Canine Companions Give Help, Hope to the Disabled

(CBS) Frank Sciarretta is a computer programmer with spinal bifida, a birth defect that requires him to use a wheelchair. He has had his dog, Bastian,  by his side for two years.

PICTURES: Puppies Bred to Help the Disabled

Bastian has been trained to perform tasks for Sciarretta such as opening doors, picking up fallen objects and turning on lights.

"He helps me, but I also had to help him out," said Sciaretta, who attributes his significant weight loss to caring for Bastian.

"I was 60 pounds heavier before getting Bastian and I had diabetes and high blood pressure and took medications for both. And I don't take medication for anything now," he said.

Frank and Bastian were matched through Canine Companions for Independence. CCI is a national non-profit organization that breeds, raises and trains assistance dogs for adults and children with disabilities other than blindness.

Mark Cummins also received a dog from CCI named Meesha. Cummins has cerebral palsy which makes it difficult for him to use his legs.

"She basically goes everywhere I go," said Cummins. "She's my best friend."

Mark's mother, Linda Cummins, has seen a significant change in her son's confidence outside of the home.

"He's become a lot more independent, a lot more sure of himself," she said.

The help that the dogs give their owners is not limited to the physical, believes Debra Dougherty, the executive director of the northeast region of CCI. "It's also a social icebreaker for them," she said.

After receiving Meesha, Cummins says he is no longer shy or afraid when strangers come up to him. Sciarretta takes Bastian everywhere from baseball games to concert halls.

"I meet people where ever I go now with him, whereas before they would just kind of see the wheelchair. Now they see him first," said Sciaretta.

CCI puppies are bred in California and have 30 years of genetic history. The puppies are either labrador retrievers, golden retrievers or mixes of the two.

"The work ethic of the labrador retriever is really very important in the training," said Dougherty. "The golden retriever is a little bit more compassionate, I guess you would say."

The specially bred dogs spend the first 14 to 16 months of their life with caretakers. Then, they undergo advanced training for 6 months before being matched with a human.

Only 40 to 45 percent of the dogs complete CCI's intensive program, a statistic the non-profit takes pride in.

"We don't want to give someone with a disability a dog that may cause additional problems or situations for them," said Dougherty.

Sciarretta agrees that the matching process is carefully done.

"All the dogs are terrific. I kinda actually did honestly choose another dog that I thought was going to be the one for me, but I was so glad that they knew better and gave me Bastian," he said.

The process of placing each dog costs CCI approximately $50,000. The service life of the dog is about 8 to 10 years on average.

CCI does not charge the recipients of the dogs.

The organization is funded through "the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations," said Dougherty.