October Volunteer of the Month

Congratulations to Becka Yerger, the October Volunteer of the Month! Becka began volunteering with Susquehanna Service Dogs in December 2017 when she started raising SSD Amadeus. Amadeus is now one of our studs and a demonstration dog.

“It’s awesome to think that there are little Amadeus puppies out there becoming service dogs,” says Becka. “He’s the sweetest dog, and I’m honored that he is now a breeder and demo dog.”

Becka decided to get involved with SSD after one of her colleagues at Millersville University started raising a puppy for us. “Of course, I was interested right away. I’m originally from the Harrisburg, PA area, so I had always heard of SSD. When I applied to raise a puppy, I felt like I was at the right stage in my life to start this new journey and adventure.”

Since she raised SSD Amadeus, Becka has been a puppy sitter for some our youngest puppies through our 2x2 program, watching two puppies at a time overnight. She served as a starter raiser for SSD Toast, and she’s now the volunteer staff advisor for Paws on Deck, our puppy raising program at Millersville University. In addition to raising puppies, Paws on Deck helps raise money for SSD and educates the public about service dogs and service dog etiquette.

“The work these dogs do is nothing less than amazing,” she says. “Seeing the dogs with their partners makes the whole process worth it! The staff at SSD also make this journey so much easier because the SSD family is always there for help or support whenever needed.”