Congratulations to
Rosemary Kitzinger and family on being the January Volunteers of the Month!
I
have been volunteering since May 2020, along with my husband, David, and our
four children, Marissa, Cody, Alyssa, and Collin.
Currently
we are puppy raising SSD Augusta from the Golf Course Litter. I hope to
continue to evolve as a volunteer with SSD.
I
became involved with SSD through the process of looking for service dog options
for Marissa when she was 17 years old. About six and a half years ago, I
learned of Susquehanna Service Dogs through a chance encounter (or divine
intervention) at the American Girl store in Tysons Corner, Virginia with the
cutest puppy wearing a purple vest with SSD insignia on it. The gentleman who
was handling the dog—and a few very excited girls—was kind enough to take the
time to tell me about the organization and their mission, and he praised the
staff immensely. After that encounter, I applied for a service dog for Marissa,
and four and a half years later she was blessed when she was matched with SSD
Nugget.
Throughout
the process, I was amazed every time I saw Marissa handle the dogs, including
in public, and what a difference it made in her attention, reduction of
anxiety, and her whole demeanor. I knew we were on the right path. During the
second week of team training, I told Amanda [SSD’s Director of Breeding and
Canine Development] I thought I might want to raise a puppy one day, but let
her know I have never ever had a dog in my life (until SSD Nugget came home).
She assured me I could handle the task and SSD would teach me everything I
needed to know.
I
was told we needed to have SSD Nugget for a year before we could raise a puppy.
Once we passed that milestone the world shut down due to COVID-19. I talked it
over with my husband and our children and we agreed puppy raising would be a
great experience anyway, and why not during a pandemic? We could still do
something good for someone else and pay it forward. So far raising SSD Augusta
has been a truly amazing opportunity and experience for our family.
I
am new to volunteering with SSD, but I hope to be a long term volunteer. I see
the difference a service dog has made in Marissa’s life and I can’t say enough
good things about the staff at SSD. #DogsChangeLives!
If you would like to join
our volunteers and make a difference by raising a puppy, apply online today!
