Recently, Oregon’s Trail Dusters Good Sam chapter sponsored the placement of a companion dog named Cinci with a 79-year-old Crescent City, California, woman who lives on her own and has difficulty walking.
Cinci is what’s known as a Miracle Mutt, a dog that has been rescued from a shelter and trained to give companionship, motivation and emotional support. Oregon-based Dogs for the Deaf rescued the dog and provided veterinary care, training and confidence skills. For Cinci’s new owner, Alice, the pet provides a reason to get up in the morning and makes life more worth living.
Like most Oregon Good Sam chapters, members of the Trail Dusters hold Dogs for the Deaf in a special place in their hearts because the organization rescues unwanted dogs and trains them in their home state.
Residing mostly in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the Trail Dusters gather at RV campouts the second week of the month. When they’re not swapping stories around the campfire, they actively do good deeds, helping out in their community, lending a hand on Good Sam Cleanup Days and, of course, fundraising for Dogs for the Deaf.
Since 1980 Good Sam members across the continent have raised millions of dollars in support of Dogs for the Deaf. The nonprofit group not only provides Miracle Mutts but also trains rescued dogs as helpful companions for people with hearing loss, autism, trauma, depression, stroke, anxiety, PTSD and panic attacks.
These dogs are placed throughout North America free of charge, thanks in large part to financial support from Good Sam members, chapters and state and provincial organizations. In fact, the Good Sam Club is Dogs for the Deaf’s largest single donor group.
Top Dogs!
Kudos to Good Sam’s 2010 top fundraising chapters for Dogs for the Deaf:
• Sam’s Radio Hams, Southern California
• Square Sam’ers, Northern California
• The Prairie State Sams, Illinois
• Sammamish Sams, Washington
• Polk About Sams, Oregon
• Trail Dusters, Oregon
• Clackamas Campers, Oregon
• Payette Rovers, Idaho
• 79’ers, Oregon
• Tsunami Sams, Northern California
