Elite K911 at Concord Reserve

Concord Reserve is proud to partner with the national group Bright and Beautiful to assist Elite K911 with therapy dog training. In this program, Elite K911 uses an area reserved as a classroom to test dogs who have taken a class to receive a certification.

Starting in the summer of 2021, independent living resident Gerry Stylski called Concord Reserve’s Events and Programs Manager, Kathleen DuMond, and asked about therapy dog certifications. Kate took her own dog to Elite K911. During this time, Kate discovered Elite K911 was having difficulty finding a place for dog testing due to COVID-19 restrictions and were not able to go to the facilities they previously used. As a result, Concord Reserve has offered to facilitate this matter.

So far with the help of dog trainer Mike Falatch, 36 dogs have graduated from the program with Concord Reserve’s help. About every three months, Elite K911 has 10 Concord Reserve residents volunteer to assist with the testing. Some dogs return to visit to provide residents hours of therapeutic time with the dogs as they are putting their new skills to use. Gerry and Kate help in recruiting volunteers and assist with overseeing the dog testing.

Concord Reserve is a continuing care retirement community in Westlake, Ohio with independent living apartments, assisted living, rehab services, and more. We’re focused on supporting the vibrant and active lifestyles of our residents so they can age well. For more information, contact Concord Reserve online or at 440-871-0090. For more information about Life Enriching Communities, visit www.lec.org or contact Jill Wetenkamp at jill.wetenkamp@lec.org.