January Volunteer of the Month

 Congratulations to Rosemary Kitzinger and family on being the January Volunteers of the Month! 

I have been volunteering since May 2020, along with my husband, David, and our four children, Marissa, Cody, Alyssa, and Collin.

 Currently we are puppy raising SSD Augusta from the Golf Course Litter. I hope to continue to evolve as a volunteer with SSD. 

I became involved with SSD through the process of looking for service dog options for Marissa when she was 17 years old. About six and a half years ago, I learned of Susquehanna Service Dogs through a chance encounter (or divine intervention) at the American Girl store in Tysons Corner, Virginia with the cutest puppy wearing a purple vest with SSD insignia on it. The gentleman who was handling the dog—and a few very excited girls—was kind enough to take the time to tell me about the organization and their mission, and he praised the staff immensely. After that encounter, I applied for a service dog for Marissa, and four and a half years later she was blessed when she was matched with SSD Nugget.

Throughout the process, I was amazed every time I saw Marissa handle the dogs, including in public, and what a difference it made in her attention, reduction of anxiety, and her whole demeanor. I knew we were on the right path. During the second week of team training, I told Amanda [SSD’s Director of Breeding and Canine Development] I thought I might want to raise a puppy one day, but let her know I have never ever had a dog in my life (until SSD Nugget came home). She assured me I could handle the task and SSD would teach me everything I needed to know.

I was told we needed to have SSD Nugget for a year before we could raise a puppy. Once we passed that milestone the world shut down due to COVID-19. I talked it over with my husband and our children and we agreed puppy raising would be a great experience anyway, and why not during a pandemic? We could still do something good for someone else and pay it forward. So far raising SSD Augusta has been a truly amazing opportunity and experience for our family.

I am new to volunteering with SSD, but I hope to be a long term volunteer. I see the difference a service dog has made in Marissa’s life and I can’t say enough good things about the staff at SSD. #DogsChangeLives!

If you would like to join our volunteers and make a difference by raising a puppy, apply online today!