Ms. Kammi Kai Hefner has been involved with breeding, raising, training, showing, and managing pure-bred dogs since early childhood. She often jokes that she was actually "born in whelping box!" At the tender age of ten she completed her first American Kennel Club (AKC) obedience title Companion Dog (CD) on a little female Miniature Schnauzer named Britches. From that time on she has continued to excel in dog-related activities.

During high school Kammi severed an internship with Dr. Jamie Moore (in Fairmont) and Dr. Ronald Thompson (in Fairmont & Bridgeport) as preparation for college studies in veterinarian medicine. In the summer of 1980 Kammi began her "educational career" at Fairmont State College (FSC), earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, a minor in Electronic Data Processing and a completing heavy course emphasis in chemistry and physics in 1985. It was in these chemistry classes however, that she discovered the wonderful world of computers and her subsequent attraction to them.

From 1984-1985 she worked at the United States Department of Energy (METC in Morgantown) on a co-op via FSC as a Computer Programmer and made up the difference in course requirements between a Biology degree and a Compute Science degree. In 1985 she was accepted to the Computer Science graduate program at West Virginia University. It was during this time she began visiting Morgan Manor with her dogs. And, in 1987 she earned her Master of Science degree in Computer Science.

From 1987-1988 she taught for the Pennsylvania State University - Altoona Campus (PA) while still living in West Virginia an Instructor of Computer Science. From 1988-1989 she also taught for Shippensburg University (PA). Sensing the need to better understand how to transfer all this computer "techie" knowledge to her students she returned to WVU in 1989 as a Doctoral Candidate in Curriculum Instruction and Computer Science Education. During this time period (1989-1991) she continued to visit Morgan Manor regularly on Friday mornings with her Therapy Dogs.

So in 1987 she founded Karamidee Kru's Kanine Therapy Programs (KKKTP), continuing her visits with Residents at the Morgan Manor Convalescent Care Home in Morgantown with several of her show dogs: Ling (a Shih-Tzu), Chou-Dee' (a Shar-Pei), Boozer (a Golden Retriever), and EBCDIC (a Golden Retriever). The reception of the dogs by the Residents was overwhelming! They thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the dogs and soon began to expect to see Kammi and her dogs regularly on Friday mornings. As quoted by Grace Schultz (a Client at Morgan Manor Convalescent Center) "I just love it when the dogs come to give me kisses. And I love to hug Makro, and yeah Kierra too!"

KANINE THERAPY is the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between a KANINE THERAPY VOLUNTEER (the dog's handler) and their KANINE THERAPIST (the dog) with a RESIDENT in a CARE FACILITY such as a nursing home, rehabilitation center, or hospital. Karamidee's Kru advocates that the key element during the visitation is the interaction between the KANINE THERAPIST and the RESIDENT.

Having competed all but her prospectus and dissertation she decided to return to the industrial market place and apply everything she had learned thus far during her "educational career." Due to the lack of high technical jobs in West Virginia at that time she was forced to seek employment in other areas -- Washington, D.C. In 1991 she landed a job with Halliburton NUS Environmental Corporation as a Scientific Program Analyst. While back home, due to the persistent efforts of United States Senator Robert C. Byrd and Congressman Allan Mollahan the job market for high technical in West Virginia jobs began to grow.

Realizing that it was basically impossible to find substantial acreage of land in the DC area (let alone the money to purchase it) for her dogs, she began to look towards home once again. And, in 1991 she returned to the Fairmont area working for Electronic Warfare Associates, Inc. as a Senior Software Design Engineer where she is presently employed.

After returning to West Virginia in 1991 she established Karamidee Kru's Kanine Therapy Programs in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph and Edna Fike. Thus, utilizing all of her formal training in biology, computer science, and training/education and life experience in breeding, raising, training, and managing dogs.

Karamidee is her kennel name: "Kar" is for her sister Karrie, "ami" is taken form her own name Kammi, and "dee" is in honor of her Grandfather's and sister's middle name. As her selection of show dogs grew, so did the number of dogs qualified to become therapy dogs. The "Kru" is representative of the nine different breeds she owns and uses in her Therapy Program: a Great Dane, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, an American Foxhound, Golden Retrievers, Chinese Shar-Pei, Whippets, Miniature Schnauzers, Shih-Tzu, and a Dachshund.

In 1989 she obtained her first Rhodesian Ridgeback - Kushinda's Crowd Pleaser, JS, SC - Peaz! From that time, Kammi has taken Kushinda Rhodesian Ridgebacks to the top; establsihing her kennel as the Number One Lure Coursing Kennel in the country. In 1996 she won the RRCUS National Specialty with MBIF NCC DUAL CHAMPION Kushinda's I-Motion Via K Kru, JC, SC, LM, FCh, LCM2 - Jean-Claude' and repeated this win with Jean-Claude's neice - FC Kushinda's One with the Bag, JC, SC, FCh - Jo Jo. In 2001 Kammi finished 5 dogs in the Top Ten!

References: 1) Dr. Ronald Thompson, DVM located on Chenoweth Drive in Bridgeport, WV 26330 (304) 842-4836. 2) Dr. Amy Hinton, DVM 1988 Lincoln Way West, Chambersburg, PA 17201 717 261-0520 3) Dr. Pat Obenauf Department of Curriculum & Instruction, West Virginia University.