Sarah, a Military Sexual Trauma survivor, served in the Army from 2005 to 2007. Sarah had an accident, falling from a height of about 19 feet. During this time, she requested compassionate reassignment due to her husband at the time being ill. After her husband passed away, she got out of the military. “I stayed basically locked in my house, failing to adapt to civilian life,” Sarah said. (more…)
Exercise is a crucial part of the physical and mental health of your dog. When exercising with your dog, safety is key to preventing injury or long-term physical issues. At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we’ve put together some tips for safely exercising your dog, providing them with physical and mental enrichment.
Why is Exercise Important for a Service Dog?
Exercise is important for all dogs – especially service dogs. Since these dogs are working every day, they need mental and physical down time just like people. It keeps them in shape and allows them to release any excess energy they may have. We all need a way to have fun, be physically and mentally fit, so some well thought out, safe exercises are the answer. When receiving a service dog, it’s important to prepare your home including scheduling time for exercise.
Play Catch
Most of our dogs and lots of pet dogs love for their human to throw a ball. This is a great way to exercise your dog, and you too! Everyone loves seeing how athletic their dog can be by jumping up in the air to catch a ball, but when throwing their ball or other toy, only throw it low and straight away from you. Jumping up isn’t so bad, but the landing puts tremendous impact on their muscles and joints. They can tear ligaments or have long term joint inflammation that leads to early, crippling arthritis. If you truly love your dog, then respect him by practicing this exercise correctly so your dog won’t injure themselves by jumping up.
Depending on the disability of our recipients, there are also automatic ball launchers that can be used in place of throwing the ball for their service dog. You can teach the dog to drop the ball right into it and it will launch back out providing entertainment for your dog. Regardless of your ability to interact with your dog physically, you should always be with him while playing to further your bond.
Build a Confidence Course
For a more imaginative activity, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs builds confidence courses for our service dogs. These are both a physical and mental release for the dog while also serving as a team building exercise between the dog and handler or recipient.
To put these courses together, we build different platforms, steps, sway bridges, tunnels, wobble tables, tunnels and tires. It’s best to build them just a foot or two off the ground to be sure they stay safe if they jump off. These courses are only limited by your imagination. You can switch it up, go at it forward and backwards, etc. Just have fun while building your bond.
With a confidence course, you will need to go slowly at first, allowing the dog to ease into it. We do everything with positive reinforcement, helping them to find their comfort zone. These courses are great exercise for both the dog and the recipient.
Practice Obedience Drills
In addition to throwing a ball or using a confidence course, you can also go through the dog’s obedience such as sit, down, heal, recalls, etc. Practicing their obedience training with positive reinforcement is a great way to keep their skills sharp, exercise them physically and mentally, while also helping you and your dog learn to work well together. Bonding with your service dog is a crucial part of your relationship with them. If you are making it fun, they will always enjoy working for you. It is also a crucial part of being a pet owner in general.
Play Time Activities to Avoid
You never want to encourage your dog to jump or lunge for a treat or a toy. When you do this, you are teaching them to jump on the person holding the toy or treat. If the dog is big, then they could knock the person over or scratch them. They could also accidentally catch your hand or fingers with a tooth which never feels good. This type of activity is not proper communication with your pet because you are telling him/her that it’s okay to jump on people sometimes, but then in other cases, jumping won’t be allowed – very confusing messaging to the dog.
For example:
If the dog just came in with muddy feet and jumps on you right before you’re all dressed up about to go out, then you’re going to be mad at the dog for jumping when you are the one who taught them to jump on you in the first place. For many reasons, we strongly advise against teaching them to jump or lunge like this when playing.
As explained above, you don’t want to launch toys up in the air for them to catch. While dogs are fabulous athletes and we enjoy seeing them demonstrate their abilities, dogs do not realize that they can become injured from jumping into the air and hitting the ground. When they jump up like this, they can tear their equivalent to their ACL. It can also put tremendous impact on their joints, which can shorten their working life.
