We all know the saying ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’, and in this case the saying is true in more ways than one way. Last week we caught up with Canine Companions and Elebash’s Jewelers when Patrick Elebash and his team got a very special visit from Diamond, a future canine companion.
Diamond and his puppy raiser Kathryn Daniel were visiting Elebash’s to not only say thank you to Patrick for his contributions to Canine Companion’s, but also to visit Desmond, Patrick and his family’s adopted dog.
“Desmond is what they call a ‘change of career’ and is training to become a therapy dog with Canine Companions,” Kathryn and Patrick explained.
“In short, he did not graduate as a service dog, so we were able to adopt him, and hopefully he can pass the therapy dog test in the near future.”
As you can see the pair were instant buds and obviously big fans of anything that sparkles. But, we can assure you no diamonds were ingested during these photos!
While Diamond is in puppy training he is also serving as a puppy influencer for the Blue Wahoos where you can often find him selling raffle tickets in turn for free cuddles. But what’s next for Diamond once he passes his puppy stage? He will then start his professional training in Orlando to be a service dog.
Canine Companions is the oldest, largest service dog provider in the country and what makes them different is their dogs are completely free! They cover 67 disabilities from Veterans with PTSD, children with autism, people who use wheelchairs, and hearing dogs to name a few.
“Canine Companions changes lives by placing highly trained service dogs with people who need them most. Seeing the confidence, independence, and joy these dogs bring to individuals and families makes it easy to support their mission,” said Patrick.
“Adopting a change of career dog was a way for our family to be part of that incredible story—and we feel lucky to give back to such a life-changing organization.”
The organization was started in 1975 when Charles Shultz (yes, the creator of Peanuts!) partnered with them. Now they have six campuses around the country with their headquarters in Santa Rosa, California and the Florida Regional headquarters in Orlando.
“This is a first class organization which is why I volunteer with them. A lot of rules and protocols, and, of course, our dogs are the best!”— Kathryn Daniel, Puppy Raiser, Canine Companions.
Best of luck to Diamond and Desmond — we can’t wait to watch you grow!
