American Humane photo of Winnie, a service dog in training
From the American Humane blog: National Service Dog Month, a time devoted to raising awareness and showing appreciation for the extraordinary work service dogs do every day for the people in their care. Join us in celebrating and honoring these special heroes who dedicate their lives to help their human companions.
Service dogs are specially trained to perform specific tasks for people with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. They can be trained to retrieve objects, assist with balance, give seizure or diabetic alerts, or assist those with psychiatric disabilities. They also serve our nation’s wounded warriors suffering from conditions including Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury. Service dogs provide companionship while inspiring confidence and they live to serve and assist their handlers. With the help of a service dog, humans can better manage disabilities and live fuller lives. Continue reading September is National Service Dog Month→
“Luke,” a six-year-old Labrador Retriever, serves as a mobility service dog for his owner, Ryan Garrison of Beavercreek, OH. Garrison enlisted in the U.S. Air Force immediately following the September 11th attacks on the twin towers and was severely injured while deployed in Iraq in 2006. His injuries included fractured and torn disks in his back, which have resulted in numerous surgeries, chronic pain and anxiety.
Luke was paired with Ryan as his mobility service dog in 2016 through the nonprofit organization, Warrior Canine Connection (WCC). Luke not only helps Garrison with his mobility and everyday tasks, but since being paired with him, Garrison has been able to better control his anxiety and has even decreased his need for medication. Even more importantly, Ryan credits Luke with shifting his entire perspective on life – bringing him out of a dark place and giving him a new sense of positivity and happiness. Continue reading 2020 AKC Humane Fund ACE Winner: Service Dog / Luke the Lab→
From The Dog Lady’s mailbag: The American Kennel Club™ (AKC), the largest purebred registry in the world and leading advocate for dogs, lauds the U.S. Department of Transportation [DOT] on the release of a final rule on travel by air with service dogs.
“We are very pleased by the DOT’s strong statement that recognizes the value of properly trained service dogs and the tasks they perform to mitigate an individual’s disability,” said Dennis Sprung, AKC President and CEO. “We also appreciate the clarification that service dogs come in many shapes and sizes, and that no properly trained, working service dog should be denied a flight because of its breed or appearance.” Continue reading AKC Statement on Service Dog Air Travel Ruling→
Sully, President George H.W. Bush’s service dog, had a big February! He got to meet his namesake, pilot Chesley Sullenberger, on the Today Show, then he started his new job as facility dog at Walter Reed. Continue reading Sully, Meet Sully!→
From the Twitter feed of Bush’s spokesman, Jim McGrath.
The responsibility of a service dog never ends. This is Sully, President George H.W. Bush’s service dog. Sully came to the President from America’s Vet Dogs and assisted Bush in recent months, after he lost Barbara and was confined to a wheelchair.
This photo was taken at the funeral home in Houston the night before the casket was transported to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol. It was first published on Twitter with the caption “Mission Complete #Remembering41.”
America’s Vet Dogs will take Sully back for some retraining, then will place him in the dog program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he will assist wounded soldiers and active-duty personnel.
I found a new page on Facebook, by RearFront. I’m not totally sure what it’s all about, but I loved these two service dog photos they recently featured.
Spotted at this weekend’s annual Challenger Baseball State Tournament in Ohio: Tommy (top) and Hero (below), both service dogs assisting their athletes on the diamonds in Parma, Ohio. What a great weekend for baseball and for dogs!
Great thanks to NEO Challenger for putting on a fabulous tournament!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
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