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service animals

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Cecilia Hernandez and her service dog Canela during commencement ceremony at Rollins College.

One of the most gratifying parts of graduating college is getting to walk across the stage during the commencement ceremony to collect that hard-earned degree. And for Rollins College student Cecilia Hernandez (@salad_and_crouton), who studied chemistry, her walk across the stage was side-by-side with her beloved service dog, Canela, who helped her accomplish her studies in the chemistry lab.

During the ceremony, Hernandez wasn't the only one recognized for her hard work—service animal Canela was also presented with a special patch in recognition of her outstanding support. The sweet moment was captured on video, which included a heartfelt speech from the school's dean.

"My service dog received a special patch for her vest in recognition of her hard work at graduation," she captioned the video.

As Cecilia's name is called to accept her diploma (she graduated Cum Laude), the dean gives a heartwarming speech to also honor Canela. "In addition to presenting Cecilia with her diploma, we also wish to recognize the service companion who who has accompanied her throughout her Rollins career, Canela," he says. "Cecilia majored in Chemistry, which required Canela to undergo special training to prepare her to join Cecilia in the laboratory. I am very pleased to present this service badge to Canela, in recognition of her contributions to Cecilia's success at Rollins."

In the post, Cecilia shared more details about how special Canela's role was to her. "Having a service dog in chemistry is nearly unheard of. It required many, many training sessions just to get her used to wearing PPE," she wrote. "As I did research for an undergraduate thesis, this required even longer days in the lab. I am beyond grateful @rollinscollege provided such a wonderful campus and community, allowing me to thrive with my service dog by my side."

In another video shared by Hernandez, she gave a behind-the-scenes look at graduation day for the duo. Together, they wore matching grad caps, and Canela also received an award from Rollins' Chemistry Department for her work.

Hernandez previously opened up to her followers on social media about how she was initially paired with Canela. "In 2021, I had a rough start to college. I had undergone emergency surgery and struggled with my health," she shared in the video's caption. "To help, I got Canela to help navigate my disability."

The video pans to Canela as just a puppy. She continues, "We began training. She took to it very quickly. Eventually, she became a full time service dog. However, having a service dog in chemistry can be difficult."

In the commen section, Hernandez explained just what Canela's training to be in the chemistry lab entailed. "She needed to be trained to wear her PPE at all times in the lab. Most dogs struggle with wearing garments. Also she needed to have a very solid 'stay' as she needs to lay on a mat in the lab. (The mat just protects her from any potential contaminants on the floor)," she shared. "Additionally, just in general, she had to learn how to do medical alerts while wearing said gear. So how to get my attention without causing a distraction."

After overcoming difficulties, Hernandez never gave up on her dreams of pursuing a career in chemistry. And her hope is to advocate for more representation and accessibility in STEM.

And viewers of her graduation video with Canela cannot get enough. "Canela is looking around 'what? Like it's hard?' a la Elle Woods💕," one commented. Another added, "Stacked with cords and everything!! Get it girl!! Congrats and good luck with all your endeavors!! (Please give Canela extra pets for me!)." And another touched viewer wrote, "🙌🙌 yay congratulations to you and your pup you two are gonna go places and achieve so much."

Debi Krakar had a golden retriever named Riley who wanted to give love to everyone she met.

Riley was so loving, in fact, that Krakar couldn’t keep her sweetness all to herself. In 2006, she decided to get her pup certified as a therapy dog; the process involved training to give affection and comfort in places such as hospitals, nursing homes, and schools.

Whenever Krakar’s kids had friends over, the children immediately gravitated toward Riley, so once she was certified, Krakar focused primarily on taking her to schools. Riley taught students how to interact safely with dogs and, in the process, helped even the most timid kids learn social skills.


Photo courtesy of Debi Krakar.

“[She] had a true gift for knowing when to lay down and be still — for the elderly or for a scared child — and when to be her happy, bouncy self,” Krakar says.

The students adored Riley. Anyone who looked into her big, dark eyes couldn’t help but smile.

After witnessing how Riley could brighten up a classroom, Krakar wanted everyone to have the chance to enjoy their own canine companion.

She had already been volunteering with a German Shepherd rescue organization that found homes for homeless dogs, and she loved helping match rescue dogs with their forever families.

However, getting dogs adopted was harder than she had ever expected. Many rescue organizations have strict rules for potential pet parents. In fact, Krakar had experienced firsthand how their requirements could sometimes rule out responsible families.