Always be aware of the temperature when you are playing outside. If it is too hot, only throw the ball 4-5 times. Many dogs are so ball driven that they would continue to catch the ball until they fall over with a heat stroke. If it is snowy and freezing weather, be sure to bring them in after a few minutes of playing so they can warm up their feet and toes again.
Want to Learn More About Service Dog Exercises? Contact us Today!
At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we are proud to serve as a service dog non-profit where we have helped hundreds of recipients regain their lives. We are dedicated to providing our service dogs with the best training and care. Contact us today to learn more or see if you are eligible for a service dog!
If you are going to be paired with a service dog, it is important to be prepared to with the correct knowledge and supplies needed to provide proper care to your service dog and set yourselves up for success. There are several things that you will need that we can explore below…
Keep a Water Bowl or Bucket Available
Just like a regular pet dog, your service dog should always have a water bowl or bucket available to them. You can place the water bowl/bucket in a room where they can access it easily. It’s best to place the water bowl/bucket on a mat or a towel to soak up any mess as some dogs can be very messy drinkers. Be sure to clean and refill it with fresh water daily.
Bedding
While many dogs sometimes prefer the hard floor, it’s always nice to provide them with a dog bed in the main areas you spend time in such as your living room, kitchen, or office. I would suggest one in your bedroom, but chances are your service dog may want to sleep in bed with you.
Toys for the Service Dog
When you receive a service dog through Guardian Angels Medical service Dogs, we already know what toys your service dog prefers. Because our dogs are large, we are very particular about the types of toys we use, so we will provide the appropriate toys at your pairing. Our service dogs will need toys that can withstand the wear and tear they put on them. Lower quality toys or plush toys can be easily shredded into pieces that the dog could consume, thus creating a potential serious or even life-threatening medical emergency. We never allow rawhides, cow hooves, etc., or any consumable toys.
Training Equipment for Your Service Dog
Training equipment will also be provided to you when you are paired with your Guardian Angels Medical Service Dog. This training equipment should never be changed without the advice from one of our trainers. Other people may do things differently than how are dogs are trained. Our dogs are not accustom to any harsh methods or training equipment. Our training methods are highly specialized and positive. We will teach you everything you need to know, and our trainers are always available to answer your questions or concerns.
Do I Need a Fence for My Service Dog?
At Guardian Angels, we highly prefer you have a fenced in yard, so the service dog has a place to run and play. Exercise is very important, even though they are working 24/7, they need to be able to play at least twice a day to stretch their legs, play ball and relax their minds. If you don’t have a fenced in yard, then you will need to find a place nearby that is fenced in. You can check out areas such as school yards, church yards, local community parks, etc. where your service dog can play ball, run, and have a good time while safely within a perimeter.
AVOID DOG PARKS with Your Service Dog
At Guardian Angels, we never allow dog parks for our service dogs for multiple reasons. They are a great place to pick up diseases, internal and external parasites such as worms, fleas, ticks, etc. Also, we never want our dogs to be in a situation where they would be challenged or jumped by an aggressive dog. Such an event can change their psyche making them defensive which could render them inappropriate as a service dog in the future. This is very serious, so protect your service dog. He is your lifeline.
Establish a Routine
When you first bring your dog home, we ask that you plan to stay home and continue your normal daily activities such as grocery shopping, working, going to school, etc. for the first couple of months. Do not host or attend large parties, attend concerts, go to shooting ranges, or other major activities in the beginning. This is because you and your service dog need time to bond. It’s very important that you get to know each other first and become comfortable with each other while doing everyday activities before adding any major activities as mentioned above. You should also talk to our trainers to be sure how to approach any new major activity as not all things are appropriate for a service dog or should be done in stages. Your trainer will advise you to insure your success.
