News

Canine Connection

September 21, 2020

Maryland Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Prince George’s) has made serving military veterans a major part of his mission as a public servant. It has won him countless plaudits and awards through the years. Now he’s getting a most unique tribute for his advocacy. Peters himself was deployed in Saudi Arabia from 1990-91 and was awarded […]

Future Service Dogs

September 21, 2020

Four puppies embarked on their two-year journey to become service dogs Friday when Dogs with Wings paired them with their new foster families in Grande Prairie. Teresa Boudreault, a puppy raiser and board member for Dogs with Wings, was among those paired with a puppy during the Puppy Pick Up Parade at the Muskoseepi Park […]

Service Dogs Keep A Distance

September 21, 2020

The pandemic has affected everyone, even service animals. These are working animals whose handlers depend on them for their safety. For some of the service animal community, the pandemic has forced them to adjust to a social distant lifestyle. Aggie Guide Dogs and Service Dogs (AGS) is a student-run organization that has been on campus […]

Guide Dogs

September 21, 2020

If you’re working from home, now might be an great time to participate in the Guide Dogs of America puppy-raiser program. Puppies from the organization’s litters are placed in foster homes, where puppy raisers will help the young dogs prepare for formal training and life as working guide dogs. When they’re ready, the dogs will […]

Paws For Purpose

September 21, 2020

Going to the hospital can be a scary experience, but one member of the team at UofL Hospital goes above and beyond to put patients at ease. “They come in, they’re a little bit afraid, Travis comes in and it just changes the whole mood of the patient,” physical therapist Cathy Gerrish said. Travis is […]

Students Work With Service Dogs

September 21, 2020

It is no secret that 4 Paws For Ability (4 Paws) has a large campus presence. Black labs and golden retrievers are walked around by their volunteer handlers, the pups sporting a red vest that indicates they are a service dog in training. 4 Paws is a non-profit organization based in Xenia, Ohio that gives […]

Dogs Social Distance

September 18, 2020

Marine And His New Dog

September 18, 2020

September is National Service Dog Month and this week a veteran from Central Texas began training with his own new helper. Rhea Hambright and Beatrice are spending the week training at Service Dogs Incorporated in Dripping Springs. Hambright is a Marine and was injured during the Vietnam War. He and his new service dog are […]

Service Dogs Heal

September 18, 2020

MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital is welcoming two new staff members September 23: Baskin and Agnes, two specially trained pediatric service dogs. Baskin is a one-year-old golden retriever, and Agnes is a two-year-old goldendoodle. They are trained “to keep kids calm during medical procedures, teach kids how to take a pill, or model how to […]

Service Dog Program

September 18, 2020

NBC 4’s former Puppy with a Purpose, Buckeye, graduated as a full-fledged service dog Friday. Buckeye graduated from his final obedience school and is now paired with his partner. After his initial training and appearances every week on NBC 4 Today, Buckeye started his professional training last November and, along with five other canine companions, […]

Women Scammed For A Service Dog

September 14, 2020

Multiple families fear a Virginia-based nonprofit organization called Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers cheated them out of thousands of fundraising dollars. There is now a Facebook support group called “SDWR Families Coming Together” with 247 members and a description that reads, “This is a Facebook page for families affected by the sudden and secret closing of […]

Family In Need Of Service Dog

September 14, 2020

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the meltdowns have seemingly come out of nowhere for Chaise Clouser. One minute, the 6-year-old is fine. The next, he’s upset, inconsolable and combative as he seeks sensory input to comfort him from things that overwhelm him and may not be obvious to his parents, Justin and Ashley Clouser, […]

Guide Dogs

September 14, 2020

Imagine walking into a restaurant and being told, “You can’t come in,” or being stranded at an airport because none of the taxis will take you home, or making a room reservation, only to have it cancelled by the hotel because you’re not welcome. This has been my reality for 30 years. You’d think I’d […]

K9 Police Officer

September 14, 2020

Officers from several law enforcement agencies helped escort the body of a Gwinnett County Police SWAT K9 killed in the line of duty. K9 Blue, the department’s first full-time SWAT K9, died Thursday when he was shot during gunfire between police and a suspect. Blue tracked down the suspect in the woods before police said […]

Veterans With PTSD

September 14, 2020

Nineteen years later, Tom Bowen is still reliving the physical and mental pain he endured as a first responder on 9/11 in New York City. He was one of the heroes – a firefighter from West Virginia – who volunteered to assist NYC first responders who dug for endless hours, days and weeks through “The […]

Service Dogs Graduate

September 11, 2020

Cue “Pomp and Circumstance” because these smart pups are graduating from Saint Francis Service Dogs. The organization is holding a virtual ceremony for its new graduates on Sunday at 7 p.m. to celebrate the end of their service dog training. Saint Francis Service Dogs is a nonprofit organization in Roanoke that matches professionally-trained service dogs […]

K9s For Warriors

September 11, 2020

Amanda Peterson tried to go places with her family. But she was limited to 40 minutes. That’s all she could stand before a tingling in her spine and a surge of overwhelming anxiety would set in causing the veteran of Michigan’s U.S. Army Reserves to panic. “When people are scared they exhibit the flight or […]

Breath Of Fresh Air

September 11, 2020

The outdoors have provided a much needed escape for one student and her service dog. The life of Emily Miller, a junior at Morehead State University, hasn’t been affected greatly by COVID-19, however, her service dog, Blue, has had her training disrupted. “I was very lucky in that she had already passed the major socialization […]

Paws For Purple Hearts

September 10, 2020

Lighting Distinctions, a well-known San Diego specialty lighting company, announced that they have recently finished a lighting project for the local Paws For Purple Hearts facility in Penngrove, CA. Paws for Purple Hearts is a dedicated team of service dog trainers that provide these incredibly dedicated and smart animals to veterans who have been wounded in […]

Guide Dogs Trainers

September 10, 2020

The coronavirus has no boundaries and has the potential to sideline the guide dog business that transforms the lives of those visually impaired and blind. When the virus spread uncontrollably across the country in March, Sylmar-based Guide Dogs of America carefully moved forward with a plan to secure its future against the possibility of shutting […]