Service Dogs
September 24, 2020
September is National Service Dog Month and this week a veteran from Central Texas began training with his own new helper.
Rhea Hambright and Beatrice are spending the week training at Service Dogs Incorporated in Dripping Springs.
Hambright is a Marine and was injured during the Vietnam War. He and his new service dog are getting to know each other after meeting for the first time on Monday.
Living alone on a farm in Fayetteville, Hambright says Beatrice will not only be a great companion but she’ll also be able to help him around the house by doing things like retrieving dropped objects, opening closed doors, and even helping him with his jacket.
“The way she looks at me. It’s just – to have an animal look you straight in the eye and concentrate there – it’s unbelievable. It’s a great feeling,” Hambright says.
“This is going to turn my whole life around. Everything I do – is going to be for that dog now. Not only is that dog helping me – I hope I’m helping that dog,” Hambright adds.
After 13 weeks of in home training, Hambright and Beatrice will be on their own. The cost of training a service dog is about $50,000 but there’s no charge for the dogs.
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 […]