Back in 2003, she had applied to foster dogs for a golden retriever rescue group, but they told her she wasn’t a good fit. “They said my house was too clean and they didn’t think I could handle the fur,” she says, laughing. “But I cleaned it because [they] were coming over — that’s what my mama taught me!”

A child reads to a therapy dog named Bacchus. Photo by The Dog Alliance.

When she watched Riley in the classroom, Krakar thought back to that discouraging experience. She became determined to help responsible families adopt the dogs they deserve. So she began taking dog training classes to learn more about what makes a stellar dog owner.

“I just immersed myself in everything dog and learned what I could,” she says.

Slowly but surely, she developed a business plan for an organization that would run therapeutic dog-related programs including training classes, an education center, and promoting youth literacy by having children read to dogs.

With help from volunteers, Krakar transformed her plan into reality and officially opened The Dog Alliance in Austin, Texas, in late 2006.

The Dog Alliance teaches owners how to train their dogs, which helps create stable homes for the dogs themselves. The idea is that people are more likely to keep their dogs if they know how to deal with common problems like misbehavior.

Owners and dogs can also sign up as therapy dog teams to spread joy to people in hospitals, workplaces, and schools, just like Krakar and Riley once did. The organization currently has about 175 teams visiting people at over 300 sites where the dogs help relieve stress with their wagging tails and cuddly personalities.

Buzz the therapy dog at work. Photo by The Dog Alliance.

However, despite the program’s success, the Dog Alliance was still missing something: a service dog program for veterans. People would often ask Krakar if her team trained service dogs for veterans with PTSD or other disabilities. Even though she saw the need for it, she didn’t think the organization was ready for such a complicated project at first.

“It’s a huge undertaking,” she explains.

While the training process is similar to that of therapy dogs, service dog training is different. Therapy animals are still considered pets, whereas service dogs are working dogs who have to learn to perform tasks like waking their handler from nightmares or retrieving medication.

However, many of The Dog Alliance staff members and volunteers were passionate about the idea of working with veterans. They knew from the veterans in their lives that service dogs can help heal trauma. Plus, their therapy dogs already had a calming effect on elderly and disabled residents in veterans homes.

So in 2016, after much consideration, Krakar decided to start Hounds for Heroes, a program that provides veterans with service dogs for free.

Staff Sgt. Patrick Stockwell with his service dog, Jenny. Image via The Dog Alliance.

The Dog Alliance trainers select and train shelter dogs for the program, and many of their trainees become successful service dogs.

However, some of the dogs aren’t quite right for the task. Service dogs for veterans don’t just need specific training — they need to have the right temperament and a clean bill of health.

Some of that criteria is simply impossible to determine in a shelter dog. For example, since shelter dogs don’t come with complete family trees, Krakar’s team can’t screen for genetic health problems. For a dog that’s helping its handler with mobility issues, a genetic issue like weak hips might make it hard for the dog to work later in life.

With that in mind, The Dog Alliance started its very own breeding program to produce dogs with the ideal mental and physical traits for veterans. They’ve actually just had their first litter of eight adorable pups.

Roxy with her puppies, the first litter from The Dog Alliance breeding program. Photo by Emily McCall Photography, used with permission.

The puppies were born in March 2018 and are already preparing for service dog life with socialization, obedience classes, and exposure to a variety of settings. They’ll be ready to go home with their handlers when they're 14 to 18 months old.

Krakar looks forward to the day when the puppies are thriving in loving homes and giving veterans the help they need to heal.

“[A service animal] gives veterans hope,” says Krakar. “They feel like theyre not out there all by themselves. Theyre sharing [their lives] with someone.”

That sense of hope motivates her to keep expanding The Dog Alliance to reach more people in need.

Debi Krakar with two service dog puppies. Photo by Emily McCall Photography, used with permission.

When she first volunteered with Riley, she didn’t expect to end up creating her own nonprofit. She didn’t even have the experience for such an endeavor. But that didn’t stop her from changing lives, both human and canine.

While Riley passed away in February 2016 from cancer, she inspired an incredible group of dogs and trainers. She even helped Krakar come out of her shell and make friends within a community of dog lovers — a gift that continues to give to this day.

“She taught me how soothing a dog could be to those under stress,” says Krakar. “All of us at The Dog Alliance strive to be as nonjudgmental and accepting as Riley.”

Imagine you're a guide dog: You're a dog with a job.  You love your human, and you want to keep them safe and healthy. So you're working all day.

