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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 13, 2006 Volunteers Bob and Meg Tull play with the dogs in the training at Dogs for the Deaf in Central Point. Dogged volunteers Local couple enriches dogs’ lives By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune It’s not easy being a dog, especially when you’re getting six months of intensive training to be a Dog for the Deaf. But canines get a welcome respite with volunteers like Meg and Bob Tull of Medford, who show up not to put them through any hoops but just to hang out, be pals and let them know everything’s going to be okay. Meg Tull understood the life-enriching bond between dog and human as a visiting nurse in Oakland, Calif., in the 1980s. One of her patients had to go in a rest home and wasn’t allowed to bring his dog, who had learned how to help and guide his increasingly deaf master, letting him know when the phone or doorbell rang or when someone called his name. The man’s blood pressure began to rise and his mood began to fall. When his beloved, four-legged pal was finally smuggled in under a coat, the man’s spirits soared and his blood pressure magically leveled out. The Tulls for 13 years have devoted a half-day a week for "hang time" with the dogs-in-training at Dogs for the Deaf in Central Point, petting them, taking them for walks and "providing another affectionate adult they can relate to affectionately, without any discipline," says Meg Tull. Advertisement "We really depend on Bob and Meg. They’re always willing to go the extra mile," says volunteer coordinator Linda Kendrick, noting the couple often pick up new animals at the airport or go on monitoring visits to see how newly adopted dogs are adapting with deaf owners. For the dogs, 99 percent of whom come from the shelter "with a lot of baggage," being in training can be stressful and disorienting, says Kendrick, and volunteers make a big difference by "just being accepting." In addition, Bob Tull is reorganizing the Dogs for the Deaf advisory board and has been chairman of its annual Dog Walk, which draws more than 300 people to Hawthorne Park in Medford, stages many entertaining canine events and raises more than $30,000. It’s June 3 this year. He volunteered for a week in post-Katrina New Orleans, helping rescue pets with the Humane Society of the United States. He also is a longtime member of the Medford Planning Commission. The Tulls are both Massachusetts natives living now at Rogue Valley Manor. Meg Tull serves with the Manor’s "Share and Care" group for Alzheimer’s patients and was a Start Making a Reader Today volunteer for three years at Orchard Hill Elementary School in Medford. Dogs for the Deaf has a special place in their hearts. "We’ve known deaf people who were totally isolated and very anxious because they can’t tell what’s going on around them — some even sitting by the door all day, so they could tell if someone came," says Meg Tull. "If we can do anything to help these dogs train better and faster, it’s worth it — and it’s so very satisfying to see the dogs and the people in a happy home situation." John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. Do you know someone who’s a Hometown Hero? The first to volunteer when a school or a local family needs help, or someone who has risked his personal safety or financial security to help someone else? Submit suggestions to John Darling via e-mail at Dogged volunteers ">[email protected] or call the Mail Tribune at 776-4477. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Absinthe Supply Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Debt Consolidation California Casinos Generic Viagra Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada King of Spirits Advertisement s Advertisement