April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
ST. PAUL'S, SCHENECTADY
Usher's ministry at Mass boosted by guide dog
Usher's ministry at Mass boosted by guide dog
Mr. Salvino, who lost his vision gradually, uses a guide dog. His first, a black labrador retriever named Mike, retired in 2008 to the care of Mr. Salvino's daughter, Heather. Mike lived with her until he died at 16.
Then came Sophia, a golden retriever. She was with Mr. Salvino from 2008 until her retirement this past summer. She went to a family with whom Mr. Salvino is acquainted.
Bandit, a two-year-old golden retriever, is Mr. Salvino's newest canine companion. All the dogs were matched with him through the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, N.Y.
Since 1946, the foundation has provided free guide dogs to people with legal or total vision impairement.
How it began
Mr. Salvino learned about the possibility of getting a guide dog at an expo he attended that was sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind. "It would take me triple the amount of time to go [out anywhere] with a cane than a dog," he told The Evangelist.
A Schenectady native, Mr. Salvino spent 28 years with the for the Civil Service Employees' Association, retiring as a purchasing agent. Now, on his various excursions, he carries a card in his wallet that alerts others to Bandit's status as a service animal.
When getting a new dog, clients like Mr. Salvino spend about two weeks at the Guide Dog Foundation to train with the service animal: bringing the dogs to different locations, such as New York City and a nearby mall, to learn to "work as a team," the usher explained. "If you say, 'Stop,' at the curb, the dog has to stop."
Bandit was matched with Mr. Salvino in June after already having learned basic obedience from a puppy-raiser and completed guide-dog training at the foundation.
Pawprints on his heart
Mr. Salvino has two daughters, Heather and Melissa. His wife, Roseann, passed away in 2005. While the children were little, Mr. Salvino had cats and dogs, so when it was time to get a guide dog, he said he looked forward to the companionship.
Mr. Salvino had Sophia for eight years, so getting used to Bandit is still a challenge, but he said the team is making progress. Unlike previous pups, Bandit sleeps in his owner's bed: "I didn't encourage it, but I don't mind," Mr. Salvino admitted.
"I've bonded with him," he said of young Bandit, though there's still some adjusting to do. Sophia flew to Florida for vacations with him; Bandit, still in his adolescence, is just getting used to being a working animal.
Bandit's presence also been an adjustment for the usher's friends at church. If Sophia wasn't working, Mr. Salvino would let parishioners pet her; Bandit is still learning, so he can't have those distractions.
Mr. Salvino said that maybe, in a few months, he will let the children at church give Bandit a pat on the head -- but only with his permission.
Working dog
Many people, he noted, do not understand the etiquette for being around a guide dog. When a working dog is wearing its harness -- especially when the owner is holding the harness' handle -- the dog should never be pet. If the dog is just on its leash, it's more relaxed, but the owner should still be asked for permission to pet it.
In general, guide dogs should never be touched unless their owner says it's OK.
"I hate to say no," Mr. Salvino admitted. Often, he said, senior citizens or children get excited just by the sight of his dog, though people usually respect him when he says they can't pet Bandit.
Having a guide dog has caused some unusual reactions. In church, Mr. Salvino said, visitors sometimes mistake Bandit for a drug-sniffing dog. Bandit stays with him for most of the Mass, but Mr. Salvino tethers the dog when he takes up the offertory collection.
Bandit lies down by the stairs to the choir loft; when he's called to start working again, he always gives himself a good shake as he gets up.
The guide dog's owner called him "focused." Bandit is even learning to press the crosswalk signal button on walks.
Bandit has other rules to follow, too: For one thing, he can't do his business while attached to the harness. He gets off-leash time daily in Mr. Salvino's fenced backyard.
As soon as Bandit is let off his leash, he knows it's time to play. He runs around the small yard boisterously to burn off his pent-up energy.
When Mr. Salvino calls his name, though, the guide dog walks over to be hooked up to his leash and calmly walks with Mr. Salvino back into their home.
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