In honor of September being Service Dog Month, I decided to take a short trip down memory lane and remember a few of the special working dogs we’ve helped.  The trip took longer than I anticipated as I began sorting through photos dating back over the last 9 years!

Our first recorded service dog case dates all the way back to 2011.  Isis, a gorgeous young Rottweiler, was trained to detect her person, Heidi’s, epileptic seizures.  Isis stepped in a gopher hole while she and Heidi were staying with friends, and had to undergo surgery to repair her injured leg.  As Heidi had recently paid for emergency treatment for pyometra, the injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. Two surgeries later, Isis was on the mend and back on the job.

Then came Se Bear in 2012, who helped his person, Katy, a traumatic brain injury survivor who suffers numerous seizures daily.  Se Bear was a mouthy dog who loved to pick up and eat anything he could find at the park – even if it wasn’t edible!  After a couple of trips to the emergency clinic for suspected bloat, Katy’s veterinarian finally suggested muzzling Se Bear when out in public.  

Clifford was our first out-of-state case through our Service Animal Aid Fund in 2013.  We created the fund specifically for working dogs because of the very special role they play in the lives of their humans.  This handsome pup from Illinois exemplifies that role and kept a careful eye on his two human siblings, Kate and Nick, both of whom suffer from serious food allergies.

One case that really moved me happened a couple of years ago. Jim Dandy’s life was saved by his person, Paul, a disabled veteran who saw the dog online and moved heaven and earth to adopt him before his time was up.  Friends helped get the dog from California to Colorado, where a trainer worked hard to turn this pup into a service animal. Jim Dandy has returned the favor many times over as his helps Paul with mobility issues.  HHF helped with dog food when Paul ran out of funds and gave up his own hospital meals to feed Jim Dandy.

And, talk about a picture being worth a thousand words!  Keisha, is best buddy and service dog to Kody, a little boy living with autism and ADHD.  Kody’s mom, Sunshine, applied for help after Keisha injured a toe that had to be amputated, so she could heal and return to work.  We’re happy to report that Keisha and Kody continue to be best buds.

So many cases and so many memories of animals helped by HHF donors, volunteers, and wonderful service providers.  Not just service dogs, but companion dogs, cats, chickens, horses, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits – you name it! While I’m sure many of the animals helped in our early days have since passed over the Rainbow Bridge, it was heartening to revisit those beautiful faces and know that we played some small part in helping them when they needed it.