NEADS Nation
If Vegas Could Talk
When Harvard University closed its campus in mid-March, Full-Time Puppy Raiser and Harvard student Amanda had to return home. Vegas is now living with NEADS Trainer Magen Blake, where he is continuing the work he started with Amanda. Amanda wrote Vegas a parting letter, and we’ve written what we imagine would be his reply if he could talk.
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It Takes an Extraordinary Dog…
“It takes an extraordinary dog to give someone an ordinary life.” – Katelynne Steinke and NEADS Service Dog Jones
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NEADS Service Dogs in Training Visit Pearl Street Home
Seven NEADS Service Dogs in Training recently visited Open Sky’s Pearl Street, Leominster home for young adults. The visit was a win-win experience for both the pups and the residents.
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78th Graduation Recognizes 21 New Service Dog Teams
NEADS held its 78th Graduation Ceremony on Sunday, November 3 at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (“Monty Tech”). Supported by family, friends, NEADS staff, volunteer puppy raisers, and other supporters, NEADS…
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18 Consecutive 4-Star Ratings from Charity Navigator
NEADS’ strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it another 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. This is the 17th consecutive time that NEADS has earned this top distinction. In fact, with only one other organization that has received as many, NEADS is at the very top of the 10 Charities with the Most Consecutive 4-Star Ratings list.
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NEADS Nation Gets Dressed for World Class Service Dogs
“It takes an extraordinary dog to make an ordinary life,” Katelynne Steinke, with NEADS Service Dog Jones, told guests at the October 18th Get Dressed. Give Back. fundraiser for NEADS.…
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Volunteer Spotlight: David Giammatteo
David Giammatteo of Westminster, MA has always been a dog person—in fact, his friends call him a “dog whisperer” for his ability to communicate with dogs of all kinds. That…
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NEADS at the PawSox
NEADS Nation was out in full force at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, RI for the June 23 PawSox game against the Indianapolis Indians. It was a beautiful day for a…
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NEADS Celebrates the Opening of its State-of-the-Art Canine Center
On Saturday, June 1, NEADS hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the completion of its new, state-of-the art Canine Center. NEADS was honored to have special guest Lieutenant Governor…
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BRAVECTO – and Merck Animal Health – Care
At NEADS, the health of our dogs is crucial. In fact, along with training and temperament, healthcare is one of the three key elements in the making of a World…
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77th Graduation Celebrates 16 New Service Dog Teams
NEADS held its 77th Graduation in April at Monty Tech to celebrate its newest Service Dog teams. This spring’s graduating class represents a wide range of NEADS Service Dogs, including…
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Teams Test Their Strength, Raise Funds for NEADS
On Saturday, May 4, NEADS held its third Pulling 4 Paws Truck Pull, a fundraiser/team strength competition in which participants work together to pull a full-sized flatbed truck. The event…
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Spotlight on: NEADS Canine Center Volunteers
NEADS currently has nearly 60 Nursery, ELC (Early Learning Center), and Kennel volunteers. In 2018, they contributed more than 2,700 hours to do a wide range of activities, including: spending…
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Treat Drive for National Dog Biscuit Day
Just in time for National Dog Biscuit Day on Saturday, NEADS is kicking off a treat drive. Can you help us reach our goal of 200 bags of top-quality, high…
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What It Is Like Having A Service Dog
I have always been a dog person.
When I was injured in 2011, I briefly entertained the idea of having a dog, but felt I needed to take care of myself more and didn’t want to put extra responsibility on the caregivers who help me. You see, after my spinal cord injury, my life became a constant battle between different therapies, doctors’ appointments, home exercise, and just getting my life back to some normalcy. This took me a little over a year, but even then, I didn’t feel as though I could comfortably take care of a dog. Now that I have Oliver, I somewhat regret not getting a dog sooner.… but then, if I had gotten a dog sooner, it wouldn’t have been Oliver.
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