Dear Friend,
There's something so special about placement week! At DBL, we do things in a bit differently, by traveling to our clients and making placements in the client's home. This eliminates the need for the client to travel to our campuses, while also allowing for a more successful and personalized placement. You and your fellow members of The Pack help make these placements possible!
I wanted to share a story about one of our recent placements, of Service Dog Brady and his new handler, Bruce. Bruce and his wife, Linda, are thrilled to have Brady in their lives. Bruce had a Hearing Assistance Dog years ago, who he adored, and now he’s ready to have that support again. With Brady by his side, Bruce will have help with important sounds at home, and Linda feels a huge sense of relief knowing Bruce has a reliable companion when she’s not around.
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| Brady’s impact is already being felt. He’s reliable, focused in public, and excels at sound work, alerting Bruce to the doorbell, smoke alarm, door knock, name call, and even retrieving dropped keys! Brady's tail never stops wagging while he works—he truly loves what he does! Bruce and Linda have been deeply impressed with Brady’s training, his enthusiasm for the job, and his impeccable behavior, whether in public or during grooming sessions. |
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| This successful placement highlights the power of collaboration. Brady was donated to DBL by Project to Heal, raised through our Prison Puppy Raising Program in Ohio, and then trained further by Dana at our West Coast campus. Every step of the way, Brady received excellent care and training, preparing him for this new chapter with Bruce.
Thank you for your continued support. Because of your generosity, stories like Bruce and Brady’s are possible. Your commitment ensures that more lives are changed for the better every day, and for that, we are deeply grateful.
Sincerely,
Bryan Williams
CEO, Dogs for Better Lives |
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| 🎉 Welcome to our newest Pack Members! 🎉
Catherine & Laura |
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| | | It's time for a pup-date from Rocky!
Rocky has been busy this month learning some new skills! Rocky is already picking them up quickly. He's practicing "stand," "pivot," "fix," and "touch," and his progress has been impressive.
This month, Rocky also joined his Puppy Raiser, Jenna, and her family for a fun outing to the pumpkin patch. He supervised the pumpkin cannon, led the way through the corn maze (getting everyone a little lost), and helped the family pick out the perfect pumpkins. On the ride home, he sneakily ate a whole gourd—only the stem and a few seeds were left behind! He seemed quite pleased with himself!
Fun story of the month
"Rocky loves to make himself comfortable, and his favorite sleeping position is on his back in his crate, legs in the air. He’s committed to it every night, and we often catch him snoring away—it’s become a normal part of our nighttime routine!" said Jenna.
Check back next month for more from Rocky! |
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| | Celebrating 8 Years of Service with Indy
Last month we celebrated the incredible 8-year partnership between Hearing Assistance Dog Indy and his handler, Phoebe. Indy is a great example how a former shelter dog - even a small dog - can be a Service Dog! Phoebe shared how much she relies on Indy, especially for alerting her to sounds like the oven timer and doorbell, and expressed how much joy his companionship has brought into her life. She also mentioned that Indy is one of the smartest dogs she's ever known! Congratulations to this amazing team on 8 wonderful years together!
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| | Northeast Campus Training Teamwork
Trainers at our Northeast Campus have been working with their Assistance Dogs in training for awhile, and many of their training adventures take advantage of teamwork. Together, they worked on handling distractions in stores (shaking noodle boxes, heeling past stuffed animals, even walking by butcher bones), played follow the leader, practicing duration on obedience cues (like sitting under Christmas decorations, down on the sidewalk with traffic, and being stepped over). Having our dogs work alongside each other is a great way to get them used to distractions, and our trainers can learn from one another as well!
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| | We Need Your Help
We are aiming to be listed again at a Top-Rated Nonprofit with GreatNonprofits in 2024, and we need your help! We need at least 10 reviews to keep our top rating, By sharing your experience with Dogs for Better Lives, you can help us raise visibility with potential donors and volunteers. It only takes 3 minutes, and every story makes a difference! Leave a review on GreatNonprofits. |
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| | Supporter Spotlight
Meet David and MaryJo, two longtime supporters of Dogs for Better Lives. Their passion for helping people and dogs led them to give through their Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), making it possible to transform lives with life-changing Service Dogs.
“We hope additional funding means DBL will be able to raise and train more Service Dogs to fulfill the mission of the organization, enhancing human lives and maintaining a lifelong commitment to all the dogs DBL rescues or breeds.” says David.
Their DAF contribution is helping to fund follow-up care for Service Dog teams, ensuring ongoing success for those DBL serves. Read their story.
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