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 January 17, 2024
# Sarah & Eddie — A Bond of Friendship and Confidence
### A Loving, Energetic Service Dog
Early on, we realized Eddie was a precocious, high energy pup who needed a  (and eventually) a recipient she could love that would give her all the exercise, service dog tasks, and doggy play dates she could get! The star of her service dog training class, Eddie, , was ready to become a service dog earlier than most. At just 18 months (6 to 8 months earlier than usual), Eddie met Sarah, and an immediate friendship was born.
For Sarah, there was a lot leading up to that special day when she met Eddie. Having suffered a stroke a few years ago that caused physical disabilities, Sarah’s confidence was hit hard. “It was challenging for me to do the simplest things. Anything that required leaving the house — like running to the post office or going to the supermarket — was difficult physically. But my worst fear was falling in public and having to wait for someone to come get me.”
After searching online for solutions, Sarah discovered a service dog could be just what she needed.  turned out to be the right service dog organization for her:
* They seemed much less corporate and a lot more personal.
* Their process and how they let the dogs choose who they wanted to be with was unique and gave Sarah something to look forward to.
* Most of all, they really cared about people and their service dogs.
Sarah submitted her  to Putnam Service Dogs. Within a few months, she was invited for a “meet and greet”. The Head Trainer felt Sarah was a good potential match for several dogs featured at the Meet & Greet, and she had a fenced yard!
 Sarah immediately liked Eddie when she met her. “Eddie was the friendliest, most loving dog! I remember thinking, ‘There’s no way I’ll get paired with her,’ because everyone wanted her.” Eddie still had a few months of training left, so when Sarah received a call to come see Eddie again a few months later, she was surprised — and thrilled!
***Over the past couple of weeks she’s begun to pick up on signs that I’m getting tired before I can even feel it and she slows me down. My hands get very shaky at times and I struggle to grip things, so having her pick up dropped items has been a life saver for me.” — Sarah***
Sarah remembers what it felt like that day. “Being chosen by Eddie restored a sense of confidence in me that I had lost after having a stroke. It was easy to see she was looking and watching for me that day. And that’s never stopped. She’s always looking out for me.”
### Training alongside Eddie
Next up was some personalized training to be sure Eddie knew all of her cues and that Sarah understood how to give them (and reward them!) properly. “We spent the day at the trainer’s home having Eddie follow me, making sure she would respond to me when I walked away, stay focused or look for me — and she did!”
 With Sarah using a cane to walk, Eddie can be significantly faster. They had to work on adapting Eddie’s speed to match Sara’s, but it only took a day and Eddie knew what to do.
 More recently, Sarah and Eddie joined Melissa (Putnam Service Dog’s trainer) for additional training and to take the Public Access Test. “Melissa is wonderful! She’s given me a lot of great tips. In public, Eddie has a tendency to get up to greet others passing by. She just gets excited, but we’re working with her to stay on task. She’s great at not exiting the car until I tell her to; she stays at my pace and walks at my side, not away from me; she stops when I stop; she can walk through a food aisle and not go after food.”
### Daily Care, Love, and Service
For Sarah and Eddie, the caring, loving, and serving goes both ways — and is quite natural. “She will lick your face off the moment she meets you. She makes everyone around her feel loved, which I love about her. I have friends and family members who are leery of dogs, but it didn’t take long for Eddie to win them over.”
 Putnam Service Dogs take great pride in their humane treatment  of their dogs. As a pup, Eddie had itchy skin and weighed on the lower end of her expected range.  Sarah regularly takes Eddie for check ups at the vet and keeps her on the vet-recommended prescription diet. Eddie gets brushed every day and a bath once a week. So far all tests have turned out fine.
 As socializing is one of Eddie’s specialties, Sarah takes Eddie to work with her at a Center that provides ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) Therapy. Eddie also joins her when Sarah coaches Varsity Cheerleading — a real treat for everyone! “When we’re out, I ask others not to pet her. I need her to stay on task, and she does.”
### What life looks like today for Sarah and Eddie:
Having Eddie has truly been  for Sarah.
 “The biggest impact Eddie has had on my life is the amount of independence I’ve gained. I can do so much more by myself like running general errands, going shopping, even just taking walks without needing someone to come with me. When Eddie walks with me, she helps me keep my balance. It can be easy for me to get anxious when I’m out. But not with Eddie by my side. When she’s with me, I have a sense of normalcy that I’ve not had in a long time — and I’m grateful.”
 For Eddie and Sarah, they’re both living their “happy ever after.”