You'd need a break, a few moments that are just about you, right?  

Right.


And one dog's going hilariously viral for the sneaky way he's guiding his human into his plan for treating himself. Internet, meet Danielle Sykora (human) and Thai, the goodest and craftiest Labrador/golden retriever that's done ever retrieved. (Of course, they're all good dogs, Brent.)

After that caption, you may be asking yourself, "'Mad loyal to her otherwise?' What does that even mean?" And it's a good question — without context, the dog in that photo looks like he would never betray his human and that he could do anything he sets his mind to. He wants to fly a plane? I'd get a first-class ticket for the ride. He wants to be president? I'd vote for him. Thai wants to run the world? Beyoncé might consider allowing it. How could anyone say no to that face?

Thai's sneaky, "disloyal" behavior is so wholesome, so pure, it's about to make your whole day.

Here's the story: BuzzFeed reports that when Danielle, a college student, comes home for the weekend, she likes to go to the mall with her dad, her sister Michele, and Thai. The last time they all went shopping, Michele's dad told her to tread carefully because he was fairly certain Thai was about to walk Danielle past every other store and right into his favorite shop: a wonderland of dog toys, treats, and fine home decor aptly called Cool Dog Gear.

How did Danielle's dad know? Thai had happily done it before.

Because we live in a world where "video or it didn't happen" is the battle cry of the internet, Michele got it recorded.

Two things.

First: Have you ever considered comic sans is probably the font that dogs think in? That sign wasn't meant for humans; it was meant for dogs. Who else would be taken in by the store name Cool Dog Gear but a retriever? (What I'm saying here is that I think dogs can read.)

Second: How cool is that? Dogs — they're just like us! When they want to shop, they want to shop! Sometimes, we all just need a bit of retail therapy.

Thai was handsomely rewarded for his subterfuge. According to Michele, with whom I connected on Twitter, whenever the pupper heads to Cool Dog Gear's treat bar, he's rewarded with a hard-earned snack. (He's done it about six times at the time of this story.)

Of course, Thai is an incredible guide dog.

Danielle told BuzzFeed that Thai is smart and full of energy. Of course, he's also a little "mischievous." According to her, Thai jumped on top of a cake only a week after he came to live with her. Yet he always keeps Danielle safe, her sister tells me.

"He has never ever put her in any type of harm," Michele says. "He is so smart. He just really likes taking her to places that have good food smells."

Isn't that all we're looking for in a friend — someone to share good food smells with? Danielle said she'd much rather have an impish guide dog, one who will take her to Starbucks because he knows she likes it (and he gets a puppuccino, of course), than one who's always perfectly behaved.

One thing's for certain, the internet loOOOoves Thai (that was my impression of a doggie howl).

After Michele's tweet went viral, people from all over chimed in with praise and their own adorable stories of service animals going just a tiny bit rogue.

If there's one lesson Thai teaches us, it's to always act like you belong.

Hard agree, @SarahMunozzz.

Congratulations, Thai! You've gotten a treat, made the world a better place, and even started important conversations in the Twitter comments about how people living with disabilities use social media. That deserves another trip to the mall.

You know what? Thai may even be giving this golden — who's been my favorite for years — a run for his money.

I shared this video with Michele over DM, by the way. Her response? "That is exactly what Thai would have done."

True
Megan Leavey

We all know dogs are (hu)man's best friend.

Our pets keep us company, take us on adventures, and teach us about unconditional love. In return, we give them food and shelter and train them to do silly things.

This mutt does a mean "roll over."


But service and working dogs take their relationship with humans a step further — these pups are trained with skills that can save lives. Did you know that some dogs can detect allergens in your food? And get help in an emergency situation?

Here are 13 impressive things service and working dogs can be trained to do that help save lives:

1. Smell blood sugar levels.

When blood sugar levels change, the human body releases chemicals that dogs can smell. Diabetic-alert dogs are trained to smell when their partner's blood sugar level is dangerously off and to let them know that action is needed to get those levels back in the safe zone.

Luke, a boy with Type 1 diabetes, has a diabetic-alert dog named Jedi, who alerted him to low glucose levels:

 
 
 

 Good low Jedi. #diabeticalertdog

 

A post shared by Luke and Jedi (@lukeandjedi) on

2. Find a person buried in an avalanche.

If you're ever caught in an avalanche, having a dog on the search-and-rescue team could drastically increase your chances of survival. An avalanche dog can search 2.5 acres in 30 minutes. (It would take a team of humans up to four hours to cover the same ground.) These skilled canines sniff the snow for a pool of human scent; when they find it, they alert their handler and start digging.