Do Not Add Any Pets to Your Home
On the application, you will be asked what pets you already have in the home. These are the pets you can maintain once you’re paired, and no others. There are many variables we consider when choosing the most appropriate dog for you and your environment. If you tell us that you have goldfish, but you actually have three cats, the service dog may not cohabitate peacefully with them. Many of our dogs are fine with cats or other animals when working in public, but not all of them will share a home with other pets appropriately. Do not add pets to your home without notifying our trainers prior to considering such an addition.
Want to Learn More About Service Dogs? Contact us Today!
At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we are happy to answer any questions you may have about service dogs and how to prepare your home for when you are paired. Contact us today to learn more at www.medicalservicedogs.org
Be Consistent in How You Behave and Communicate. Being a responsible human partner to your dog is accomplished by learning to understand how your dog thinks so that you’re not doing things that can confuse and frustrate your dog. Being consistent is key, just as unclear messages often result in the dog having undesirable behaviors that you may have caused. Don’t make something okay some of the time and then not okay at other times. For example, you can’t give him bites off your plate sometimes and then expect him not to beg other times. You must be clear and consistent with your messages. (more…)
If you are looking for a way to gain education on the communication between people and dogs, understand dog behaviors and how to train your dog, check out Good Dogs! podcasts. (more…)
A service dog serves as an extension of their recipient, helping them with daily tasks they can no longer do such as different levels of mobility/balance assistance, or alerting them in advance to medical issues such as low blood sugar, seizures, or PTSD episodes.
If you have been considering the idea of getting a service dog, you may be wondering where to start.
Assess Your Needs to Determine if You Qualify
To qualify to receive a service dog from Guardian Angels you must have a permanent disability. A permanent disability is something that would be life-altering, which prevents you from enjoying normal, everyday activities without assistance. Disabilities such as diabetes, seizures, PTSD, mobility and other invisible and visible disabilities may cause complications that create challenges for people to go out in public or to live at home alone. Some of these disabilities can become life threatening because of sugar levels changing – sometimes without the person realizing it, or they have a seizure which can result in catastrophic injuries, or a PTSD episode that ends in severe depression. If there is no one there to help in some of these scenarios, it could be fatal. Mobility is another permanent disability causing people to need assistance with balance and/or picking up dropped items, and more. Others may be in a wheelchair or have impaired use their hands or fingers. There are various levels of mobility challenges. Permanent disabilities interfere with everyday life functions.
In addition to qualifying medically for a service dog, our organization requires that you be physically, cognitively, and financially capable of taking care of the dog. We don’t train third party care givers or family members to help, so the disabled individual must be able to go through our pairings where they learn how the dog was trained, how to embrace that working relationship and care for their service dog. Depending on the severity of the situation, it may be okay if someone has to help you pour the dog food, but you have to be able to feed the dog, play with the dog, ask the dog for what you need, take the dog outside, etc. This helps to create an important relationship between the dog and recipient. This helps the dog know that he/she needs to work for that disabled individual. If someone else is feeding and caring for the dog, and all good things are coming from someone else, why would the dog pay attention to someone else. Establishing this connection is crucial, which is why we have set our training program up this way. If a caregiver or family member needs to remind the recipient of certain things they need to do, that is acceptable as long as the recipient is able to carry out the responsibility. Since a lot of people do have memory issues and may not have someone that can help them, there are aids you can use to remember the tasks for caring for the dog such as setting alarms.
You also need to be able to care for the dog financially. Your service dog will require premium dog food, veterinary care, grooming, toys and all the things that he needs and deserves to be kept in top condition. This dog will complete your life by doing tasks that you can no longer do on your own, so it is important that he be maintained properly.
Further Requirements:
If you qualify as having a permanent disability, you will be asked to provide confirmation of disability from your doctor.
Next, we will also look at your environment to be sure it is suitable for a service dog. Recipients must have permanent long-term housing in order to qualify.