### Volunteer to Raise a Service Dog Puppy!
Want to create puppy-raising memories you’ll treasure the rest of your life? Bring a great pup into your home to raise and love, and help someone less fortunate than you!
 Learn more about the joys of being a .
!Nancy Teague, the founder of Putnam Service Dogs, is a dedicated advocate who embodies the mission of the organization every single day. Alongside the passionate individuals who have joined the cause, she works tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of both people and dogs. With an unwavering commitment to championing service dogs, Nancy understands the transformative power that occurs when a service dog is matched with its recipient, forging a remarkable team.
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Brewster, NY 10509
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Putnam Service Dogs is a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible. EIN/Tax ID #81-4137033.
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# 4 Ways to Donate to Putnam Service Dogs
#### Increase your impact with charitable giving through a donor advised fund.
Through estate bequests, you can make a bigger impact for individuals with disabilities (other than blindness) — and transform the lives of rescue dogs!
Donate through your Brokerage Designated Fund or any charitable giving account. We accept used cars, trucks, boats, and RVs.
### What is a donor advised fund?
A donor advised fund (DAF) is a charitable giving program that allows you to combine the most favorable tax benefits with the flexibility to support your favorite causes. If you have a donor advised fund,  enables you to recommend grants to this nonprofit directly from your DAF (as long as your DAF’s sponsoring organization is participating).
### Donate with a Credit Card or Check
LOVE WHAT WE DO? Your Donation makes an impact! Lift up 2 Lives. Select from a one-time donation or donating monthly on our website Donate pages. We're a 501(c)3, Platinum Candid (Guidestar) & 4\* Charity Navigator Organization.
If you prefer to donate with a check, please mail it to: Putnam Service Dogs
PO Box 573
LEARN MORE
### Other Ways to Donate
Our Venmo Account is @putnam\_service\_dogs.
Text 269-89, put psd in the message, hit send, and you'll be taken to our donate page.
Donate through your  Brokerage Designated Fund (link below on this page).
Make an impact through an estate bequest.
We accept used cars, trucks, boats and RV’s.
DO SOMETHING GREAT! Your donation supports our cause and changes lives. We're a 501(c)3 and a 4\* Charity Navigator Organization.
Contact us at info@putnamservicedogs.org
### Volunteer
Our Volunteer Puppy Raisers are indispensable to our Mission! We also need volunteers for events, administration, vacation relief homes and more.
Please contact us at info@putnamservicedogs.org
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## Your donation saves lives!
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Comments for Putnam Service Dogs, Inc.
We provide free service dogs for those in need
Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:31:40 +0000
hourly
1
# Service Dog Volunteer Opportunities
## Become a Puppy Raiser
Our Volunteer Puppy Raisers are indispensable to our providing free service dogs to people with physical disabilities other than blindness and Veterans with PTSD. This is a Volunteer Opportunity where you’ll really make an impact!  Help someone less fortunate. You’ll live with a  great dog for 6, 12 or 18 months – your choice. Our trainers will guide and support you.
This is an intellectually fascinating process; converting a pup into a Service Dog. You’ll be Lifting Up 2 Lives –  the mixed breed rescue pup you raise, and its person. Either as a service dog, or a release dog, our pups transform the life of their person – helping them to live happier, fuller, more independent lives.
As a puppy raiser, your efforts will make a direct impact! We provide you with supplies, food, grooming, and vet care for the pup – you provide transportation to take the pup out to socialize, to the vet, groomer, training sessions, etc.
For more information, please contact us at info@putnamservicedogs.org
!!
## Non-Dog Volunteer Opportunities
We also need volunteers to help us at our fundraising events. This involves usually 3 hours of time. Upcoming events are posted under Events.
If you have specialized skills and experience – marketing, fundraising, computer, data entry, administration, etc., we could use your help!
For more information regarding these non-dog Volunteer opportunities, please contact us at info@putnamservicedogs.org
## Vacation Relief Home & Weekend Fosters
Vacation Relief Homes care for our pups when our raisers need relief – usually for a few days to a few weeks. Our trainers will teach you how to care for our pups, consistent with our training approach. The raisers will bring the pup, and all its needed supplies to your home. You’ll be asked to help us ocassionally – probably once every couple of months or so. This is an essential Volunteer position for us, but not one that requires effort every day of the year, as our Volunteer Puppy Raiser opportunity does.
Weekend Fosters pick up a pup and all its supplies Friday by 4pm at our Brewster, NY Center, and return all Monday after 9am. Your role is to further socialize our pup to a new home and people, keep the pup safe and happy, and give our Center employees the weekend off once a month!
## Your donation changes lives - 1 dog at a time!