Meet our newest graduates: spring 2023
Our spring grads are blossoming
We’re excited to welcome four new teams that graduated in March and April to our FSD family! These hardworking, enthusiastic clients bonded with their service dogs as they learned dog-handling and training skills, as well as custom cues so their new canine partners can perform specialized tasks to meet their unique needs. We’re so proud of these amazing grads!
Atarah & Muenster
Atarah is a married mother of six (two children, four dogs) who lives with multiple sclerosis and enjoys volunteering at her son’s school and making arts and crafts. Successor service dog Muenster is part of a pack that includes retired FSD service dog Oak, Duke the Great Dane, and 15-year-old Sheba. Muenster is picking up where Oak left off by retrieving dropped items, opening doors, and accompanying Atarah on trips to the local pool and family vacations.
Charles & Gobi
Charles is a husband, father of two children, and U.S. Army veteran who served as a signal support systems specialist from 1993 to 2000. He graduated with successor dog Gobi (aka Gobi-Wan Kenobi). Standard poodle Gobi has been trained to interrupt PTSD symptoms, awaken Charles from nightmares, and create space around his veteran to help relieve anxiety, enabling Charles to feel more comfortable in public places and especially at his children’s events.
John & Lasso
John is a husband and U.S. Army veteran who served from 1988 to 2008 and was deployed in Operation Desert Storm, the Kuwait Liberation, and the Global War on Terrorism campaigns as a crewmember on the Bradley Linebacker, a combat air-defense vehicle. Service dog Lasso interrupts John’s symptoms of PTSD with gentle kisses, awakens him from nightmares, and creates space around him in public, bringing John greater independence and comfort outside of his home.
Ashley & Revna
Ashley is a young woman living with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) and putting her own signature style of infectious, bright energy into everything she does. Service dog Revna is a new beginning and first service dog for Ashley, who cannot wait for some of the doors she thought closed to open up for her again. In addition to the freedom and confidence she feels from having Revna by her side, Ashley looks forward to exploring New York City’s parks, thrift shops, and coffee houses together, and maybe even sharing her spoken word poetry at an open mic night.
Interested in sponsoring one of our future teams? Contact Shanda Griebel at [email protected] or 303-922-6231 ext. 240.
Contact Erin Conley at econley@