Fresno declares a special week to honor assistance dogs who do so much for their humans

Each year during the first full week of August, International Assistance Dog Week is celebrated around the world. It is a time we celebrate the contributions of assistance dogs and their importance. This year the celebration runs from Sunday, Aug. 1 through Saturday, Aug. 7.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer issued a proclamation to “Canine Partners for Life,” recognizing and honoring all assistance dogs. In addition to me and Zern in attendance to receive the proclamation, Toni Eames, former co-founder and president of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, and her guide dog Adora also participated.

This is the time each year that we recognize these devoted, hardworking dogs helping individuals like me mitigate their disability-related limitations. This is also an opportunity to recognize and honor “canine partners for life” for the amazing work that they do for us.

The goals of IADW are to: 1) Recognize and honor all assistance dogs. 2) Raise awareness and educate the public about assistance dogs. 3) Honor puppy raisers and trainers. 4) Recognize all heroic deeds performed by assistance dogs in our communities.

It is also important to remember that our canine partners transform the lives of us human partners who have physical and mental disabilities by serving as our partner, helper, aide, best friend and close member of our family.

I have been fighting with epilepsy, diabetes and balance issues each and every day for more than 30 years. This battle with my body has been truly challenging and frustrating, yet my life changed for the better thanks to the partnership with my assistance dog Zern, a cream Labrador retriever. Zern truly restored a level of normalcy in my life. Zern was raised and trained by an organization called Canine Partners for Life located in Cochranville, Pennsylvania.

Zern has been trained to warn me in advance of each oncoming seizure, provide me balance and support, thus preventing me from falling and injuring myself, open doors for me, pick up items on command, and more. He is trained to respond to dozens of my verbal commands. He also provides me a necessary distraction that I need when I have to deal with my severe chronic pain that I suffer from, due to my epilepsy. He knows when I am feeling the pain and he works to distract me during these terrible times.

There are three types of assistance dogs (under ADI Standards):

▪ Guide dogs — for the blind and the visually impaired

▪ Hearing dogs — for the deaf and hard of hearing

▪ Service dogs – for people with disabilities other than vision or hearing

But there are many other examples of assistance canines, such as mobility assistance, medical alert, seizure alert/response, psychiatric service and autism.

Assistance dogs are either bred in selective breeding programs or rescued from animal shelters and raised by volunteers prior to their formal training. Most service dogs are golden or Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, collies, standard poodles, etc. Service dogs can often be identified by either a jacket, backpack or harness.

So, during this week (https://www.assistancedogweek.org), check out and participate in the numerous local events held all around the world, all coordinated to take place during the same seven-day period. Take time to learn more about these amazing dogs and the wonderful work that they do every day for their human partners. Plus, show your interest and support any way you can, to the assistance dog community at large.

For more information about assistance dogs, please visit:

▪ Assistance Dogs International: ADI is a coalition of nonprofit organizations that train and place assistance dogs.

▪ International Association of Assistance Dog Partners: IAADP is a nonprofit, cross-disability organization representing people partnered with guide, hearing and service dogs.

▪ Working Like Dogs: WLD is a resource for people with working and service dogs, or who would just like to learn more about them.

▪ Canine Partners for Life: Canine Partners for Life (CPL) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to training service dogs, home companion dogs, and residential companion dogs to assist individuals who have a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities.