Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Tony Maranon, with companion dog Quadrille, was a Sunnyvale motorcycle officer when an accident in 1990 caused him to become a paraplegic.
Man's Best Friend
Canine companions can help make life easier for the physically and mentally impaired
By Jana Seshadri
Tony Maranon was at the peak of his law enforcement career with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety when his world came crashing down--literally. In January 1990, 28-year-old Maranon, while fighting crime as a motorcycle cop, was struck by a car and dragged 150 feet on the ground with his motorcycle on top of him. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down and confined him to a wheelchair.
"I almost died," Maranon says. "I've had last rites read to me twice."
The care and attention from the medical community and from family and friends revived and rehabilitated Maranon physically, but his mental condition was a long way from a full recovery. A few days before his accident, Maranon bought an engagement ring to give to his girlfriend. They became formally engaged soon after his accident, while he was still in the hospital. But Maranon's mental condition kept deteriorating.
"I was depressed for about two years--I kept pushing everyone away, even friends and family," Maranon says.
So much so that he said he couldn't maintain his relationship with his fiancée, who eventually ended their relationship. Life was at an all-time low for Maranon. Then his life took a turn for the better. Maranon came into contact with "man's best friend"--Quadrille, his current canine companion.
"I'm not sure what I would have done without Quad," Maranon says. "He was one of the reasons why I really got out of my depression."
Maranon says he was recuperating at Valley Medical Center soon after his accident when he noticed therapists bringing in dogs while they worked with patients. He noticed that the dogs were motivating paralyzed patients with both limb exercises and with their attitude.
Soon the patients, including Maranon, were looking forward to the visits by the canines. Maranon discovered that the therapists were using specially trained dogs provided to them by Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a nonprofit organization that provides disabled people with highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support.
Kim Kamitses was born and raised in Sunnyvale and works as a speech therapist at Community Hospital of Los Gatos' rehabilitation unit. Kamitses said she waited for 11/2 years before she got Giann--pronounced "John"--from CCI. Giann, trained by CCI, is a 3-year-old golden retriever, a facility dog who understands and executes more than 30 commands.
"I've always believed in and wanted to use animals for healing," Kamitses said. "Giann has been a tremendous influence on the people in the hospital."
Patients, who have suffered strokes, head injuries or any neurological problem immediately warm up to Giann, she said.
"He immediately engages the patient in communication," Kamitses said.
According to Kamites, Giann is especially helpful for patients learning to talk or remember again; he facilitates their therapy by playing games or executing their verbal commands. Given the positive reaction to Giann from even the outpatients in the hospital, Kamitses said she's extremely glad that she decided to apply to CCI for a facility dog.
Much to Maranon's disappointment, CCI turned him down the first time he approached them; they said he wasn't ready. There's a lot of commitment and effort by all the involved parties to ensure a long-lasting, quality relationship between the disabled person and the dog, he said.
"Getting a canine companion is like adopting a child," Maranon said.
When CCI contacted him again within a month, Maranon said his wounded pride almost kept him from responding. But he did respond, and that's when he and Quad--a golden retriever--met for the first time. They instantly clicked.
Based in Santa Rosa, CCI has a team of facilitators and programs all over the Bay Area, helping the organization with its mission--to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. Volunteers, staff and students put in much time and effort into every step of the process to attain the desired results.
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
As a canine companion, Quadrille has been trained to help out his owner, Tony Maranon, with duties such as bringing him the telephone, picking up the newspaper and bringing in the mail.
It takes years to produce a canine companion team, according to Linda Cortez, president of the CCI South Bay chapter.
"CCI trains four different types of canine companions," Cortez says. "Service dogs, facilitator dogs, skilled companion dogs and hearing dogs."
Service dogs, like Quad, are for those people who are not completely disabled and who can take reasonable care of themselves and their dog. Dogs are assigned based on the nature and the degree of the person's disability, Cortez says.
CCI breeds dogs from a predetermined ancestry that produces strong and intelligent puppies. This pedigreed stock first resides with a volunteer for the first few weeks. Puppies are carefully selected for their health, temperament and intelligence and turned over to CCI. CCI then gives the puppies to volunteers who raise them until they are about 16 months old. CCI first interviews and checks out the puppy raisers before being selected, according to Cecil Dobbs, a puppy raiser, who has lived in Sunnyvale since 1973.
"I got Gideon--a black Labrador retriever--from CCI when he was nine weeks old," Dobbs says. "I give him love and care and tenderness."
Besides the TLC, Dobbs has taught Gideon some basic social skills and commands.
"I teach Gideon to socialize and interact appropriately with people," Dobbs says. "We want to be socially responsible--I even taught Gideon to relieve himself on command."
