Some people treat their pets like children. In other homes, kids and animals both vie for adult attention. And in the case of Tommy Mourad, kids, pets at home and dogs at work compete for equal time.
Mourad, 38, was appointed instructor and trainer at Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation Inc. in Bloomfield. It’s not his first time working professionally with canines.
“My background is in police work and especially bomb detection,” Mourad said.
Having grown up in Cairo, Egypt, Mourad worked with a program training dogs to help secure the American embassy. An opportunity with an exchange program in Connecticut made his move to the U.S. possible.
“I met my wife here in 1995 during an exchange,” Mourad said. “When new people came out of the academy I jumped at the opportunity and it has been very rewarding.”
Mourad now lives in Wethersfield with his wife and four children. He started his apprenticeship with Fidelco in 2003 and is now certified to train guide dogs.
The relationship with a guide dog is something that has to be developed early on, according to Mourad. “To build trust you have to know the dog and understand them, walk with leashes and let them learn to trust you before moving on to obedience.”
Qualifying to become a trainer takes multiple steps, including working with the animals in a city environment and working with one dog for six to eight months. “Fidelco has the hardest qualification test to be an instructor in the country,” Mourad said.
He has been a part of police training for 38 dogs in Egypt and 26 with Fidelco, 18 of those transferred into community placements nationwide. Mourad has traveled as far as North Carolina and Maine to deliver a trained dog.
“On a personal level, it’s hard to see the dogs go but on a professional side it’s nice to see the dog serving someone,” Mourad said. “You get that satisfaction and hear from some graduates how the dog saved their lives.”
Emily Boisvert is a Hartford Business Journal staff writer.
