Thread: Ppl ask what the tag is that I wear w/ the picture. That is Mom's 1st service dog (SD) Theo. He is now living a happy retired life on the farm. He was the very first SD in a lab class w/ Mom!. Mom says Theo brought her out of the darkness & I keep her in the light #dogs

It may be hard to imagine retiring a SD & having another one. But for someone w/ a disability this happens sometimes several times in their life. Us doggos are only here for a short amount of time so we give a ton of love all at once! A working dog luvs their work but will retire

When they retire they can sometimes stay w/ their handler or they sometimes go to live w/ someone who will luv them for the rest of their lives like a family member of family friend. I am lucky that Theo lives here on the farm! We see him everyday!

Theo helped Mom in the very beginning of her recovery & into college. He was the 1st in a Lab. He was w/ her when she gave her 1st talk. He helped her start advocating for other SD handlers in science. Mom said she wanted him to go w/ us everywhere. That is why I wear his picture

So when it was time for Theo to retire I had big paws to fill! Theo helped me learn the ropes. Then he let me take over helping Mom. That is a hard transition for SD handlers & SDs to make. But making sure us service doggos are healthy and happy working is 1st priority!

With both of our help Mom has done amazing things. With our help she has led an independent life that is happy, healthy, and productive. Together we made sure mom graduated! Together Theo and I have changed policies around SDs in science. I just took over the path Theo started.

Mom and I will always honor his memory and never forget he was the pioneer. Over 5-years he helped Mom change what needed to be done to accommodate SD handlers in science labs. He made that possible for Mom. I am now the ambassador for SDs in science b/c Theo made that possible