Celebrate Service Dogs: SSD Patsy and her Partner

Thank you to everyone who came to our National Assistance Dog Week meetup at Doc's Saloon and Grill last night! We had a great time! Twenty-two people and nine dogs met for food and fun.

As National Assistance Dog Week draws to a close, we would like to share one more story with you. This is the story of SSD Patsy and her partner.

Patsy is a real life best friend.

My son Bryce has a form of Autism called Asperger's Syndrome. Three years ago we got Patsy from SSD, and she changed not only Bryce's life but all of ours. Bryce never had any friends (due to the nature of this disorder, socialization is a major problem.) Another big problem was Bryce never slept in his bed. He needed someone close to him to rub his hair to fall asleep. We tried dolls, stuffed animals, music, a lot of covers on his bed etc.

When Susquehanna Service Dogs asked us what Bryce's needs were, we told them: mostly sleeping and companionship, and throwing and catching a ball would be a plus, too. Well, Patsy not only answered all of those request in the first day but has also helped Bryce make friends. Patsy will never know how much she changed our lives.

Bryce sleeps all night with Patsy sleeping on him and he rubs her fur. She leans on him when he is having a meltdown and plays ball in the yard when nobody will play with him. We take Patsy everywhere we can and she is such a good conversation starter which has helped Bryce in the socialization area. We love her so much and we do not know how we ever lived without her. Patsy is our ANGEL, a prayer answered, a best friend! We Love You Patsy Girl!!!

Celebrate Service Dogs: SSD Jack and his Partner

Tonight is our meetup to celebrate National Assistance Dog Week! Join us at Doc's Saloon and Grill (formerly Doc Holliday's) in New Cumberland from 5:30-7:00 p.m. If the weather clears up, we'll be on the deck, but if it looks like it's going to rain, we'll be inside. Just ask the hostess for Susquehanna Service Dogs! Service dogs and service dogs-in-training are welcome! (Of course! They're the guests of honor!)

Even more than celebrating service dogs, we're celebrating the way they change lives. We would like to share the story of SSD Jack and his partner with you.

Service Dog, SSD Jack, Gives New Life

This is not the most endearing story or a story of miraculous rescue. It is not funny or dramatic, and it is not short. But it is the story of a service dog that permanently changed my life over the months and years of our relationship and is still changing it today. I hope that someone will read it and gain new knowledge and understanding of the gift of hope that all service dogs give to their disabled partners.

My name is Sharon and I suffer from a psychiatric disability. About six years ago I was spending a lot of time in the hospital due to the severity of my symptoms. Then a friend called me and told me about a show she'd seen on dogs that help persons with psychiatric disabilities. She told me that I needed a dog to help me since I was too hard headed to accept help from my friends. I thought, "Oh, funny, ha ha," and it seemed like a pretty silly idea to me. Then darned if I didn't see a different show covering the same topic within the week. I was hooked and began investigating immediately.

Not many service dog programs train dogs for this type of work but, fortunately for me, Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD) was within an hour of my home and was willing to either provide a service dog for me or help me train a service dog for myself. I wanted to adopt a "rescued" dog and do the training myself so I began checking the local shelters. I looked for weeks but was not having any luck. I was visiting a Humane Society shelter once again but didn't meet a dog that might be the "right" one. I decided to go back into the kennel area one more time to visit with a dog that I had considered. To my surprise, there was a beautiful puppy in the first kennel inside the door that I had not yet met. I immediately asked to take him into the visitation room and knew within minutes that I had found *my* dog. He was curious but not destructive, lively but not hyperactive, and very friendly but not passive so I knew he would grow up to be a wonderful dog. He also just seemed so happy to meet me! I believe my urge to go back into the kennel one more time and find this dog came from a higher power. I took him home the same day!

I want to make it very clear to anyone who may consider training their own service dog that this is not a process to be undertaken lightly. I reached an understanding with SSD that if the dog I adopted did not successfully complete the training program, and almost half of even those dogs specially selected for service dog training do not, I would keep it as an emotional support animal or companion. Making arrangements, in advance, for re-homing would also have been an option but I knew I would keep this dog forever.

