Dear IAADP members and friends:
It is with great sadness that I report the death of my colleague and one of the assistance dog movement’s greatest champions, Ed Eames, Ph.D., IAADP’s co-founder and President.
Ed had successful heart surgery two years ago. Very recently a blood borne strep infection sent him to the hospital. Recovery looked very positive until ten days ago, when several debilitating strokes occurred and quickly claimed his life.
IAADP was launched in 1993 at a historic meeting organized by Ed, Toni and I in St. Louis, held in conjunction with the Assistance Dogs International Conference. Its overall mission has been to empower disabled persons with guide, hearing and service dogs to work together to foster the assistance dog movement through our global networking publication, “Partners Forum,” many important advocacy and education campaigns, peer support projects, our website and conferences that enabled partners and programs to learn from each other. We have grown from a handful of advocates to more than 2500 Partner members over the last sixteen years, led by a volunteer board of assistance dog partners elected by the membership.
Ed was our friend and an extraordinary advocate. He forged relationships with corporations around the world and with his easy going “ask” brought untold benefits to us. Ed knew full-well that the majority of us teamed with guide, hearing and service dogs were on the lower income scale. His advocacy to garner support for our canines was only matched by his tireless advocacy for our access rights. Among other things, Ed and Toni also traveled throughout the USA each year and to other countries with their guide dogs, lecturing at veterinary schools and veterinary conferences about the special role that veterinarians play in maintaining the team, to educate them about IAADP, raise disability awareness and to ask veterinarians to consider free or discounted veterinary services for assistance dog teams.
There will be a memorial service for Ed in the near future. Meanwhile, the important work of IAADP continues. Toni is a member of our Board so through her, Ed’s hand will continue to be on the organization.
Of late, Ed’s direction has been to ask all you to contribute to our “self help” organization with your personal gifts of time, talent and treasure. He knew that if we did not help ourselves and speak out on issues of importance to the assistance dog movement, no one else would do it for us
Toni has asked that in lieu of anything, contributions in Ed’s honor to IAADP would be most appreciated. We have set up a special Memorial section with a few photo highlights to remember Ed by, as well as an opportunity to make a memorial donation at www.iaadp.org. We also invite you to leave a personal message which Toni would like to collect for a keepsake book for our organization. Alternatively, your gifts or cards can be mailed to: Toni Eames at 3376 N. Wishon, Fresno, CA 93704.
Our beloved Ed is no longer with us, and we hope you will take a moment to remember him in thought or prayer, and to help us sustain his legacy through IAADP.
Best Regards,
Joan Froling
IAADP Chairperson
