Sign In

Service Dog Fostered

May 18, 2020

In March, Belmont resident Jane Slavin’s second dervice dog-in-training, Hershey, was placed as a Veteran Service Dog in the Boston area through Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). Slavin’s first CCI puppy, Galya, was placed in 2015 as a Facility dog at Gaylord Specialty Hospital in Connecticut.

Eight-week-old Hershey, a Labrador Retriever, arrived in Belmont in February 2018. A puppy raiser’s responsibility is to oversee the complete care of the puppy: feeding, grooming, socialization, basic manners, exercise, and veterinary care. Puppy Raisers teach the puppies 30 commands and get them used to wearing the “Gentle Leader” head collar which functions very much like a halter on a horse.

After 18 months with the Slavins, Hershey went to New York to complete CCI’s six to nine month advanced training program. In addition to standard Service Dog skills which include opening drawers and doors, retrieving items, pulling a wheelchair, and turning on and off lights, etc., Hershey was also given specialized training to assist a Veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This additional training included anxiety and nightmare interruption as well as learning to support his handler in crowded public situations.

Slavin is especially thrilled with Hershey’s placement because he had been volunteering at the Virginia in Bedford for several months and her father was a very proud World War II Ranger.

CCI is the oldest and largest U.S. assistance dog provider. They provide, at no cost, four kinds of assistance dogs, service, hearing, skilled companions, and facility dogs. Anyone interested in the program should visit the CCI.org site for more information.

Register Your Dog

  • 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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more