If you have other pets, this complicates the situation. We will only place a service dog in a household where the other dog is of the opposite sex. There also must be someone else in the home to care for the pet. A service dog is a working dog and is not for the rest of the family to play with. We prefer no other pets be present in the family because they can distract the service dogs. It’s only natural that the service dog may want to play with the pet in the home which could cause him/her to miss important medical cues from his recipient. Additionally, if the pet in the home is not mannerly, it can lead to the service dog picking up their bad habits. Therefore, we prefer no other dogs or cats in the home. Other pets can make it very difficult for us to place a service dog in the home if not impossible.
As you can see, there are many different variable that we need to take into account to ensure we are setting our recipients up for success.
Become familiar with Service Dogs Laws
At Guardian Angels, we will provide recipients with education on service dog laws to ensure they are prepared for public outings with their service dogs and are aware of their rights and rules that must be followed.
Prepare Your Home for Your Service Dog
We prefer a fenced in yard, which can make life easier for recipients. If the home is not equipped with a fence, we recommend recipients find a fenced in area. Keep in mind, we do not allow our service dogs to be taken to dog parks. These are places where they can pick disease, parasites, and potentially be attacked by other dogs. If there is a fenced in playground, church yard, or somewhere nearby, that can be used to exercise the dog, this could be an acceptable solution.
All dogs require mental down time through proper play and exercise. This keeps them in top working shape both mentally and physically.
Before You Are Paired:
We do a series of educational orientations before the recipient is paired with their dog, where we will instruct them on what they need for their dog, how to properly care for their dog, what their expectations should be, what their new level of responsibility will be to the service dog, etc.
How Can I Apply for a Service Dog Through Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs?
To apply for a service dog, you can visit our website or call for an application to be sent to you by US mail. We have an application tab on our website that will ask you a couple of questions and then forward an application to you. Once we have received your completed form, a member of our Recipient Relations team will reach out to you via email to continue the application process.
Please contact us today if you have any questions about service dogs or how to apply for one with our organization!
According to the National Center for PTSD, about twelve million adults in the United States have PTSD during a given year. They also state that about six out of every one hundred people, or 6% of the population, will have PTSD at some point in their life. This research also shows that eight out of every one hundred women and four out of every one hundred men in the United States will develop PTSD at some point in their lives.
What Is PTSD?
Many people believe PTSD to be a psychiatric disorder, however, it is important to dig deeper in understanding what it truly is. In the past, PTSD has been referred to as “shell shocked”, “Johnny Blues” or “combat fatigue”, etc., referring to combat veterans, but PTSD is something that can happen to any person, no matter their nationality, culture, age, or ethnicity. PTSD happens to many individuals who have experienced a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events in their life, such as a car accident, witnessing a traumatic event, assault, violence, bullying, etc.
Research has produced evidence that the Hippocampus portion of the brain and the neurotransmitters have been damaged. These play a role in balancing emotions, along with important chemicals such as oxytocin and cortisol levels in the body. These become out of balance causing the symptoms of psychological disorders. But I believe there is a definite difference in it being purely a mental/emotional issue versus physical brain damage. PTSD is not something that can be cured. Drugs and therapy are merely management tools. PTSD is a permanent invisible disability just like seizures or diabetes, etc. – you do not see any of these disabilities, but they are very real breakdowns within your body that cause problems.
Examples: Epilepsy causes seizures triggered by the brain. You don’t see the dysfunction in the brain with the naked eye until someone has a seizure. Diabetes causes serious highs and lows in the bloodstream, but you don’t see that with the naked eye until someone becomes cognitively impaired or comatose. You don’t see PTSD with the naked eye, but you do see the afflicted individual become abnormally hypervigilant, panic attacks, night terrors, and serious mood swings that can result in life threatening depression, anger and rage, self-isolation and more.
There are varying degrees of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that can involve any number of symptoms such as anxiety attacks, fear of being in crowded public places, nightmares, flashbacks and more. People with PTSD may also suffer from negative intrusive thoughts, avoidance, forgetfulness, angry outbursts, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, and more.
How Does a Service Dog Help with PTSD?