In addition to paying for the animals' food and veterinary needs, puppy raisers attend free puppy training classes sponsored by CCI.
"There's a huge investment of time and effort being put into this program," Dobbs says.
The hardest part is when the puppies "graduate," he said. When they leave the puppy raisers, the dogs enter the advanced training program, held at the CCI campus. A staff of professional instructors put in their time and effort to develop and train the dogs for another six months. Some of the dogs are taught more than 60 different commands, after which they are introduced to the program applicants during a two-week intensive training session.
It was during this session that Maranon and Quad first met and developed an instant liking for each other. Maranon says he learned to manage Quad and assumed responsibility for him. During a special "graduation" ceremony, the puppy raiser officially handed over Quad's leash, and Maranon returned home with a canine companion.
"What's amazing is that Quad was born in 1990--the same year I had my accident," Maranon says "It's like we were meant to be together."
CCI's association with their trained dogs does not end there. Six weeks after graduation and periodically thereafter, graduates return to the CCI campus for workshops, training sessions, reunions and person-to-person consultations with a professional staff. CCI has a lifelong commitment to its graduates. When dogs reach their retirement age, they can either remain in the home of the graduate or be adopted into another home. CCI then helps the graduate obtain a successor dog.
Even though Quad is almost 12 years old, Maranon says he could not think of giving him up, even though CCI recommends their graduates get some time away from their canine companions. Maranon's parents, who live in Sunnyvale, love Quad and occasionally look after him, he says.
"My parents really pamper him, and Quad loves it there," Maranon says.
Furthermore, Maranon's niece, nephew and Godchildren love to come over and play with Quad.
Maranon and Quad go the beach almost three times a week, besides places like restaurants and movies. With a minivan fully equipped for his use and convenience, Maranon is mobile and free to go places. Quad is trained to be with someone all the time, Maranon said. In addition to the commands that Quad has learned from the CCI staff, Maranon has taught him a few tricks and commands that cater specifically to his needs.
Photograph courtesey of Tony Maranon
Tony Maranon spent 10 years as a Public Safety Officer for the city of Sunnyvale. While in pursuit of drug dealers in 1990, Maranon suffered a serious accident that caused him to be paralyzed from the waist down.
When Maranon first paired up with Quad, he says he couldn't maneuver his wheelchair very well and kept falling from it all the time. Quad helped out by fetching his newspaper and mail, switching off lights and even opening the refrigerator and bringing him a can of soda.
Besides the verbal commands, Quad also responds to Maranon's hand gestures.
"When I am talking to a classroom filled with kids and I don't want to get distracted from what I am saying, then I simply signal to Quad with my fingers," he says.
Maranon was born in San Diego but moved up to Sunnyvale when he was two years old. He attended Cumberland Elementary School and graduated from Fremont Union High School in 1980. Maranon said he and Quad have visited many classrooms and talked to kids about how police officers can get hurt in the line of duty.
"What really gets them is when I tell them that drugs put me in this wheelchair and I have never touched drugs in my life," he said.
In 1990, Maranon and his partner where helping the FBI catch two Mexican nationals involved in a huge drug cartel. Maranon's bike was struck by another car while he and his partner were following the drug dealers' car in a Sunnyvale neighborhood.
"I tell the kids that there is a great possibility that even if they don't do drugs, just by being with someone that does drugs could get them arrested or even worse, hurt," Maranon says.
Maranon says he always tries to stress that people with disabilities or illnesses really live life to the fullest and know how to enjoy every minute of the day.
"I tell them not to take things for granted," Maranon says. "It's also neat to teach kids that being disabled doesn't mean you should be picked on."
Maranon's paraplegia hasn't kept him away from law enforcement. Working part time in the recruiting division of the public safety department, Maranon has another part-time job at the Evergreen Police Academy. Maranon also had the honor and privilege of carrying the Olympic torch in 1996 before it went to the Atlanta Games.
"I passed by Sunnyvale Public Safety as I carried the torch," he said. "They had the full honor guard for me and saluted."
Maranon says the department later surprised him with a full turnout and had his motorbike rebuilt and restored for everyone to see.
Although he has overcome his depression, Maranon says, he still finds himself alienating his family sometimes--especially his mother, who he says has been like an angel to him. He hopes to bounce back so he can really enjoy life and return his relationship with his parents and the rest of his family to the way it was before his accident.
"Out of all the trauma, there are so many good things that have come out of this," Maranon said.
Quad has certainly been one big good thing to come out of it, he said.
The South Bay chapter of Canine Companions for Independence can be reached by calling 408.257.6860 or by visiting their website at www.sbchamps.org.
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
