Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canine’s Autism service dog graduate, Rosie O’Donnell, shares her experience with the nonprofit and what autism service dogs can do, not only for the child with autism but for the entire family. Learning … Read more
Category: Graduate Tales
Olive’s Journey: A Symphony of Hope in Autism Parenthood
December 26, 2023Greetings, When my son, Jaxx, was born, I didn’t know much about parenting, let alone raising a child with Autism. Initially, what seemed like normal baby behavior turned out to be stemming—repetitive movements or sounds. I didn’t realize at the time, … Read more
A Perfect Match: Eugene & Opal
December 21, 2023Volunteers at Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines (GDA|TLC) have a tremendous impact on people’s lives. From retirees to long-time supporters – even our very own graduates – our volunteers come from all walks of life! Meet Eugene … Read more
Rekindling Hope: A Veteran’s Journey with her Service Dog
December 12, 2023There is no greater joy than watching my son and service dog playfully chase each other around the trampoline in our backyard. Not too long ago, this was a moment I couldn’t enjoy. As a proud veteran who served our … Read more
Permission to Heal in “Thank You For Your Service”
April 19, 2023Watch our graduate veteran, Lorilei, maneuver through life with her service dog Orbit in this documentary short featured in The New Yorker!
“Service Dogs Lead the Way to Hope!
March 15, 2023Starting with the puppy-raisers! Read this recent article in FYI 50+ magazine on how puppy raising changes lives. Click here to read the full article.
Donnell & Bennett, Veteran Service Dog Recipient
December 19, 2022“You Are Strong” Donnell is a Navy Veteran who served as an Intelligence Specialist. He deployed to Bosnia as a part of the PFIWC team (Persons Formerly Indicted For War Crimes), where he provided Intelligence support to bring war criminals … Read more
Crossing with Confidence
October 6, 2021Although Lorri Bernson can’t see, the guiding eyes at her side allow her to accomplish what others may find impossible. Lorri Bernson is standing at the corner, patiently waiting to cross the bustling intersection outside her apartment. The sound and … Read more
I am an Army veteran that served near the Kuwaiti border during the Gulf War.
January 10, 2020While I was in combat I was exposed to serin and cycloserin nerve gas, which has affected my cognitive function and damaged my nervous system. I am mobile and fairly high functioning, but I have difficulty with too much stimulation, … Read more
Orbit Brought Me Back to Life
December 10, 2019“I am a combat veteran with chronic PTSD and I have secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). My brain and spinal cord have dozens of areas of damage that affect all aspects of my daily life. TLCAD matched Orbit and me … Read more