PTSD is one of the conditions that can make you eligible for a service dog. Service dogs use their keen sense of smell to identify when the body chemistry is changing. They begin to alert the recipient to the change in body chemistries before these manifest into panic attacks, nightmares, anxiety, etc. The dog intervenes before the symptoms become full-blown, by redirecting the disabled handler. A study by Perdue University found that once people got their service dogs, their chemical balances often came back into the normal range.
In the case of nightmares our service dogs interrupt them. Again, they are trained to alert to the chemical changes that are inducing the night terrors, so they awaken the recipient before they become full blown. We find the frequency of these nightmares is drastically reduced after receiving a service dog and life becomes much easier for the recipient with fewer panic attacks, ability to go out in public, less frequency/severity of night terrors, etc.
The service dogs are also trained in a technique called shielding. This skill prevents people from coming up behind the recipient or getting too close to their recipient in public by creating a non-aggressive, physical barrier between their recipient and the approaching stranger thus establishing a comfort zone to prevent startle sensitivity resulting in lower hypervigilance.
How Do Service Dogs Learn to Alert to PTSD?
Service dogs have a highly sophisticated sense of smell that allows them to alert the recipient in advance, helping their disabled recipient function in a safer, more normal manner throughout their daily life. We accomplish this by getting scent samples from a recipient after they have had a nightmare or a panic attack. We train with these samples, so our dogs know exactly what the body chemistry scent is like before they enter one of these episodes. This allows the dog to know when to intervene, stopping these attacks before they take place.
What Type of Training Do Medical Service Dogs Receive?
At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, our medical service dogs receive no less than 1,500 hours of service dog training over a year and a half to two years. This extensive training includes, but is not limited to, desensitization, confidence building, basic commands, advanced skills, socialization, and public access training to ensure they can assist the recipient with every aspect of their daily life.
In addition to scent training (which is also used for diabetic alert and seizure alert), our service dogs can be trained to assist recipients who have disabilities such mobility and balance issues. Our service dogs are custom trained to perform daily tasks such as picking up dropped items, closing, and opening doors, shutting off and turning on lights, and more depending on the needs of the recipient. With this extensive training, our service dogs can help our recipients regain their life with their families and friends while also regaining their independence, happiness, and dignity.
Interested in Learning More About Service Dogs? We’re Happy to Help!
At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we are happy to help you learn more about our dogs and our mission to help veterans, first responders, and others receive the service dog they need to regain their life.
Contact us today to learn more!
How Seizure Alert Dogs Assist Their Owners
Seizure alert dogs are service dogs that assist individuals who have seizures by alerting them prior to a seizure so the individual can find a safe place, take their medication, or do whatever they need to do to prepare for the seizure.
How a Seizure Alert Dog Is Trained
We collect scent samples from the individual before, during, or immediately after they have a seizure. The recipient sends us several different scent samples, and we work with the dog to ensure they can recognize that scent enabling them to alert their recipient in advance.
Dogs have an extremely sophisticated olfactory system; thus, they can smell things that we cannot even fathom. Prior to a person having a seizure, their body chemistry begins to change. These are the scents that we use to train the dog. The dog learns to detect this and alert their recipient, so that person knows it’s coming, and they can take whatever action is appropriate for their situation.
What Breed of Dog Can Detect Seizures?
All dogs have a better sense of smell than people do. Certain breeds are known for their sense of smell. What we look for is whether the dog has the whole package to serve as a service dog.
For example, a bloodhound is the number one dog with the most scent receptors, allowing it to detect these scents easily. However, bloodhounds were bred for a different purpose. They were developed to follow and track scents. As a result, they typically do not make as good of a service dog as another breed would.
The German Shephard and Beagle are tied for second place for having the most scent receptors in the nose. Obviously, the German Shepard is known for being a working dog and loves having a job. They have been an extremely versatile breed for decades as a service dog, a guard dog, a therapy dog, police dog, military dog, and many other functions.
A beagle, on the other hand, is a tracking dog like the Bloodhound and is trained to trail a scent. You will have a harder time getting these breeds to pay attention to you if there is a more exciting scent somewhere else.
