Shepherds of Our Hearts: canine champions among pioneer service dogs

“It can’t be done.” Except they were already doing it. “It’s not realistic.” But it was reclaiming independence.

In 1990, among the beautiful Blue Ridge foothills, service dog complexity was skyrocketing. Skilled trainers faced tough reality with not enough solutions.

When a remarkable group of dogs demonstrated an unheard of capability, a handful of coworkers set out to create a new kind of partnership…and the struggle was on. Proving their concept would take a lifetime and cost them everything along the way. But they couldn’t give up on a dream.

In an epic contest between love and limits, the dogs were the ultimate proof. They were lifelines. They were magic to the struggling. They were teachers to their trainers. They were Shepherds of Our Hearts.