Nebraska Synod ELCA

by Dara Troutman

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved dogs. As an adult, I have been able to channel that passion into a way to serve others by raising puppies destined to become service dogs. About ten years ago I began volunteering for Domesti-PUPS, a Lincoln-based nonprofit that specializes in training seizure alert and response dogs for juveniles with epilepsy.

Service dogs can play a vital role in assisting individuals with various disabilities, enhancing their quality of life and independence. Raising a puppy destined to become a service dog is about more than training an animal; it’s about cultivating love and demonstrating compassion for others in a manner that profoundly impacts both the giver and the receiver.

Domesti-PUPS partners with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Our youngest puppies are housebroken, kennel trained and taught basic obedience commands by inmate handlers at the women’s prison in York. When the dogs are ready for advanced training, they go to the State Penitentiary or the Lincoln Correctional Center. In between, they are placed with someone like me. Puppy raisers generally commit to training and socializing the dogs for at least a year until they are mature enough to begin their specialized training. To me, this beautifully intersects with the notion of caring for God's creation. As stewards of the Earth, we are entrusted with the responsibility to nurture and protect the diverse life forms that inhabit it.

To date, four of the puppies I raised are working service dogs and two are certified therapy dogs who bring comfort and joy to individuals in assisted living and memory care. The therapy dogs are my own pets whom I adopted when they were career changed from the service dog program. I’ve lost track of the total number of dogs that have spent some time in my care. It’s in the dozens.

The time, effort and resources invested in training these puppies are acts of faith and hope, anticipating the day when they will become a companion and helper to someone in need. Raisers give their energy, love and affection knowing that they will eventually have to part with the puppy so it can fulfill its greater purpose. One of the greatest honors we have as puppy raisers is passing the leash of the dog we raised to the person they will serve.

Finally, I like to think the relationship between a puppy raiser and their dog mirrors God’s unconditional love and grace. Preparing a service dog for its future role embodies selfless love and stewardship. It is a profound expression of cultivating love through caring for creation.