Happily, after over a year of attending SSD puppy class twice a week and receiving private lessons from SSD trainers, my wonderful dog Jack and I completed our certification class and graduated as a working service dog team. My service dog, now "SSD Jack," began accompanying me 24/7 wearing his new green vest.

Now here is the crux of this story. During training it became apparent that Jack did not like it when my level of functioning was impaired. I expected a dog that would "comfort" me when I was depressed and "protect" me when I was anxious. Jack is trained to pay attention to me at all times and in response to certain symptoms perform one of the tasks he is trained to do, either in response to my body language or on cue. He did his job well but it was apparent that he also became concerned and appeared somewhat upset. Every time I became anxious he seemed worried too. It was obvious that he could detect subtle changes in my mood and behavior but instead of wanting to "help" me he seemed to want to steer clear of me. I felt like I wasn't taking care of him well enough and I wondered if I had picked the "wrong" dog after all.

To my surprise, I soon realized that my service dog was actually increasing my ability to monitor myself and quickly manage negative symptoms. I am able to observe Jack's reactions to what I say and do and to recognize much earlier than I ever had before when I need to change my environment, allow him to calm or support me as he is trained to do, or take prescribed medication that Jack carries for me. I was soon able to leave my house with confidence that I would not "break down" in public and am now able to independently care for myself and my service dog. Jack is now almost five years old and we are a great team.

Nowadays Jack rarely needs to remind me that he is my first concern. If I become too distracted, anxious or disorganized he stops cold and waits for me to "get it together." He now appears confident that I will get organized and take care of both him and myself and I almost always do! These days I am rarely hospitalized and am able to participate in many activities that had been unavailable to me before I had Jack as my partner.

Having an "invisible" disability is often not easy. People wonder why someone who "looks" fine would need a service dog and I am occasionally treated rudely. However, I don't need anyone else to tell me how my life has changed since I found SSD Jack. Because I have a service dog with me I am confident and able. In fact I often look fine because I am fine as long as Jack is with me! I will be forever grateful to Susquehanna Service Dogs for helping me train this wonderful dog but most of all I am grateful to my service dog, Jack, for enabling me to live a normal life.

Celebrating Service Dogs: SSD Sara and her partner

In honor of National Assistance Dog Week, we're going to share stories about services dogs and the love and support they give to their partners. This is the story of SSD Sara and her partner.

I am writing this in memory of my hearing dog, Sara, from Susquehanna Service Dogs. Sara was an extremely bright and beautiful yellow lab that touched so many people's lives, especially my own. She would alert me to the simplest of things such as people walking and talking behind me, the phone ringing, someone knocking at the door, or a flock of geese flying overhead.

I would watch her body language very intently because I knew her every movement was her way of alerting me to my surroundings. She taught me how to trust and believe in her and her training, and most importantly that she would forever be "my ears." My work involves traveling and I often find myself staying overnight at a hotel. Making reservations includes ensuring the room is accessible to my deafness. Often times when I carefully and dutifully make the necessary arrangements for my hotel room, I soon discover the accommodations to be insufficient and not meeting my needs.

Sara became a part of my life in 1998 when I heard that Susquehanna Service Dogs was training dogs as hearing dogs. I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity and promptly sent in my application. Sara and I were destined to be together. We made a formidable team. She knew my needs before I knew them. She would work for me 24/7, 365 days a year with complete dedication. An example of this dedication occurred when Sara and I had our first overnight trip together. I was in Philadelphia for a meeting and then had a long drive to Pittsburgh before our day ended. We arrived at the hotel tired and decided to go to bed early. Within 30 minutes after retiring to bed, Sara was alerting me with her nose and kept going to the door. As part of her training, I was taught that when Sara acted that way I was to follow her. So, I followed her to the door and looked out the "peep" hole. I couldn't see anyone or anything outside. I went back to bed, but she continued to alert me to the door. After numerous alerts, I decided to open the door to show her nothing was going on. To my surprise there were four firemen, the hotel manager and a sign language interpreter. They came to inform me that we had to leave quickly because there had been a bomb threat. The entire time Sara was alerting me she was doing her job.