The German Shepard is an excellent choice, as well as Golden retrievers and Labradors, who have a particularly good sense of smell and are also good working dogs that you will commonly see as service dogs. It’s not just the breed that can smell the best since they all have a better sense of smell than humans; it’s about the whole package. The dog must have all the appropriate traits for a service dog.
Can You Train Your Own Dog to Be a Seizure Alert Dog?
The challenge with training your own dog is that service dog training is a very advanced set of skills. Typically, pet trainers do not train service dog tasks. It could be possible if you’ve had experience training service dogs in the past, but that is only one element of being a service dog.
A service dog must be able to do a lot of things. He/she must be large enough to be out in public, so they don’t get stepped on or otherwise injured in crowds. Even our bigger service dogs get stepped on in crowded areas. A service dog must be brave enough to be comfortable working in public. We expect our dogs to alert 90% of the time or more. They are usually closer to 100%.
If the dog is distracted and fearful in public, he’s not paying attention to his recipient and the recipient’s needs. He’s no longer acting like a service dog. Instead, he’s acting like a dog that doesn’t want to be there. He’s not happy. A dog like that could become so fearful that if a person reaches for them, they could bite someone. Even if they are wearing a vest that says, “please do not pet,” people still reach for them all the time without asking. At times they hug and pet them before the recipient even knows what’s happening. This could be a disaster with an inappropriate dog in public.
A service dog can never be a public safety threat under any circumstances. An individual needs to know the correct etiquette and laws that pertain to both merchants and individuals that have service dogs. The concern is that individuals who want to train their own dog may not know all of these important aspects; they may not realize all the other training that needs to go into this dog, and sadly, that’s why we see a lot of inappropriate dogs in public today because they haven’t been properly desensitized, they haven’t had their confidence built, they haven’t developed the proper public access skills that they need to have, nor the obedience and manners they need.
There are so many things that need to be known to professionally train a service dog. That is why Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a national organization producing hundreds and hundreds of dogs that are professionally trained, thus very acceptable to be in public. Unfortunately, it’s often our dogs who are attacked by inappropriate dogs in public.
How Do You Qualify for a Seizure Alert Dog?
For any type of service dog, you simply need to fill out an application and send it in. This can be accomplished online, or you can have one mailed to you. The application asks a lot of questions because Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs must find out exactly what your needs are and your environment, etc., to make sure it is conducive for a working dog to do its job.
We ask for confirmation of disability because you must have a permanent disability to qualify for a service dog. There are different variables, but this is how you would start the process. Once you speak with our Recipient Relations Department, they will finish qualifying you through a Q & A over the phone.
If you qualify, you will receive a letter welcoming you to the waiting list. At some point, there will be a series of orientations to teach you what you need to know about your service dog before you ever get one. Once the service dog is fully trained, we pay all the expenses to have you come to our headquarters, where you will spend ten days learning about your new dog, bonding and making sure you and the dog work well together.
Once the dog finishes his/her training, and the recipient finishes their on-line training with us (i.e.: learning how to care for their dog and the expectations of a service dog, among other important training), we then do the actual pairing. This is when we introduce the dog and the person and teach the recipient how the dog alerts. Not all dogs alert the same way, so it is important for the recipients to understand their dog’s specific alert.
Want to Learn More About Seizure Alert Dogs? We Can Help!
At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we are happy to answer any questions you may have about seizure-alert dogs and other types of service dogs. How they are trained, and how they can help you or another individual. Feel free to contact us today to learn more!
U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh recognized Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs as one of the 835 recipients of the 2022 HIRE Vets Medallion Award during a virtual award ceremony presented by the U.S. Department of Labor. Guardian Angels is one of only 19 Platinum awardees in the State of Florida, and one of only 66 Florida companies to receive a HIRE VETS award of any level from the Department of Labor.
