We’re celebrating International Assistance Dog Week with our friends at @adiintl! For people with disabilities, receiving a service dog can be truly life-changing. At FSD, we are proud to partner custom-trained service dogs, professional therapy dogs, and skilled companions with children, teens, and adults with disabilities, as well as mental health professionals. If you want to learn more about Freedom Service Dogs and how you can get involved, we are just a call or click away!
#freedomservicedogs #adi #iadw #iadw2024 #internationalassistancedogweek #servicedog #assistancedog #servicedogintraining #dogs #servicedogsofinstagram #assistancedogsofinstagram
"Cruz saves my life every day"
Today we recognize Women Veterans Day, a day to honor the work of women in the United States Armed Forces and to acknowledge the unique challenges they face. Freedom Service Dogs extends our gratitude to all the brave women who have served and sacrificed for our country.
We are proud to highlight the incredible story of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Yve and her Freedom Service Dog Cruz. When asked about being a woman in the U.S. military, Yve says, "I thought it was great being the first! No other women in my family have served, and especially in the Marine Corps, having women serve in such an elite group, it's huge."
🌟Get your tickets and join us on April 25 for a night of disco glitz and glam at Diamonds in the Ruff: Disco InFURno!✨
Help us celebrate National Lab Day by becoming a volunteer puppy raiser for FSD! You can help us become the wonderful service dogs we’re meant to be. Plus, you’ll get an endless amount of Lab puppy breath! Visit our website at freedomservicedogs.org to learn more!
#NationalLabradorRetrieverDay
Captions:
Happy National Labrador Retriever Day!
Did you know that, oftentimes, Labs make great service dogs? That’s why at Freedom Service Dogs, they typically choose us to help clients in need! Why? We’re friendly, outgoing, affectionate, and work well with human partners.
We’re social dogs that love to have a job! Did we mention that we’re food-driven? At FSD, we’re trained using positive reinforcement methods, which means we are given lots of treats and praise for our hard work. And boy, do we love it! We’re super smart and easy to train, which makes us not only good service dogs, but also great therapy dogs, friends, and family companions.
We’re medium sized dogs, which makes us a great size for service work. We can get our paws up on surfaces and we’re strong enough to do things like open doors and drawers. Many of us at FSD are also trained to put weight on our human to help ground them and keep them calm, which is why our weight is ideal.
Help us celebrate National Lab Day by becoming a volunteer puppy raiser for FSD! You can help us become the wonderful service dogs we’re meant to be. Plus, you’ll get an endless amount of Lab puppy breath! Visit our website at freedomservicedogs.org to learn more!
Every week is #SharkWeek when you're a teething puppy! If you're not afraid of shark pups, we need YOU to become a volunteer PUPPY RAISER! Contact us for more info today. #sharkweek2023 #cronch
Raise a Puppy, Change a Life
CUTENESS ALERT🚨: Check out our new video! 🎥
It’s finally here: the full-length director’s cut of our new Raise a Puppy, Change a Life video! It’s filled with sweet service dog hopefuls, as well as answers to common questions about becoming a volunteer puppy raiser for FSD. Prepare yourself for pupper preciousness, and please share with anyone you know who might be interested in raising a future Freedom Service Dog (we have volunteers all over the U.S.)!
Raise a Puppy, Change a Life
Got 90 seconds? Watch our irresistible new video, filled with puppy preciousness and the happy smiles of FSD volunteer puppy raisers who have opened their hearts and homes to our small service dog candidates. Will you say "YES" to raising a puppy?
June is PTSD Awareness Month, and we’re asking you to help us spread the word that effective PTSD treatments are available, including service dogs custom trained by FSD to assist veterans and active-duty military with PTSD. Our highly skilled service dogs can help alleviate the symptoms of PTSD for veterans by interrupting nightmares and flashbacks, creating space around them in public to reduce anxiety, and more. As U.S. Army veteran Cindy says of her FSD service dog, “Finley is my lifeline.” Learn more about our PTSD-Assist Program for veterans: https://freedomservicedogs.org/service-dogs/#ptsd
Just Play It Cool: Tips for Interacting with Service Dogs
We wanted to share this video from the FSD vault, as it's been a few years, but it's still timely. If you’ve ever wondered whether to pet—or even ask to pet—a working dog, this animated video will demonstrate the do’s and don’ts of service dog etiquette and explain why it’s so important to “just play it cool.”
Say hello to the newest member of our team: Calvin the kitten! Besides being ridiculously adorable, this little bundle of fur has a very special purrrrrpose: to help socialize our puppies so they learn how to coexist peacefully with feline friends. Welcome, Calvin—we 💙 you meowy much! 😻
Denver Broncos Andrew Beck Visits FSD
Denver Broncos fullback/tight end Andrew Beck has been selected as the team's nominee for the 2021 Salute to Service Award, and he stopped by our facility for a special visit to tour our facility, meet one of our veteran teams, and of course, for some quality cuddle time with our puppies and future service dogs! We're so grateful to Andrew for his commitment to supporting military service members and their families and for his belief in our mission. #SaluteToService
FSD service dog Bonus is doing her part to save the planet by recycling on cue! This is an example of the continuous learning and teaching that takes place within our client-dog partnerships--talk about a bonus! 🌎🐾🐾
Little Bey Hopes to be a Service Dog Someday
She's cute. She's cuddly. She's playful. She's always learning. Bey is a little Labrador who aspires to be a service dog when she grows up!
It’s good to be back! The Doggie Plunge presented by BOK Financial is in full swing! Who let the dogs out? WE DID!
FSD Graduates: U.S. Air Force Veteran Eric & Service Dog Goose
Almost 15 years ago, U.S. Air Force member Eric was struck by a vehicle traveling 45-55 mph, resulting in traumatic brain injury and upper-body paralysis. “Took a three-month nap,” recalls Eric of his hospitalization following the accident, “woke up, and that’s when my recovery journey started.” Today, with the love and support of his girlfriend and caregiver, and the assistance of FSD service dog Goose, Eric is living a life that is fuller and happier every day. Learn why Eric says, “This animal gives me reason to wake up in the morning. Goose has improved my life more than I can even put into words.”
Faces of Freedom: Denver 2021
On June 25, 138 enthusiastic supporters and more than 45 hardworking volunteers took part in our Faces of Freedom: Denver Sporting Clays Tournament at Kiowa Creek Sporting Club in Bennett, Colo. Now in its eighth year, the event raised more than $109,000 to support Operation Freedom, a program of FSD that places service dogs with veterans. Check out this awesome event footage, courtesy of our friends at Ascent Geomatics Solutions. If you missed Colorado’s friendly competition, there’s still time to join us in Texas for Faces of Freedom: Midland on Sept. 17! https://freedomservicedogs.org/events/faces-of-freedom/midland/.
Adorable puppy alert! This tiny service dog sprout is working on getting desensitized to riding on things that move, which will help set her up for successful, stress-free rides on planes, trains, and automobiles in the future. We give her an A+ for adaptability! ✈️🚂🚙