Service Animals

Service animals bring gifts of safety and comfort to their owners. Dog service animals also give their owners the ability to move through their lives in ways that would otherwise be daunting, if not impossible. Whether it’s dogs or cat service animals in your life, these creatures are to be treasured for their generous, loving hearts.

Craig (left) tells the whole story of this Maine State Prison program

Training Service Dogs Gave Them a Second Chance at Life

By Craig Grossi7 min read

As a prison guard he looked down on the veteran inmates. But then he learned how working with the dogs had changed them—and him.

Wellie and Jennifer; Photo courtesy: Jennifer Warsing

Deaf During the Pandemic: “It Was a Blessing in Disguise for Me”

By Megan Troise2 min read

She struggled with Covid-19 protocols—the closed businesses, wearing a mask—but her service dog and faith helped her cope.

Peggy Frezon with her husband Mike, and her therapy dog Ernest. Photo by Roy Gumpel

A Golden Retriever Helped Her Handle Her Panic Attack

By Peggy Frezon7 min read

She’d trained Ernest as a therapy dog, but now she needed his help with her anxiety.

Therapy Dog International cerifciation. Photo by Roy Gumpel

Love on a Leash

By Jessie Bowman2 min read

Therapy dogs can help lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety for people in settings like schools and hospitals.

A Dog Trainer Shares How Therapy Benefits Those with Anxiety

Peggy Frezon shares how she came to be inspired to train therapy dogs and offers tips on how to deal with anxiety.

Army veteran and service dog trariner Christy Gardner

An Army Veteran and Her Service Dog, Moxie

Christy Gardner, who was injured while on active duty overseas, shares how she came to be paired with her service dog and the vital role that Moxie plays in her life.

These Working Animals Wow Us

By Megan Troise2 min read

These animals have a job to do.

One Couple’s Puppy Rescue Mission

By Anna Maria Chiasson8 min read

She wanted to rescue the dog that had comforted her husband while he served in Afghanistan, but how could a college student possibly raise the necessary money?