Jesse Jordan and his dog By Michelle Libby

Jesse Jordan has been in a wheelchair for almost 10 years. For eight of those years he has had the help from his constant companion Wini, a golden retriever who has helped Jesse grow up and become independent while living with muscular dystrophy.

The service dog helps Jordan pick up items, turn on lights, open doors, get the phone, open the refrigerator and other things that Jordan can’t do for himself. “Wini can’t do much of this anymore,” said Jordan. About the middle of last year Jordan noticed that when he asked Wini to do something she would hesitate and look around to see if anyone else might do the task.

Wini’s hips began giving her trouble a few years ago and she wasn’t able to do everything he needed, Jordan said.

The decision was made to let Wini retire and find another service dog. Service dogs are not inexpensive. It costs about $25,000 to raise a dog until they are trained according to Jesse’s grandmother, Jude Elliott. Jordan and his family have to raise $9,500 to pay for a new dog. To date they have raised approximately $4,000 through various fundraisers like ice cream socials, Facebook, car washes and Clinks bags. .

“It’s worth it for what the dog can do,” said Elliott.

“I do like to be as independent as I can,” Jordan said.

Usually it takes a long time to find the right match between owner and dog, but luckily a match was found for Jesse quickly. Radar, a 16-month-old yellow Labrador retriever, is in Massachusetts finishing his training at one of several prisons in New England that train service dogs.

“We have been told that Radar has been trained by a woman at a medium security prison in Massachusetts, who we will have the opportunity to meet while we are down there training. I think it is a great experience for both the puppy raiser as well as Jesse,” said Jesse’s mom, Tina Gagnon.
The family will go to Massachusetts to NEADS, the National Education for Assistance Dogs Services, where they will train with Radar for two weeks. During that time he will be trained specifically for Jordan’s needs, said Elliott.

The training consists of learning commands, going to crowds and going to the food court of a mall and dropping food on the ground and Jordan has to make Radar not eat it.

“I’m pretty excited. I think it’s going to be cool,” said Jordan.

Having a male dog was recommended, according to Elliott. “Wini will watch to make sure he’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing and that he’s doing it right,” she said. Radar should be home in Standish with Jordan by mid-August.

“It will be weird to have a new dog with Wini around,” said Jordan.

Jordan has an aide who works with him five days a week. Ben Anderson is like a second member of the family, said Jordan.

Jordan is attending college having just completed his first year in a drafting and design program. He also runs his own decal business making stickers for cars and printing them off on his printer. Jordan also spends time playing Xbox and fishing and working with his van, which he just had painted. 

Wini’s retirement job is as a welcome dog at Jesse’s step-father’s Black Bear Auto Care shop. “She’s the greeter,” said Elliott. Wini is part of the family and will stay with them, even after Radar arrives.
“I want to say I am determined to be independent. I want to say thank you for helping me to raise money to get a service dog,” said Jordan.