The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act (HIRE Vets Act) Medallion Program is the only federal award program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Founder and CEO, Carol Borden stated: “At Guardian Angels, it is not only our mission to serve our veterans with disabilities, but to hire and train veterans for civilian career paths as well. Our veterans have given so much of themselves to serve our country and all of us. I believe, it is now our responsibility as Americans to do whatever possible to assist them in their transition from military to civilian life”.
Guardian Angels is honored to join 835 other companies from 49 states, plus the District of Columbia, who have shown a commitment to hiring veterans, but also ensuring that they have a long-term career and growth plan that uses the diverse skills they acquired through their military service.
Recipients of the 2022 HIRE Vets Medallion Award meet rigorous employment and veteran integration assistance criteria, including veteran hiring and retention percentages; availability of veteran-specific resources; leadership programming for veterans; dedicated human resource efforts; pay compensation and tuition assistance programs for veterans. More than 1,400 employers have earned a HIRE Vets Medallion Award since 2018.
About Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs:
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a 501(C)3 Based in Florida that rescues, raises, trains and then donates individually trained medical service dogs to veterans, first-responders and others who suffer from disabilities including PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, seizure and diabetic disorders, mobility issues and much more. Over the past 12 years, Guardian Angels has paired hundreds of individually trained medical service dogs with recipients across the nation, and with your help, that number can continue to grow. Visit our website at: www.MedicalServiceDogs.org to get involved or learn more.
Pittsburgh, PA November 21, 2023: Chris Ann Phillips, Chief Administrative officer of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs has been awarded the Pittsburgh Veteran of the Year by veteran-owned Military Friendly® in a contest sponsored by Fort Pitt Capital Group.
Phillips was chosen from among six outstanding veterans through public online voting. Those candidates included another Guardian Angels’ staff member, Mr. Jack Wagner.
Chris Ann’s story will be highlighted in the April 2023 issue of G.I. Jobs Magazine, which is distributed free to transitioning service members and veterans worldwide.
Chris Ann has been deeply involved in the veteran community for more than 20 years. Before joining Guardian Angels, Chris Ann established the military recruiting program for PNC Bank, and was the lead in creating the Community Mutt Strut. Chris Ann has served as a mentor for American Corporate Partners, and a recipient of the ESGR Patriot Award. She was a two-time finalist for the UA Chamber of Commerce’s Colonel Michael Endres Leadership Award and serves as the Director of Development for Pittsburgh Warrior Hockey.
Notified about the award, Chris Ann said: “I am honored to receive this award on behalf of all of us that serve our nation’s veterans. It is a privilege to be the voice of those in the veteran community, no matter the need. In my role at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, I am blessed to be part of a mission that truly saves lives. My work is not done and as long as one veteran is in need, I will continue to serve”.
Phillips served in the United States Marine Corps from 1981 to 1985, separating as a Sergeant.
Military Friendly will present the award to Chris Ann at this year’s Gala of Angels, a fundraising event to be held on December 7 in Pittsburgh.
Gina, who was paired with her service dog Rhino in 2018, has intractable epilepsy from a TBI (traumatic brain injury). Rhino is specifically trained to alert Gina before a seizure happens so that she can get to safety. (more…)
Blake Sowers, Apprentice at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs and US Army Veteran, joined the Guardian Angels team in July 2022. (more…)
From November 14th through the 20th, we are celebrating National Apprenticeship Week! At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, our apprentices learn to play a vital role with our organization by helping to train our amazing service dogs to assist disabled recipients. (more…)
On October 2nd, Maranda Jacob the National Recipient Relations Director at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs celebrated her 5th year with the organization. Maranda previously worked in the human services field since she received her Bachelors in 2005. Since 2013, she had been working for Child Protective Services and was looking for a change due to feelings of being burnt out and to preserve her mental health. (more…)
At Guardian Angels, mobility dogs are trained based on the needs of the individual. For some people they need help with balance or help getting out of a chair or off the floor. In other cases, mobility issues can be more complex for individuals who need the assistance of a service dog, which is why our training is tailored to the needs of the recipient. (more…)
