Handicap Assistance - Phil

Phil is a puppy in training from Canine Companions for Independence. One day he will be able to assist his partner by doing tasks such as opening and closing doors, turning lights on and off, retrieving dropped items, and pulling a manual wheelchair. Right now he is under vigorous training with his volunteer puppy raiser Ashley. For the first 20 months of his life Phil is learning around 30 commands. So far Phil loves to learn just as much as he loves to play. He is also taking lots of naps and getting lots of treats for being such a good boy! Phil had a wonderful ACVO eye exam. and Ashley expresses how grateful she is for the opportunity to ensure the health of Phil’s eyes.

Therapy & Disaster Stress Relief - Windy

Windy excels at what she does because she is extremely sensitive and takes in all of the emotions. She wants to help – and, actively seeks out those in need; it is fascinating to observe her in action. With her calm confidence, gentle demeanor, and caring gaze, she quickly turns tears and fears into smiles and laughs. Windy’s unconditional love, which is expressed in a variety of ways (e.g., her affection and attentiveness, inquisitive and mesmerizing eyes, relentless tail wagging) is hard to resist. I have been told by people that Windy’s healing presence gives them strength - and, moreover, that they truly believe that she cares about them. As such, watching Windy working is particularly rewarding to me since I have accomplished even more than what I set out to do with my loyal companion and devoted therapy dog - it is a Win-Win-Win(dy)!

Mobility Assistance - Euro

My wonderful Euro provides me with so much more than mobility assistance. Entering high school, nothing seems worse than being “different” than others your age. After several years of homeschooling due to surgeries, I returned to high school as a junior, knowing almost no one in my grade. I felt I would need a miracle to make it through the next few years.
Pictured here, Euro, and our three best friends- Euro introduced us all. Each came to me with a question about service dogs, and we started studying together. Soon there were four of us- all because of introductions I would have been too shy to initiate without Euro’s motivating them.
These friends became the best support system that I could have asked for, and we helped each other through classes, tests, stress, and so much more. In addition to our graduation this May, this picture celebrates the fact that Euro does so much more for me than just the mobility tasks she was trained for. She is my miracle.

Search & Rescue: Recovery - Dude

Dude, is a Search and Rescue Dog, officially trained in Search and Rescue. He is a methodical dog who brings family members home and helps bring closure to families.

Therapy Assistance: Balance Brace - Cooper

“Who’s the angel in this photo?” Debbie sent in that quote with this unique photo of herself and Cooper. Cooper is trained to help reduce postural sway and to encourage the increase in postural stability. This assistance reduces the risk and incidence of falls in the elderly and high-risk individuals.

Seizure Alert - Theo

"He may be small but he is perfect for me." Stephanie describes Theo as always on the go and as more than her Service Dog Theo is a best friend and little sidekick. Together they can tackle anything. Theo is a Seizure Alert Service Dog and has been trained to alert and respond to seizures. Theo has the ability to alert Stephanie up to 15 minutes before an oncoming seizure, allowing her to take medication and get to a safe place. If Stephanie has a seizure in her sleep, Theo is trained to wake her and if he cannot he calls 911 and unlocks door.

Diabetic Alert - Max

Being a Type-1 Diabetic for 28 years, Max can smell the change in my blood sugar and will alert me with a paw if it falls below 80 or rises above 160.
After four years with him by my side, this never gets old. He is the best companion I could ask for now that I live alone. With daily alerts my A1c counts have never been better.

Mobility & Medical Response Assistance - Chanel

“She is my heart, but also my hands and my feet when needed." This is the quote Brianna submitted with this photo celebrating Chanel’s fourth birthday with some doggy birthday cake. Briana explains that with her many chronic illnesses, she was constantly in and out of hospitals and often had an overwhelming feeling of defeat and loneliness, until she met her other half, Chanel.
Now Brianna is never alone, and those week-long hospital stays aren’t as daunting. Briana exclaims that her life has changed for the better and she can’t imagine living in a world without “this angel” providing unconditional love and support for her when she needs it most. Briana exclaims that Chanel not only brings her joy but has given her the gift of freedom and independence.

Mobility Assistance - Toby

"Taking care of mom.” Toby is a mobility assistance dog for his handler, Heidi, and pictured here accompanying her during a hospital stay.

Search & Rescue - Calla

Calla the Wild: Calla is an Area Air Scent search dog for Okanogan County Search and Rescue in North Central Washington state. Here she looks out over a vast portion of the Pasayten Wilderness... there may be a missing person out there somewhere.

Reading Assistance - Spanky
Spanky helps children learn to love reading. He is non-judgmental and makes it fun.

Search & Rescue - Aleko

Aleko during her certification examination - searching a rubble pile for victims.

Diabetic Alert - Bailey

Nico is a five-year old little boy who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at two years old. He also suffers from hypoglycemic unawareness as well as has multiple other special needs. Nico has an incredible bond with his Diabetic Alert Dog, Bailey. In this photo, a brief pause was made to alert to a low blood sugar while paying our respects to some of our nation's fallen heroes.

Man Trailing - Lucy

LucyJo is a 2.5 year old bloodhound. LucyJo is a man-trailing bloodhound. She finds people with Alzheimers, dementia, kids that walk away and suspects who that run from law enforcement. She says, you can run but you can’t hide. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram at LucyJo the Bloodhound Albion K9.

Therapy Animal - Maggie
Unconditional Comfort. Maggie always responds to the needs of the people she visits. This patient is a dog lover. The two of them hit it off immediately.