CUP helps gain service dog
CRANBERRY TWP — They Cranberry CUP helps families year-round, not just at the time of CUP activities.
“We're especially honored to have helped Natalie Menzl of Cranberry Township by supplying funds for a service dog,” said Christine Corcoran, Cranberry CUP board director.
Natalie, daughter of Jason and Heidi Menzl, is a 9-year-old girl who was born with a partial trisomy 6 and a deletion of her 10th chromosome.
Because of this, she is deaf in her right ear and has partial hearing in her left. She also wears corrective lenses.
It is possible that Natalie will someday lose both her vision and hearing. After Natalie's stay at Children's Hospital for a kidney transplant, her family realized the great benefits that a service dog could provide for her.
Natalie responded positively whenever therapy dogs would come to her room, lie with her and lick her face.
Because of this, her family decided to get a service dog from 4 Paws for Ability in Xenia, Ohio.
With the help of the Cranberry CUP, Natalie has a golden retriever service dog, Cosmic, Corcoran said.
Cosmic is tethered to Natalie in public so that she cannot run away.
Cosmic is trained to lie down and stay put when Natalie is attempting to leave. Along with those tasks, he is trained as a search and rescue dog.
“If Natalie is ever lost or runs away, he will search and find her and not give up until he has completed his mission,” Corcoran said.
Cosmic also is used as a coping mechanism for Natalie when she is angry. She is able to lie with him, pet him and take her aggression out on him rather than hitting her family members.
Finally, Cosmic's greatest task will be calming and comforting Natalie when she is in the hospital for procedures.
“This wonderful puppy will aid Natalie ... in ways that may not have been possible through anyone else,” Corcoran said.
