Nonprofit holds silent auction for puppy program

If there is one way to draw a crowd, then it is best to do it with dogs. 

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro nonprofit, Eyes, Ears, Nose and Paws (EENP), held a silent auction and concert Friday night at the Church of Reconciliation. The proceeds from the event aim to expand EENP's "At Both Ends of the Leash" (ABEL) program, which started in December. 

EENP was founded in 2008 by Executive Director Maria Ikenberry, Program Director Deb Cunningham and Gretchen Aylsworth, a board member and development team member. 

"Our organization works with people with disabilities to get them out and active by having assistance dogs that enable them to live independently," Cunningham said. "It also works with the incarcerated population to enable them to give back to the community."

Jennifer Curtis, a violinist featured in the concert and who grew up with at least five dogs at a time, compared the endurance needed in her performance of Partita No. 2 in D Minor to that required to found an organization like EENP. Ikenberry said it was nothing compared to that which their clients had to endure. 

"It's not the endurance of what we're doing, it's the endurance of the people we are working with," she said.

The ABEL program aims at providing people with disabilities service dogs. EENP receives the puppies at two months old and they are raised by community volunteers until they are five to six months old. This beginning stage allows for the dogs to be housebroken and to gain basic skills such as socialization and crate training. 

UNC senior Amy Forster and UNC Ph.D. candidate Katie Miller have both raised dogs for the program. 

"I just raised my first puppy," Forster said. "I had him for four months and it was awesome."

The pair said they would meet up and take their dogs on walks for them to gain socialization skills by seeing new landmarks and people. They said even though it is difficult to give up the dogs, they knew what they were getting into. 

"It can be hard, but it's worth it," Forster said.

After their time with the volunteers, the dogs transition to prison inmates at the Franklin Correctional Center in Bunn, N.C. The dogs are expected to complete their actual service training with the inmates for an average of 12 months. Two types of dogs will be trained — service dogs, which will assist individuals with mobility impairments, and medical alert dogs, which will assist people with disabling conditions such as diabetes. 

Cunningham anticipates the average age the dogs will graduate from their training will be at 20 months old. EENP currently has 15 dogs in training — 12 in the ABEL program and three with community volunteers. While not all dogs who undergo the training are fit to be service dogs, Aylsworth estimated that three quarters of dogs do get placed and maintain their placement. 

While Aylsworth hoped the benefit would raise at least $3,000 for the ABEL program, Cunningham said the estimated total ended up being between $7,000 and $8,000. Cunningham credited the planning of the event to EENP's fabulous development team. 

Camille Barkley, a resident of Chapel Hill who moved to the area in May, is a dog-lover who has had two dogs undergo a program similar to ABEL. She came to the event based on the recommendation of a friend who volunteers with the non-profit. 

"I think it is really a great organization that deserves to have more attention placed on them."

city@dailytarheel.com