When Alan Reno receives his bachelor’s degree in business administration from SVSU next December, he may not be the only member of his family to be recognized at the ceremony. If things go as planned, Reno’s 6-year-old black lab, Roxie, will receive an honorary degree from SVSU right by Alan’s side, just like she has been for the past five years.
Reno was born nine weeks premature with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, a condition that doesn’t affect his ability to think, learn or communicate. He does not suffer from seizures, but his condition does prohibit him from using the right side of his body. This is where Roxie comes in.
“She can turn on lights, open doors, pick things up or even push the play button,” Reno said. “She does things that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do in my wheelchair.”
Reno is from Midland and attended high school at H.H. Dow High. While he didn’t have Roxie at that time, Alan flourished in the classroom, earning a 3.95 grade point average.
A week before Alan graduated from high school, he set up a fundraiser to pay for a service dog to help him in college. Paws With A Cause is a non-profit organization that aims to “enhance the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs,” along with “increasing awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog Teams through education and advocacy.”
At the time, it cost $20,000 for a lifetime of service dogs for an individual. In just 10 weeks, the city of Midland raised more than $25,000. The Reno family was able to give the extra $5,000 to a man in Ohio so that he, too, could have a service dog.
The family then went through the process of acquiring Roxie.
“Roxie was born private breeding stock,” Alan’s father, Brian Reno, said. “At eight weeks of age, she went to a family in Wayland, where she was raised for about 14 months and taught basic tasks, then she went on to (Paws With A Cause) for more training. The final six weeks or so were specific to Alan’s needs. (An organization representative) meets with the client, there’s a lengthy in-home interview to see what that client needs and the dog is then trained for that client.”
The individual who did the interview process with the Reno family happened to be assistant professor of occupational therapy Ellen Herlache-Pretzer, the field trainer for Paws With A Cause in this area.
“I did his initial needs assessment,” Herlache-Pretzer said. “I learn about their lifestyle and their personality, and then I figure out which dog would be a good fit for them and what types of things the dog would need to do.”
From there, Alan met Roxie, and the two went through even more training. Alan got his associate’s degree from Delta College, graduating with a 3.7 grade point average, before heading to Saginaw Valley to work towards his bachelor’s degree.
Alan has continued to succeed in his time at SVSU, and Roxie has been with him during every single class. Roxie also has an honorary membership with the University’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). On top of this, Alan, Brian and Roxie have given presentations to classes and other student groups about the benefits of service dogs and how they help those around them.
“That’s one of the reasons I feel she qualifies (for an honorary degree),” Alan said. “She gives presentations around the school, and she’s in my classes laying there and people come up and ask what she does for me. I get to be her mouthpiece and educate people. She’s not only my service dog, but she educates the public about what a service dog is.”
Less than a year from graduation, Alan hopes to commemorate everything Roxie has done for him and others around the campus.
“One of the bylaws of the SVSU Board of Control states that to obtain an honorary degree, the recipient must show public service that would enhance the knowledge of the university,” Reno said.
The Reno family, along with many others, believe that through her service to Alan, along with her ability to educate others on campus on the impact of service dogs, there isn’t a better choice for an honorary degree than Roxie.
“She’s really allowed Alan to reach his full potential for what he wants to do academically,” Herlache-Pretzer said. “He’s worked very hard with her to get them to where they are, and she’s allowed him to do things that he couldn’t have done otherwise. She’s been a huge support system for his academics.”
The process of earning Roxie an honorary degree begins with a meeting with SVSU President Donald Bachand that will take place at the end of March. Bachand does not give out honorary degrees, but he does recommend them to the members of the Board of Control. This is exactly what Alan is looking for through his meeting.
“He’ll sit down with my family and me and talk to us about why we feel she qualifies,” Alan said.
If the meeting with Bachand goes well, Alan and his family will then have the opportunity to meet with the Board of Control, where they will be able to give a presentation on what Roxie does both for Alan and the University.
Not only does Alan need support from Bachand, but he also needs support from students and faculty members. The two have already gained the support of both NSLS and SVSU’s Student Association; they are looking for support from others around campus as well.
“In order to support us, I would very much appreciate (students or faculty members sending) an email to President Bachand or to the Student Association that talks about why (they) support Roxie and her honorary degree,” Alan said. “Even an email to me that says why (they) support us that I can then take to Bachand and show him all the support we’ve gained.”
Alan eventually has plans of pursuing a master’s degree and ultimately going to law school, and Roxie will continue to be by his side for all of his education.
“She’s been to every class,” Brian said. “They don’t miss a single session, and I think she’s been integrated with the teachers and students well. Roxie’s a Cardinal. She’s a Cardinal as much as anybody else.”
