Silver City, NM- A common sight around campus is Social Work student and ASWNMU Secretary Kaity Ellis and her service dog Ranger. If you notice something new about Ranger, it’s probably the new vest marking him as WNMU’s first official service dog. The deceivingly simply looking vest is only the most visible side of the story.
“I teased Kaity about it at a homecoming game once, saying, ‘Why doesn’t Ranger have school colors?’” University President Joseph Shepard said. This innocent joke was the beginning of the path to give Ranger his title. A path that was harder than originally expected.
“I thought it would be as simple as picking a vest of the rack,” Shepard continued. It turned out that there was a bit more to the process that he’d thought.
There are a few requirements when it comes to vests for service dogs. They must have certain bright colors that are easy to see and they must be reflective. Sizing is also important, since the vest needed to grow with their animal. All this meant that a custom vest had to be made and a collective effort between Dr. Shepard’s office and the WNMU student government was needed to get the job done. Putting in a lot of the footwork for Ranger’s vest however was none other than ASWNMU president Lawrence Garcia.
“Lawrence did the hard work.” Kaity said. She told the story, stating that Lawrence had personally measured Ranger for the vest and had also done a lot of research into acquiring the right one. The finished product is a vest similar to those worn by service dogs used by veterans, custom-made by Mary’s Stitchery and Crafts, located in Tampa, FL.
“Student government really took a strong lead,” Shepard added, “They deserve credit for really pursuing this.” Dr. Shepard stated that Kaity is an inspiration to everyone at Western New Mexico University, saying that, “Being disabled does not mean being dysfunctional. It just means there’s a different process that’s needed and for Kaity, that process is a service dog.”
Ranger may need to work double time in the future. Kaity will be earning her Associates Degree in December 2016, and not long afterwards will receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, with her ultimate goal being a MSW.
After her schooling, Kaity has set her sights on Capitol Hill, specifically a spot in the senate. No matter what path Kaity may take, standing loyally by her side will be Ranger, and he’ll be wearing a splendid new vest.
Additional Reporting by Eric Lowe
