Service Dogs Reunite With the People Who Raised Them Right Before Graduation
After months of rigorous training, 75 devoted pups got to thank their puppy raisers with joy, tears, and lots of kisses.
One of the biggest milestones in the life of a service dog is graduation day. After spending six to nine months undergoing advanced training, the dedicated pups are finally ready to take on their life-changing duties. But before sending off their latest graduating class, the team at Canine Companions organized a heartfelt surprise: a reunion with the dedicated volunteer raisers who loved and nurtured them from puppyhood.
From the time they are eight weeks old until about a year and a half, these future service dogs live with volunteer puppy raisers to learn socialization and foundational obedience. After months apart while finishing their formal training, seeing their original caregivers brought an overwhelming rush of pure joy.
“There are wiggly butts, wagging tails, happy barks, wide eyes and doggie smiles, tears of pride and more puppy kisses than you can count,” Morgan Walker, director of public relations and marketing at Canine Companions, told . “Some dogs run and leap straight into their raiser’s lap, or practically tackle them with excitement. You can’t help but smile and feel the love between them.”
