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Year of the NEADS Dog Month 7 – Advances in Training in Prison

This month in our Year of the NEADS Dog series,, we check in to see how our puppy is progressing in prison.

What does a Hospital Assistance Dog Do?

We’re sometimes asked about the difference between a Service Dog, an Assistance Dog for the Hospital and a pet therapy dog. While on the surface they may appear similar, there are four key differences: training, public access, task trained, and trained to work in many environments.

Year of the NEADS Dog Month 6 – Weekend Training and Socialization Advances

We’re halfway through our Year of the NEADS Dog series, in which we highlight the transition our Service Dogs in Training make during their first year with us, and it’s time to check back in with our Weekend Puppy Raisers. Housetraining is mostly complete, and, after several months of spending weekends with their pup, these…

NEADS Earns Most 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.

Ask the Vet: Don’t risk your dog’s life in the summer heat

As we enter the warm summer months, it’s fun to get outside to run, walk or play with our beloved and eager dogs.

But the heat can be deadly for dogs – and we’re not just talking about the tragic stories of pets locked in hot cars. Every year at BluePearl Veterinary Partners hospitals, we see dogs that have become dangerously ill or even died after going on hikes with their owners, playing too strenuously at a dog park or even being left in the yard.

Jocelyn and Service Dog Sammie

Jocelyn, an Air Force veteran and NEADS first female TAD client, was matched with Service Dog Sammie in 2017. Here’s her story:

I now know why there is a sign in the NEADS client house that says, “Every once in a while a dog enters your life and changes everything.” Little did I know just how quickly everything would change for the better when Sammie entered my life.

5 Things to Know about Service Dogs

What does a Service Dog do? Can I pet your Service Dog? Why is that Service Dog in this store? We answer questions about Service Dogs every day, and have put together this handy information sheet about the top 5 things to know about Service Dogs.

The Big Dog Show Exhibit Features NEADS Service Dog Rescue

This summer, visitors to Shipyard Park, Boston National Historical Park, and the Harbor Walk will be greeted by 20 8 foot high Cor-Ten steel American Dog sculptures as part of a new art installation, “The Big Dog Show.” Created by award winning sculptor Dale Rogers, the exhibit is on display from June 21 to September…

Year of the NEADS Dog Month 5 – Veterinary Care in Prison

This month, our Year of the NEADS Dog series, in which we highlight the transition our Service Dogs in Training make during their first year with us, focuses on the all-important veterinary care of the pups in prison. While day-to-day monitoring of the pups’ health falls to the inmates and the prison liaisons, NEADS has…

Reading with Rescue in Worcester

It was early Thursday morning, and excitement and anticipation filled the air as children from Quinsigamond School in Worcester waited for the arrival of some very special guests. Authors Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, along with NEADS Service Dog Rescue, were visiting the school to share their inspirational story of Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing…

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By Amanda Charbonneau | Jan 21, 2019

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By NEADS World Class Service Dogs | Jan 21, 2019

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Year of the NEADS Dog Month 12 – Specialized Training

By NEADS World Class Service Dogs | Jan 17, 2019

Welcome to month 12 of our Year of the NEADS Dog series, in which we highlight the transition our Service Dogs in Training make during their first year with us. This month, we take a look at one of the final steps in a dog’s training – specialized training for a specific “career”. As we…

Hanae Witkum

By Amanda Charbonneau | Jan 8, 2019

Hi, my name is Hanae! I just turned 16 and got the best birthday wish ever. My parents applied for a Service Dog for me through NEADS! We went on an interview which I was very nervous about – I get teary sometimes when I have to talk about myself – and we were accepted…

What It Is Like Having A Service Dog

By NEADS World Class Service Dogs | Jan 1, 2019

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.

Thank you for a World Class 2018

By NEADS World Class Service Dogs | Dec 31, 2018

At NEADS, it takes a nation to raise a World Class Service Dog. NEADS Nation is made up of many people contributing in many ways for many different reasons.

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