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We are back with another edition of The Paw Print! Read on for all of the updates from the last few months about Hero Dogs programs, events, and more. As always, thank you for your support of our work! | |
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Hero Dogs Fred is a facility dog at the Frederick Police Department in Frederick, MD.
Facility dogs assist people in ways distinct from other types of working dogs. In partnership with a trained handler employed by the facility, they work full-time with staff to achieve specific treatment or program goals through animal-assisted therapy.
The Frederick Police Department (FPD) is a local police agency committed to providing excellent police service and making Frederick a unique and wonderful place in which citizens thrive.
Fred is partnered with a School Resource Officer Maggie Lee, who is part of FPD's Outreach Unit and Multicultural Liaison Unit, and is a Certified Crisis Negotiator. Fred accompanies her across these duties and the pair primarily works at the Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD).
Fred assists Lee with many aspects of her job and excels at his tasks, including:
- comforting and providing companionship throughout the day to MSD students and staff;
- participating in mental health support procedures, such as de-escalation of emotional crises;
- conducting classroom visits and interacting during arrival and dismissal;
- attending school and community functions as a representative of both MSD and FPD, such as the EXITO Summer STEM Program at Centro Hispano de Frederick and MSD's Mental Health Awareness Week.
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Follow Fred on Instagram
to keep up with his work!
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Officer Lee described one of many situations where Fred has made a positive impact: A student who was continually struggling while at school requested a visit with Fred over her lunch break. "When her lunch was over she went back to class with no issues. I received a text later that day from our behavioral support staff thanking me and Fred and letting us know that after that visit the student had completely turned her day around and had zero issues the rest of the school day." The student now regularly stops by Fred & Lee's shared office for quick visits between classes.
One MSD staff member remarked, "It's like a different school with Fred here. Smiles on Monday mornings from teenagers!"
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The 4th Annual Hero Dogs 5K9 was a success! | |
Two Hero Dogs Begin Advanced Training! | | |
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Hero Dogs love to get out in the community and explore new places! Thank you to our volunteers for attending events, for giving the dogs these training opportunities, and for representing Hero Dogs! | |
On April 18th, Executive Director Nikki and service dog in training Hero Dogs AC attended the annual L&G Charity Sporting Clays Competition! Big thanks to The L&G Group and The Trip McNealy Foundation for hosting this event and for sponsoring AC! | |
The Fort Meade Safety Day and Resiliency Fair took place on May 23rd, aiming to raise awareness and safety around common summer season health hazards. Therapy dog Hero Dogs Sue enjoyed getting pets while introducing attendees to our organization. | |
One of our favorite ways to socialize future assistance dogs is by bringing them for visits with first responders! Before going home with their puppy raisers, Hero Dogs Tex and AC spent quality time with the police departments of Greenbelt, MD and Montgomery County, MD. | |
Service dog in training Hero Dogs Virginia and Hero Dogs staff recently attended the 2024 Janney Wealth Management Conference in Baltimore. Janney Montgomery Scott selected Hero Dogs as their conference charity partner and raised over $25,000 for our programs! | |
Hero Dogs Spirit and Bertha Deliver 11 Healthy Puppies! | |
Hero Dogs Spirit and Bertha recently gave birth to their first litters just a day apart last week! Spirit delivered three boys and two girls on July 4th and Bertha followed the next day with six puppies: two girls and four boys. Our thanks to Service Dogs of Virginia and Guide Dogs of Texas for taking care of the mamas and babies, who are all doing well. |
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In May, we got together to celebrate all of our volunteers and to give a special recognition to those who have contributed 5 years of service to Hero Dogs! Thank you to everyone who attended! | |
Deloitte chose Hero Dogs as one of the recipients of their recent Impact Day and in June they painted our office space, fixed holes and cleaned up the play yard, planted flowers, and donated and assembled a picnic table. | |
Welcoming Six New Puppies to Hero Dogs! | |
This quarter was packed with puppies!
In March we welcome Hero Dogs Alex Cohen (AC), who is sponsored by The Trip McNealy Foundation, and Hero Dogs Jerry Glenn Faught (Tex), who is sponsored by D’Ann Melnick of Life in Moco.
Hero Dogs Gunner and Hero Dogs S1c John Coltrane, USN (Coltrane) arrived six weeks later—generously donated to Hero Dogs by Osprey Labradors. Gunner's sponsor is Arcfield and Coltrane's is Jazz Solutions, Inc.
Finally, in late June, we added two more dogs to our program: Hero Dogs Brigadier General Virgil L. Zoller, USAF (Virgil), sponsored by the Affeldt family, and Hero Dogs Dr. Guy Ernest McFarland, Jr. (Guy), sponsored by Dave McFarland, to our Puppy Program.
Follow each puppy on Instagram to keep up with their training: @HeroDogsAC, @HeroDogsTex, @HeroDogsGunner, @HeroDogsColtrane, @HeroDogsVirgil, and @HeroDogsGuy.
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We are always on the look
out for Puppy Raisers!
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Interested in raising a future service dog?
Visit our Raise a Hero Dog page to learn more about what it takes to raise a puppy with Hero Dogs. If you have any questions about the process, please email hero@hero-dogs.org.
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