Charger’s New Service Dog
July 13, 2020
The Chargers aren’t scheduled to start training camp until later this month, but the newest member of the team was an early report to Costa Mesa last week.
In partnership with Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, the Chargers have teamed up with Canine Companions for Independence to follow a puppy on its journey to becoming an assistance dog. The aptly named Bolt – a yellow Lab-Golden Retriever cross – touched down in Southern California last Wednesday.
According to volunteer puppy raiser Angela Jackson-Brunning, Bolt will spend the next 18 months or so getting socialized, while learning approximately 30 different commands. He’ll also make appearances at various Chargers events, including practices and games.
“These dogs do amazing things,” team owner Alexis Spanos Ruhl told CBS Los Angeles. “They pick up dropped items. They open doors. They can pull a manual wheelchair. They can open up a refrigerator and retrieve medicines for you. … And they’re also very comforting. The thing that I like most is that they’re always there so that these people never feel alone.”
Since 1975, Canine Companions for Independence has provided over 6,000 assistance dogs at no charge to children, adults and veterans with disabilities, according to CCI public relations coordinator Stacy Haynes.
Haynes said that CCI has expanded their programs, including providing service dogs to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I think any time you can help a disabled veteran, just knowing what they’ve done; risking their life to go overseas and fight for us, for our freedoms and liberties, it makes the effort all the more worth it,” Spanos Ruhl said.
Heather Birdsall, the Chargers’ director of community partnerships, said that Bolt’s arrival coincides with the team’s newly launched animal welfare platform. Earlier this offseason, the Chargers worked with LA Animal Services to conduct a virtual dog draft, helping “undrafted free agents” find a new home.
Bolt’s time with the Chargers, though, is about laying a foundation for the future, Birdsall explained. She said his most important work begins when he gets paired with his new family.
“And that’s life-changing,” Birdsall said. “And that’s why it’s so important for us, really, is that we can actually help change a life and that’s so meaningful to us.”
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
Students Get Therapy Dog
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Therapy Dogtor
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
Therapy Dog Pups
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
Puppy Cams
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
Pet Committee
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]