Image credit: The U.S. Army / Flickr / CC.
Our world is a safer, easier to navigate place because of specially trained dogs who do everything from assisting people with disabilities to partnering with public safety and armed forces to help out when emergencies occur.
The kind and heroic efforts of service dogs are regularly featured in the news. In June 2015 a service dog saved their blind owner’s life by lunging in front of an oncoming school bus.
In May we learned of a blind 11-year-old girl who suffers up to 20 seizures a day. Flint, her beloved service dog, alerts the girl’s parents of new seizures and guides the girl so that she doesn’t fall or hit her head.
What’s involved with training a service dog?
Training a service dog can take 18 to 24 months. Jennifer Arnold, founder of Canine Assistants, estimates that training and lifetime care for service dogs can cost as much as $24,500.
It is because of kind foster families who raise future service dogs and expert training that the world is made a little more joyful and less difficult for those who need assistance.
Graduation Day
After many months of hard work, it is important to take a moment to celebrate and reflect on graduation day!
