No person or animal is disposable.

     Yesterday was the Freedom Service Dogs' winter graduation. Nineteen dog/handler teams graduated.  Eight were therapy dog teams.  Six were traditional clients.  Five were military clients.  For an hour and a half there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
     Two of the therapy dogs are in Connecticut helping children after last year's school shooting.  (go Nutmeg and Cashew!)
     The father of a teen who received a service dog last year spoke of the wondrous change the dog has made in all of their lives. Their son is now outgoing and confident. People talk to him about his dog instead of just staring at his odd gait.
     The various humane societies who donated the dogs spoke of the terrible backgrounds some of these dogs came from.  Several were starved prior to arrival at the shelters.
      The Colorado prison training program spoke of the dogs they worked with, and the positive changes happening to the dogs and to the prisoner/handlers.  A former female prisoner, who trained one of the dogs, spoke of how the dog she trained saved her just as much as she saved him.  She felt that she had taken from society for twenty years as an addict, and learned to start giving back.
     The Freedom Service Dog professional trainers spoke of the dogs' personalities and characters...and these dogs are all characters.
     The clients spoke as well....the best and most touching part.
      A PTSD client spoke of finally being able to sleep through the night having his dog beside him, watching, cuddling, being a good battle-buddy.
     Another Vet, an amputee, spoke of the fact that twenty one soldiers commit suicide daily, and how he and his dog will be visiting soldiers to help get them off of suicide watch.
     A Viet Nam era tattooed vet was too emotional to get the words out.  The audience hushed with empathy and tears.
     An elderly blind man spoke of how his friend asked why he got a service dog instead of a seeing-eye dog....he responded, "I got a service dog???"     Ta dum dum!
     A woman in a wheelchair who uses ASL and is unable to speak had pre-written her comments which were read by a trainer.  She mentioned her absolute joy in finding that her lovely lab is named  "Lyric:" ....a companion to truly be her voice in song from now on.
     I was fortunate to work with each of those 19 dogs at least once.  They are fantastic dogs, and someone somewhere had given each one away.
     There are so many wonderful people who assist these dogs on their journeys....the rescuers, the prisoner-trainers, the professional trainers, and the boat-load of volunteers.  Everyone gets involved to rescue the dogs, but stays to rescue the people.



http://www.freedomservicedogs.org/