Ginger’s House a place to nourish

Mutts are often killed at animal shelters, and when foster kids become 18 they’re sometimes thrown out into the world alone. These are unfortunate truths.

Linn Boyke of Topanga is building Ginger’s House, a program that gives strength to young adults who have moved out of foster homes by asking them to help save mutts facing termination.

Boyke’s mother abanadoned him when he was 3 and when he was 11 he was taken away from his father and sent to foster homes because of child abuse.

Boyke joined the U.S. Marines and then turned to alcohol. When drinking didn’t satisfy his urge to escape reality, Boyke began using drugs.

“During the next couple of years I sold drugs and made fake I.D.s so I could do more drugs,” Boyke said. “I was out of control. I ended up without a home and without hope.

“Then a mutt named Ginger changed my life,” Boyke said. “The first thing I learned from her was responsibility. I had lived my life believing I could do everything myself. I didn’t want or need anything from anyone. But Ginger . . . depended on me completely. I had never felt unconditional love before Ginger, and I didn’t want to let her down. I was beginning to understand what discipline meant.”

Ginger eventually passed away, but Boyke’s love for dogs continued. He began walking people’s dogs for money.

“Like Ginger, these dogs all loved me,” Boyke said. “But I was always frustrated and angry. I began to notice how sensitive these dogs were to my behavior and how my behavior was affecting them. I discovered that when I was calm, the dogs were more willing to follow my lead. So I began to train all the dogs that I walked and over the next few years I built a successful dog business.”

During the past year Boyke has dedicated his life to building a home and a program that will assist teens leaving foster care.

Ginger’s House will train the youth to care for dogs that are facing termination at various animal shelters.

“The beauty of Ginger’s House is that we don’t need volunteers,” Boyke said. “That’s what the kids are going to be doing.

“There are 20,000 foster kids that hit the streets each year,” Boyke added. “I’m not just taking kids because they’re foster kids. The application process is going to be very extensive. And I don’t hide the fact that I’m not looking for gang bangers. I’m not looking for kids who are bullies. I’m looking for that 18year-old who has no place to go and who has two choices: starve or commit crimes to eat . . . I’m going to be very particular about who I pick.”

The teens chosen for Ginger’s House will take part in a three-year program.

“It’s an internship,” Boyke said. “The first two years they (the interns) will be learning about the dogs’ behavior and obedience training, agility training, therapy dog training— they’ll learn everything about dogs . . . The third year is valuable because that’s where these kids will be teaching people (how to train dogs).”

Ginger’s House also will offer pet owners training for their dogs. The funds paid for the classes will keep Ginger’s House in business, Boyke said.

The interns will earn $600 a month plus food and lodging, he said.

“But $200 of that will be put in the bank for them,” Boyke said. “At the end of their three years, they’ll have over $7,000 in their pocket . . . This won’t be like foster care where they say, ‘Okay, you’re 18, see ya later.’ We’re not going to say, ‘Okay, you’ve got a great skill, see ya later.’ We want to make sure that they’ll be able to get an apartment, get a little car and maybe start their own business.”

Boyke plans to build Ginger’s House at a ranch in Topanga. He’s already raised $80,000 for his facility, but said he needs about $1 million to make his vision come true.

“The big dream is to have a franchise and have a Ginger’s House in every major city,” Boyke said. “But I’m just looking at the first one now.”

For more information about Ginger’s House, please visit www.gingershouse.org.