Your sponsored dog’s final update of the year

SPONSOR A DOG

FOURTH QUARTER UPDATE

Thank you for sponsoring a service dog and being part of this incredible journey! Because of your support, lives are being transformed—one dog, one person at a time.

Three of our amazing dogs from this round of sponsorships have already been matched and are making a real difference—thank you for helping make this possible! The rest are still in training, learning the skills they need to become future service dogs.

See how these three pups are making a difference and catch the latest training updates on the rest!

SDV REMY

Remy has been placed with a former EMT who is now working in an orthopedic clinic in the Virginia Beach area. Jonathan reports that Remy is a huge help with his PTSD and recognizes the stress signals Jonathan gives, from a shaky leg to zoning out. Recently, Remy spent 2 full hours curled in Jonathan’s lap, just because it made them both happy.

SDV AUGIE

Augie began working in a counseling center on the University of Virginia campus at the end of the summer. Her handler, Margaret, reports that several students who were not initially interested in having August in their sessions now request her. One cue has proven useful in a way that surprised us. The cue is called “close” and it positions the dog facing outward between the handler’s legs when they are seated. Now, when a student is talking about a trauma, not only are they telling Margaret, they are also looking into Augie’s eyes as they speak. Margaret reports this has created a safer space, engendered more calm, as well as a greater depth of discussion. What a good girl.

SDV STRATOS

Stratos loves his new family. Edward, who is on the autism spectrum, is now sleeping in his own bed and also sleeping through the night for the first time. His mom reports the level of anxiety in the whole family has improved dramatically since Stratos arrived. Edward may still tantrum but the duration is much shorter. Edward begins his day happy instead of stressed and the morning routine is much smoother.

SDV WOODY

Woody is likely to be placed as a balance dog. While we do not have a formal program for this work, Woody is large enough to take on this role, and we have 2 clients who could really benefit from the support of a dog in lieu of a cane or other assistive device. Because he is so calm he is our regular ambassador at events we attend.

SDV NITRO

Nitro is training for diabetic alert. We have a client who has had a dog for 10 years and says she owes her health and longevity to him. Her dog is ready for retirement, so we are anxious to give her a relatively seamless transition to her successor dog, Nitro. He is as steady as they come in public and an easy dog to work with. His trainer has begun using his love of people as a reward. He is so steady in public and it is fun to see him light up when meeting people.

SDV PENNY

Penny is training as a medical alert dog. She is always eager to work and is slowly learning to listen for the cue instead of anticipating it. She prefers hand signals to verbal cues because sorting words is harder for her than some other dogs. While some dogs seem to feel badly when they make a mistake, Penny really doesn’t. She is ready to try again and lives without regrets. She loves to play ball and has a true favorite. All other toys pale in comparison to her semi-soft blue ball.

SDV NOURI

Nouri will likely be placed as a home companion. Nouri is highly distracted in public places and has a hard time concentrating when other things are happening. Nonetheless, she is cuddly and has mastery of behaviors like hug and spoon where she either lies across her person’s lap or drapes her body alongside someone who is lying down. Her skills will enable her to help a young person with autism who does not need help in public.

SDV PERRY

Perry has just started advanced training. We were waiting for a few of our dogs to be placed so that Perry would have a training slot. He is very experienced in dining out but needs to improve his position when walking on a leash. He is also very sniffy on leash so we will reward him when his head is up to encourage that behavior. He has some concerns with uneven surfaces so his trainer is putting him on all kinds of novel surfaces. Here he is sitting on a children’s Merry-Go-Round.

We’re excited to share that our next round of dog sponsorships will be starting soon! Keep an eye out for our email and brochure in the mail, and stay connected to see how your support continues to change lives.