Dear Friends-
I know I speak for all our recipients as well as those on our long waiting list, when I thank you for all you do and all you have given to support our mission. Because of you, after thirteen years, we continue to maintain a ZERO suicide rate and less than a 3% divorce rate. Many of the people who have come to us have had multiple suicide attempts but are no longer destined to be a statistic thanks to you providing their Guardian Angels medical service dog. Guardian Angels has many milestones to our credit, but this one will always remain the most important. (more…)
The Community Mutt Strut, presented by PNC Bank and sponsored by many great companies, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, is just around the corner. This event will be held on September 16 on the Great Lawn at the North Shore from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (more…)
When it comes to training service dogs for our recipients at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we only choose the best, which is why we work mainly with German Shepherds.
This breed is highly intelligent and has an extremely sophisticated sense of smell, also known as an olfactory system, which they rely on heavily to complete many of their tasks for their recipient. They also love being with their person and having a job, making them a great choice as a working dog for our recipients. (more…)
Whether you have a pet or service dog, keeping them safe when swimming, boating, or playing around bodies of water is your top priority. Without taking proper safety precautions, your pet or service dog can become injured or drown while out on the water, so it is important to have training and safety measures in place to keep them safe. (more…)
For years, people thought that PTSD was an emotional issue. It has carried several different names throughout the generations, including Shellshock, Johnny Blues, Combat Fatigue, etc. Today, we know that this condition is known by the name of post-traumatic stress. (more…)
Many people do not realize the difference between visible and invisible disabilities. As human beings, we are visual creatures. When we see someone walking with a cane, in a wheelchair, or with braces on their legs, we immediately realize that this person has a disability, and we can put that in terms that our mind understands. What we don’t see is the cashier ringing up your groceries who may have a very serious diabetic imbalance – a brittle diabetic that could suddenly collapse or become incoherent because you don’t see diabetes externally until something happens. (more…)
The volunteers at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs are critically important. In fact, when I first started the organization, there was little to no funding. Therefore, I depended a lot on what volunteers were willing to do and capable of doing for me. They were a huge asset in many capacities, such as writing thank you notes, helping with cleaning and feeding the dogs, etc. Some of them even became our volunteer founding board members that are still with our organization today. (more…)
In honor of Women’s History Month, I would like to share my experiences as a female CEO and Founder of three non-profit organizations (a service dog organization, an Institute for Higher Learning, and a veterinary teaching hospital. I have loved all animals my entire life, had extensive experience with multiple species including training dogs professionally for most of my life, in addition to managing big box stores. (more…)
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…)
We will mark down 2022 in history and fondly remember it as the year we accomplished another great milestone for our organization and the people we serve. In addition, to changing the lives of so many people for the better, we created another supportive branch of our organization. We are so proud to have hired our first veterinarian and opened our own veterinary hospital on campus. This hospital will not only take care of the health care needs of our dogs in training but also our paired teams and employee pets as well. (more…)
Dear Friends,
Today 61 million people in the United States are living with disabilities and that number grows daily. In addition to the many disabilities people suffer from, they are also more likely to face serious social isolation, anxiety and depression which leads to a higher risk of death. All these issues take a serious toll on families, businesses, and our communities. (more…)
As the daughter of a Korean War veteran and the mother of a son that did three tours of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as an American, I believe we should be filled with appreciation and gratitude for the liberties and freedoms which have been secured by those willing to undertake the tremendous burdens of war. (more…)
As summer draws to an end, the fun at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is just beginning! The Community Mutt Strut, a free virtual and in-person event, is coming to Pittsburgh in person on September 10th and will also be held virtually from September 7th-10th. (more…)
At Guardian Angels, while our Veterinary Care Department has always done a fabulous job taking care of our dogs and paired teams, we have now taken it to the next level. We are excited to introduce the Borden Veterinary Hospital located on our campus in Williston, FL. This on-site, non-profit hospital will oversee the care and provide for all medical needs of our dogs on campus. It will also provide oversight and guidance to all our teams across the country, as well as one-on-one care for our local teams for any of their medical needs. (more…)
