Working Like Dogs

🐾 Happy International Assistance Dog Week! 🐾

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year because it's dedicated to celebrating the incredible assistance dogs that change lives every single day.

Many years ago, I had the privilege of helping create International Assistance Dog Week with one simple goal: to recognize these remarkable dogs, the people they partner with, and the trainers, puppy raisers, organizations, and volunteers who make it all possible.

Since then, I've been fortunate to meet and interview hundreds of amazing people through the Working Like Dogs podcast. Every conversation reminds me that assistance dogs do so much more than perform tasks. They build confidence, create independence, open doors, and become trusted partners and beloved friends.

This week, I hope you'll join me in celebrating these incredible teams and thanking everyone who helps make their life-changing work possible.

To every assistance dog, every handler, every trainer, and every advocate...thank you for making the world a little brighter. ❤️🐾

Happy International Assistance Dog Week!

We're getting ready for this year's ! You can get a sneak preview of our campaign by checking out our press release: https://assistancedogsinternational.org/news/2026/07/20/member-news/bettertogether-campaign/. We can't wait to share why our teams and service providers are with ADI.

Sometimes even the helpers need a little help.

If you haven't met Humphrey yet, now is the perfect time!

Meet Humphrey in Episode 206 of the Working Like Dogs podcast on Pet Life Radio, the #1 pet podcast network. In this special episode, I share the inspiration behind Humphrey, the stories that shaped him, and why creating books that celebrate service dogs, kindness, inclusion, and the human-animal bond is so important to me.

Then continue the journey with the Humphrey the Hopeful Helper book series. Follow Humphrey as he discovers that courage comes in many forms, helping others is always worthwhile, and sometimes even the strongest helpers need a little extra care.

I can't wait for you to meet Humphrey and follow his adventures through the book series. With two books available and a third already in the works, there's so much more to come!

🎙 Listen to Episode 206 on Pet Life Radio: https://www.petliferadio.com/workingdogs.html

📘 Bring Humphrey home and follow his adventures on Amazon.

🐾 New episode of Working Like Dogs! 🐾

What does it take to comfort a sailor thousands of miles from home or a veteran carrying invisible wounds? This week I sat down with Brooke Corson, founder of Mutts With A Mission , and her story moved me.

After losing friends in the military to su***de, Brooke turned heartbreak into hope — founding a nonprofit that trains service dogs (at no cost!) for veterans, wounded warriors, law enforcement, and first responders. Her dogs have even made Navy history: Captain Sage became the first dog ever to complete a full deployment aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier, and now a whole fleet of six serves sailors at sea! 🐕⚓

🎧 Listen now at petliferadio.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
https://www.petliferadio.com/workingdogs.html

❤️ Learn more & support the mission: muttswithamission.org
💙 This episode touches on military mental health. If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 (veterans press 1). You are never alone.

Humphrey the Hopeful Helper Has a Health Crisis is out in the world now, and I wanted to tell you a little about why I wrote it.

Anyone who's loved a service animal knows the bond goes both ways. Humphrey has always been the helper in this series — guiding, fetching, staying loyal by his girl's side. In this book, he's the one who needs help, and she steps up to care for him the way he's always cared for her. I wanted young readers to see that reflected in a story.

Huge thanks to the incredibly talented Ros Webb | Fashion Illustration and Figurative Art for bringing these characters to life with her illustrations. It's available now on Amazon — I'd be so grateful if you'd take a look, and even more grateful if it finds its way into the hands of a kid who needs it. 🐾

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/4vVqKEO

Oh my goodness, friends, I have some incredibly exciting news to share! 🤩

If your little ones loved reading all about Humphrey the Hopeful Helper, then get ready for a brand new story to add to your bookshelf! 📖

Book 2 is officially almost finished and will be up for sale very soon!

Humphrey is heading out on a brand new adventure, and we cannot wait for you to see what this sweet, helpful guy is up to next! 🐾❤️

Keep your eyes peeled right here for the official release date and links to grab your copy. Thank you all so much for loving Humphrey as much as I do! 🎉🎈

🐾 Curious About the World of Working Animals?

If you have ever wanted to learn more about the incredible lives of service dogs and other working animals, you are in the exact right place!

The Working Like Dogs podcast is packed with deep-dive conversations that give you an inside look at these amazing animal partners. We sit down with expert trainers, leading researchers, and dedicated handlers to bring you true insight into how these animals are trained, the science behind their unique abilities, and the profound bonds they share with their humans.

Whether you are looking for practical training insights, inspiring stories of canine heroes, or a look into the future of service animals, we have a great episode waiting for you.

Come join the pack and give us a listen!

👉 Explore all of our episodes here: https://www.petliferadio.com/workingdogs.html

I recently had the privilege of visiting Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado — one of the world's most renowned rehabilitation hospitals, exclusively specializing in neurorehabilitation and research for individuals with spinal cord injury and brain injury. Craig is home to state-of-the-art facilities, proven treatment methods, and a positive and caring attitude that you feel the moment you arrive. It is truly something special, a place where determination and hope are woven into every single hallway. I've had the privilege of being a Craig outpatient for over two decades.

While I was there this week, I had the most wonderful surprise: running into two of my absolute favorite people at Craig — Jeni Exley and Margaret Jones, MD. My service dog Fenway and I were so happy to see them both. And if that wasn't enough, we got to spend time with two Canine Companions service dogs in training, which made mine and Fenway's whole day. 🐕🐕

If you follow the Working Like Dogs podcast on Pet Life Radio, you may already know Jeni and Dr. Jones. I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing them on Episode 199, and that conversation is one of those episodes that stays with you. They are the kind of people who remind you why this work matters so deeply and what a difference one person can make in the life of someone with a disability.

There is something profoundly moving about being at Craig. You are surrounded by individuals navigating some of the most challenging chapters of their lives — and doing so with grit, grace, and an incredible support team around them. The staff there don't just treat patients. They support them. They believe in them. And they help them rediscover what is possible.

To Jeni, Dr. Jones, and the entire Craig Hospital family — thank you for the work you do every single day. You are changing lives. You continue to change mine. 💙
And to Fenway — thank you for being the very best co-pilot and service dog a girl could ask for. 🐾

🎙️ Listen to Jeni and Dr. Jones on Episode 199 of Working Like Dogs: petliferadio.com/workingdogsep199.html
🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast: petliferadio.com/workingdogs.html
🏥 Learn more about Craig Hospital: craighospital.org

"Around the world, collaboration among Assistance Dogs International (ADI) member organizations is expanding access to life-changing assistance dog programs". Read about the collaboration between Support Dogs and 公益財団法人日本盲導犬協会 / Japan Guide Dog Association in our latest Blog: https://assistancedogsinternational.org/index.php?src=blog&srctype=detail&refno=66