Service Dogs Say Last Goodbye to People Who Raised Them Before Graduation

Newsweek

01-06-2025

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A video of the moment newly graduated service dogs were reunited with the people who helped raise them has melted hearts online.
On May 9, 2025, Canine Companions, the nation's largest service dog organization, celebrated its 50th anniversary with National Graduation Day across all seven regional centers in the United States.
Leading service dog trainers and providers, Canine Companions have been training and providing dogs to people in need since 1975. Each Canine Companions service dog, which costs over $50,000 to raise and train, is provided at no charge to those in need, thanks to donors.
For Canine Companions, service dog training begins with volunteers who welcome puppies into their homes when they are just eight weeks old. Puppy raisers devote more than a year to teaching basic commands, socializing the dogs, and providing a loving foundation before the animals transition into professional training.
"At the end of a year and a half, we ask the puppy raisers to do something difficult... They say goodbye to these dogs that they've raised and loved," John Bentzinger, Manager of Public Relations & Marketing for Canine Companions' Northeast Region told Newsweek. "These future service dogs enter our professional training program and work with our instructors for 6 to 9 months learning over 40 advanced commands that are useful to a person with disabilities."
Pictures of some of the service dogs being reunited with the people that raised them.
Pictures of some of the service dogs being reunited with the people that raised them.
@canineorg/TikTok
The training process culminates in "Team Training," a two-week immersive experience where individuals with disabilities are matched with their service dogs. During this period, participants stay in fully accessible dormitories and learn how to work with their highly trained canine partners.
Graduation day is a deeply emotional event, as the volunteer puppy raisers reunite with the dogs they helped raise and witness their transition to life as service animals. "During the graduation ceremony, the volunteer puppy raiser presents the dog's leash to our new client," Bentzinger said. "Usually not a dry eye in the house."
Service dogs are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are dogs intentionally trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples include seeing eye dogs, dogs that alert to health issues and assist people with disabilities in things like retrieving dropped items, opening doors and pulling a wheelchair.
In a video shared on the Canine Companion's official Instagram page, 1.9 million people viewed the moment the new graduates were reunited with the volunteers who took them in as puppies—and it was clear they recognized them.
A series of clips revealed excited dogs launching themselves into the arms of the people who helped raise them. "I'm not crying. You're crying," said the video caption, posted in May.
"We shared it on Instagram because it's graduation season, and it's such a heartwarming moment that happens behind the scenes," Bentzinger said.
Comments on the video poured in, with responses from people who had cared for service puppies, received a service dog and those who were just delighted by the moment.
"I will never be able to thank enough the person that raised my service dog. The raiser helped to change my life. Thank all of you," said one commenter who has her own service dog.
While a fellow puppy raiser wrote: "I'm crying! But in a good way. Puppy raising is one of the best things we did!"
"The reaction is so touching and emotional in a positive way, and we hope that more people become aware of Canine Companions and understand the importance of raising and providing service dogs to people with disabilities," Bentzinger said.