From that moment forward I knew I could always count on her and trust her to meet my needs. She was my guardian angel that evening.

Christmas was a very special time of the year for Sara and I. Together we discovered how truly loved and cherished we both were. Many of our friends, neighbors and co-workers would give Sara toys or treats as part of their giving spirit during the holiday season. Sara's dedication and love towards others and myself never faltered.

We would go into the community to nursing homes, colleges and schools to talk with people (particularly children) to educate them about service dogs and hearing dogs. Sara's loving nature made all this possible. Then one fateful day I was told the devastating news that my precious Sara had cancer in her shoulder. I spent the next few weeks giving her as much love as she had given me. I wanted her to know how much I loved and appreciated her so we spent time doing her favorite things such as smelling flowers and swimming.

One of our favorite pastimes was going to the lake. Sara loved the water. She would race ahead of me. I would throw an empty water bottle into the lake and she would retrieve it. Sara's zest for life was contagious and with her by my side, I couldn't wait to see what each new day would bring with Sara as "my ears." Saying goodbye to Sara was the hardest thing I ever had to do. She will be forever in my heart. She taught me how to trust, how to love, and that I didn't need my hears to hear, I only needed to listen with my heart. I dedicate this story in memory of my precious Sara, and I thank Susquehanna Service Dogs for training her and giving me such a special gift. I wouldn't be the woman I am today with out either of them coming into my life.

Celebrating Service Dogs: Nathan and SSD Sylvia

In honor of National Assistance Dog Week, we're going to share stories about services dogs and the love and support they give to their partners. This is the story of Nathan and his service dog, SSD Sylvia.

Nathan and Sylvia- a Susquehanna Service Dog - have been partners now for almost 7 months. We take them to big crowded stores and malls so regularly now that we sometimes forget what our lives were like just one year ago.

The sensory sensitivity that is part of Nathan’s Asperger’s Syndrome made excursions into crowded places intolerable to the point that we simply stopped doing it. We still don’t entirely understand how and why Sylvia’s presence relieves Nathan’s anxiety and sensitivity, but it works so well that we hardly give a second thought to outings now.

For years Nathan’s grandmother wanted to send us to Disney World. Shortly after Nathan and Sylvia passed their public access test, we finally made that trip.

Nathan’s birthday is July 5th, and there we were on July 4th in one of the most crowded places on Earth. After a thoroughly enjoyable day of rides, many of which Sylvia was allowed to ride too, we watched the 4th of July fireworks from a spaceship ride high over the park.

Afterward we made our way back to our cabin though crowds and on various means of public transportation. Midnight struck while we were on a boat on the lake headed back to the campground, and the captain of the boat announced that Nathan had just turned 12. As the passengers on the boat cheered and sang for Nathan, we knew that the joy in his face would not have been possible that day without the help from his loving partner Sylvia.

Celebrate National Assistance Dog Week!

A mother and her son walk around a crowded mall with a service dog at their side. They stop to look through some tshirts, when suddenly the child, who has autism, wanders off. The child's mother immediately tells the service dog to find her son, and the dog is off, following the child's trail with the mother close behind. As the scent grows stronger, the dog moves faster and in less than 5 minutes the dog has located the child.

Assistance dogs can do amazing things, and they never stop working for their partners. Today is the beginning of National Assistance Dog Week, and we would like to celebrate all of the wonderful ways that service dogs change lives.

All week, we'll be posting stories about some of our service dogs and their partners. Then on Thursday, we're all going to meet at Doc Holliday's in New Cumberland, PA to celebrate all of the things service dogs do.

You're invited to join us!

Where
Doc Holliday's
110 Limekiln Road
New Cumberland, PA 17070

When
Thursday, August 12
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Service dogs and service dogs-in-training are welcome to come! We'll be on the deck at Doc's. Unfortunately, we won't be able to pay for your meal, but we can guarantee that you'll have a great time seeing old friends and making new ones, and of course, meeting the dogs!

Please RSVP if you can make it.

We're looking forward to seeing you and celebrating all the ways service dogs change lives!