Club Meeting: Coffee Creek Puppy Program

Heather Ohmart, a Contract Trainer with Canine Companions, will share the inspiring story of the Coffee Creek Puppy Program. This program at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility pairs inmates with puppies destined to become service dogs for individuals with disabilities. Having successfully raised 110 puppies, the program highlights the transformative power of companionship and service, with each dog undergoing 14 months of training by women who are incarcerated. These puppies are not just helping people from the beginning but changing lives from inside the walls of Coffee Creek to the wider world.

The Rotary Club of Wilsonville meets weekly Thursdays at noon to carry out its purpose of providing service and fellowship to members and the Wilsonville community. Guests are welcome. Lunch is available off the menu; please arrive and order by 11:45 a.m. if you are ordering lunch. For more information, email president@wilsonvillerotary.com.

Official bio:

Heather Ohmart has been the trainer for the puppy program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility since 2007. She raises future service dogs for Canine Companions, a national non-profit organization that provides highly trained service dogs to people with disabilities at no cost to the recipients. Heather has been volunteering and working with Canine Companions since 2002, initially raising puppies to become service dogs and later teaching classes for puppy raisers in the Portland area. Her involvement in aiding individuals with disabilities began in middle school and has been a consistent part of her volunteer efforts. Working with Canine Companions merges her passion for helping people and working with animals, enhancing her commitment to fostering independence in others.