Keena the avalanche pup is training in Colorado:

 
 
 

 SEARCH! #puppyintraining #avydog #drive #rocket #chickenhawk #imgoingtogetyou @ruffwear @avyinstitute @grandtargheeresort

 

A post shared by Keena The Avalanche Pup (@keenatheavalanchepup) on

3. Alert you to the sound of a fire alarm.

Hearing dogs are trained to assist people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These pups alert their partners to a wide variety of sounds: a door knock, a spoken name, an alarm clock, a fire alarm, and more.

Like any service dog, hearing dogs require years of committed training to perform their tasks. But even these furballs — like Sophie the collie/lab mix — need a little down time!

4. Support someone who has PTSD.

A post-traumatic stress disorder service dog can detect early signs of anxiety then nudge, paw, lick, and generally distract their human from potential triggers in the environment, giving their partner a chance to regain control.

5. Detect changes in blood pressure.

When a person's blood pressure or heartbeat changes rapidly, a cardiac-alert dog can warn the person of this danger. Without this signal, people with conditions like dysautonomia risk passing out (among many other complications) due to severe blood pressure changes.

Here, medical-alert dog Blaine cuddles with his handler:

 
 
 

 Don't know what I would do without him 💙

 

A post shared by Nicole & Blaine Reynolds (@stilllifewithblaine) on

6. Get help in an emergency situation.

Many service dogs can be trained to summon help in an emergency situation, whether it's finding another person to assist their human or using a special phone to call 911.

7. Protect people during seizures.

Some seizure dogs are trained to alert their handler before a seizure (similar to a cardiac-alert dog) while others respond a certain way during or after a seizure — such as barking for help, moving away certain objects that could be dangerous, or protecting their human as they collapse.

This adorable mug belongs to Riley, a seizure-alert and response dog:

8. Deliver medical supplies to injured soldiers.

During World War I, "mercy dogs" were trained to search a battlefield for wounded soldiers. The dogs carried packs with medical supplies that soldiers could use to treat their own injuries. Some dogs were trained to retrieve a handler to assist the injured soldier.

Below, Lt. Col. Edwin H. Richardson poses with Red Cross war dogs during World War I:

Image via Library of Congress.

9. Detect potential allergens in food.

Some people don't like peanuts. Some people go into anaphylactic shock and risk serious health complications or even death if they touch peanuts.

For the latter, allergy detection dogs can be trained to sniff out allergens like peanuts, milk, soy, latex, or other substances. The pup can alert their human of the danger or even block the person from going near the allergen.

10. Support someone with autism.

Autism service dogs provide crucial companionship for their partners, and some are trained to alert and respond to certain triggers. For example, if a human has trouble with anxiety or sensory processing, their pup can provide calming comfort by lying on top of them — a technique called "deep pressure therapy."

Ultron, an autism service dog in training, helps his partner Axton navigate the world more confidently and independently:

 
 
 

 They make a great team! ❤️🐶 #servicedog #autismservicedog #ateamforever #greatdaneservicedog #aboyandhisdog #skyzone #greatdane

 

A post shared by Journey of Ultron and Axton (@journeyofultronandaxton) on

11. Guide a person who is visually impaired.

Guide dogs are loyal pups who are trained to help those who are blind or visually impaired physically navigate the world. Humans have been training dogs for this purpose for centuries, and the practice of dogs helping guide people is actually so old that we'll never really know how or when it began.

This little guide dog in training, Smudge, isn't quite big enough for her harness yet:

12. Sniff out explosives.

Bomb-sniffing dogs alert their handler if they smell even a small amount of explosives. These dogs are common in the military, but they also save lives working with organizations like the United Nations Mine Action Service. UNMAS uses mine detection dogs to de-mine conflict-heavy places, including Colombia and Sudan.

13. Provide physical balance and support.

Brace and mobility service dogs help their humans physically get around by opening doors, picking things up off the ground, helping their partners up from a fall, providing counterbalancing or bracing while walking, and more.

Here you can clearly see service dog Kaline's mobility harness:

People tend to talk about how fortunate dogs are to have devoted humans looking out for them. We spend years training them and thousands of dollars on food, vet visits, cute outfits (don't deny it), and treats — the list goes on.

But as lucky as dogs are to have us, we're infinitely more lucky to have them sticking with us every step of the way.