Susquehanna Service Dogs
Dogs are one of the most intelligent animals around. With the proper training, they can aid people with disabilities and help them live happier and more independent lives.
The Susquehanna Service Dogs’ (SSD) mission is to support people with disabilities as they explore their interests, pursue dreams, and achieve them. They create opportunities for growth so all people can be valued as contributing members of their community. SSD advocates for inclusivity because they want people to pursue their goals home, work, and in their community.
What Service Dogs Can Do
Many people can benefit from a service dog. This includes people with conditions affecting hearing, mobility, mental health, neurological functioning, cognition, and more. Service dogs can do a whole lot of good. Here are just a few examples of tasks they can be trained for, depending on the individual’s disabilities.
- Guide people with visual impairments
- Signal certain sounds for those who are deaf
- Retrieve items for people with mobility issues
- Alert about impending seizures or diabetic attacks
- Remind people to take prescribed medication
- Calm people with PTSD and anxiety
- Provide companionship
The Robin C. Reedy Center
The special ribbon cutting for the grand opening of The Robin C. Reedy Center was on Thursday, May 12th located in East Hanover Township, about 25 minutes from Harrisburg.
Willow Street Pictures, the SSD trainers and community members are excited about the opening of the new facility. Before then, they were using a horse barn for many years. The Robin C. Reedy Center is specifically designed to train their assistance dogs more efficiently and meet the needs of partners and volunteers. The new training center is 15,000 square feet and has 24 kennels. The floor is also rubberized! This feature makes it easy to clean and prevents the dogs from slipping when practicing cues such as “sit.” As of May 27th, puppy classes have begun in the Reedy Center. The large space gives the dogs room to practice their skills while also in the proximity to other dogs.
SSD thanks the many that helped to make the opening possible including Robin Reedy and all their donors. They will continue to breed, raise, and train service dogs. But it takes a community to do this. It costs over $30,000 to fully fund the training of the puppies as they become skilled working dogs who will change people’s lives. The organization receives no government funding. As a result, Susquehanna Service Dogs rely on donations and welcome them.
Spreading the Word
Willow Street Pictures was happy to partner with Susquehanna Service Dogs and donate our creative services to spread the word about the new facility. Through creating a video showcasing the center’s grand opening, we were able to help this great nonprofit organization spread the word about their great work. We are blessed to be able to give back to organizations like SSD who bring joy and opportunities to individuals. And to all our clients over the past 20 years who have made donations like this one possible, thank you!