developed a number of supplementary materials. This includes their video, Partners in Independence, named the best dog related video by the Dog Writers Association of America in 2001. This video, sponsored by Hills Pet Nutrition, is available in two versions, one for veterinarians and one for the general public. They can be obtained from the Eames for a $20 contribution to IAADP.
Fort Dodge has produced a brochure about their veterinary school lectures, distributed at their presentations.
Ed Eames, Ph.D., and Toni Eames, M.S. are Adjunct Professors of Sociology at California State University, Fresno. They have co authored the book, A Guide to Guide Dog Schools (Disabled on the Go, Fresno 1994), describing guide dog training programs in the United States and Canada. Their publications as columnists for Dog World and Off Lead Magazines have earned them top awards from the Dog Writers Association of America. A number of these columns appear in their book, Partners in Independence: A success Story of Dogs and the Disabled (Second edition, Barkleigh Publications, Mechanicsburg, Pa, 2004). Toni Eames was inducted into the National Hall of Fame for Persons with Disabilities in 1998. Both were founding members of IAADP and continue to serve on the Board of Directors. You can reach Toni and Ed Eames at 3376 North Wishon, Fresno, CA 93704-4832; (559) 224-0544; e-mail:eames@iaadp.org.