SPONSOR A DOG

The first two years of a service dog’s journey are filled with growth, learning, and change. Our dogs are learning how to navigate the world around them — from new environments and distractions to the many experiences they may encounter as working partners.

Training is about more than teaching skills; it’s about building trust and understanding between dog and person. A successful partnership happens when both learn to listen and support one another. During transfer camp, we help clients understand their dog’s unique communication, needs, and personality so they can begin building a strong foundation together.

As our dogs continue through training, each one follows their own path. Some are preparing to change lives with their new partners, while others are working through challenges that help us better understand what they need to thrive. Every step — the successes, setbacks, and breakthroughs — is an important part of their journey. Here’s what’s been happening with your sponsored dog.

Carl is an odd guy. He is one of the largest Labradors to come through our program and is as handsome as he is lovable. Everyone appreciates Carl’s easygoing personality, but his laid-back nature also means he sometimes prefers relaxing over training.

With patience and encouragement, Carl is learning that training can be fun. He is discovering that offering behaviors, engaging with his handler, and earning rewards are all part of the process. To help him stay motivated and connected, Carl is working with one of our most enthusiastic trainers, who brings out his playful and eager side.

Carl continues to make progress, and we are encouraged by the improvements we are seeing. We remain hopeful that he will find the right partnership where his unique personality and strengths can shine.

Dodger is a robust, confident fellow who is ready and willing to work. He has been matched with a successor client who previously had a balance dog to help with mobility and stability. While we no longer train dogs specifically for balance work, Dodger came along at just the right time—he is a large, steady dog with the size, temperament, and ability to provide the support this client needs.

His client has cerebral palsy and is able to walk, but she experiences frequent falls. A dog like Dodger can help her navigate daily life with greater confidence by providing stability while walking, assisting with recovery after a fall, and offering support when she needs help getting back up.

Dodger’s lessons include wearing a balance harness, carefully navigating steps, curbs, and obstacles, and remaining steady when needed as a living support. He is learning to position himself so his person can lean on him to help rise from a fall. Best of all, Dodger approaches every lesson with ease, confidence, and joy.

Kona is a gentle, sensitive soul with a heart full of love. As a young dog, he struggled with ongoing gastrointestinal issues, and despite extensive efforts, it took a long time to get his tummy settled. Once we found the right balance, Kona flourished—embracing training, enjoying meeting new people, loving life at home, and feeling his best.

More recently, however, he has experienced occasional flare-ups for reasons that aren't always clear. Whether it's something he ate or a response to stress, the cause has been difficult to pinpoint. With guidance from a veterinary specialist, we've made some dietary changes and are hopeful that a carefully managed, restricted diet will help Kona better navigate life's ups and downs.

Kona is a wonderful dog with much to give and we hope we can place him in a partnership where he will thrive.

Mulligan is a beautiful girl with an irresistible personality. To know her is to fall in love with her. She is playful, affectionate, funny, and forms deep, meaningful connections with the people around her.

Recently, Mulligan experienced a setback and has developed some noise sensitivities that can cause her to become fearful. We had hoped she would become part of our breeding program, but given these changes, we no longer feel that is in her best interest, as we would not want to pass those sensitivities on to future puppies.

To help her regain her confidence, we have temporarily scaled back her public outings and are focusing on providing positive experiences at her own pace. We are optimistic that, with time and support, Mulligan will overcome this challenge. She is a truly special dog with so much love to give, and we remain hopeful that she will one day thrive in a service dog partnership.

Sadie has been matched with a client living with Addison's disease, a condition in which cortisol levels can drop rapidly. When cortisol becomes too low, it can cause brain fog, dizziness, and, if left untreated, lead to a life-threatening medical crisis.

Remarkably, Sadie can detect changes in a person's cortisol through her sense of smell and alert her handler when it's time to take a supplemental dose—helping prevent a medical emergency before it happens. She has shown an incredible aptitude for this work. In fact, within just 30 minutes of meeting her future partner, Sadie gave a successful alert. It was completely unexpected and an incredibly exciting moment for everyone involved.

Sadie has all the makings of a true lifesaver, and we are thrilled to see the life-changing impact she will have on her new partner.

Their training journey is still unfolding, and your support helps make each step possible. By sponsoring a dog in training, you provide the care, training, and resources they need to continue growing, building confidence, and moving closer to becoming a life-changing partner.

There’s still one more quarter of their training journey to follow, and we can’t wait to share what’s next.