Group of young people on video conferencing platform with several Leader Dog personnel

Virtual Summer Experience Camp 2021

July 13, 2021
The Leader Dog team hosted a second Virtual Summer Experience Camp this year for 22 campers from across the U.S. and Canada. By taking feedback from last year’s campers and lessons learned throughout the pandemic, the team at Leader Dogs ...
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Ashley, smiling, hugs a black dog whose head is leaning against her.

Voice of the Leader Dog Community: Ashley Nunnelly

June 17, 2021
Hi, I’m Ashley Nunnelly, a guide dog mobility instructor at Leader Dog. I have been involved in the service dog industry for over 10 years. I have worked with countless guide dog clients. I have talked with clients with PTSD, ...
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Vijay sits in a living room area with a German shepherd puppy in a Future Leader Dog bandana

Best Job in the World

June 1, 2021
By Vijay Joshi, puppy development coordinator During the last seven years, I noted a pattern of repetitiveness. I did not recognize it at first but when I did, I thought I was seeing something that wasn’t there. Perhaps it’s just ...
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Four men in a line each with a dog (one golden retriever, one black and two yellow Labrador retrievers) on a leash held in their land hand. Each dog is standing with all four paws on a colored training step on the left side of each man.

Voice of the Leader Dog Community: Troy – Part 4

May 20, 2021
Part 10: Kiki Comes Home Too! Another unexpected blessing came our way in the form of a little black Lab named Kiki! A couple weeks after we picked up our FLD, we were offered to adopt the last puppy I ...
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Four men in a line each with a dog (one golden retriever, one black and two yellow Labrador retrievers) on a leash held in their land hand. Each dog is standing with all four paws on a colored training step on the left side of each man.

Voice of the Leader Dog Community: Troy – Part 3

May 7, 2021
Part 7: More Prison Puppies Benefits The benefits of prison puppy raising are huge. Beginning with hands-on instruction from my team members, I started learning about the science of behavior. I observed the handlers who were getting amazing results and ...
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A young woman wearing a yellow t-shirt with a blue Leader Dog logo on it stands looking into the camera. She is outside the brick canine development center on Leader Dog's campus. She is holding a young black lab puppy and wearing a blue surgical mask.

Amid Coronavirus, One Year Later

April 28, 2021
A year ago, the Leader Dog campus had radically transformed in just one week. Our classes—canceled. Tours and events were the same. Our team members and volunteers mostly disappeared from campus, faced with the sudden reality that we didn’t know ...
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Four men in a line each with a dog (one golden retriever, one black and two yellow Labrador retrievers) on a leash held in their land hand. Each dog is standing with all four paws on a colored training step on the left side of each man.

Voice of the Leader Dog Community: Troy – Part 2

April 22, 2021
Part 4: How it Began for Me My first encounter with a puppy on the inside occurred after having already served 16 years. I was on a transfer layover in the Upper Peninsula when a guy walked by with a ...
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Four men in a line each with a dog (one golden retriever, one black and two yellow Labrador retrievers) on a leash held in their land hand. Each dog is standing with all four paws on a colored training step on the left side of each man.

Voice of the Leader Dog Community: Troy

April 15, 2021
Part 1: Introduction My name is Troy and I have just been paroled after serving 22 years within the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). A major part of my personal growth came through participating in Leader Dog’s Prison Puppies initiative. ...
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Moira sits smiling at the camera. Her long hair is down and she is wearing a black sleeveless top. Seated next to her is a yellow lab with its mouth slightly open as though smiling.

Voice of the Leader Dog Community: Moira Shea – Part 2

March 31, 2021
Part 2 of 3 Harvard My undergraduate degrees were in economics and international relations. I joined the federal service and worked in international trade and international labor. My dream had always been to go to the Harvard University John F. ...
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Moira sits smiling at the camera. Her long hair is down and she is wearing a black sleeveless top. Seated next to her is a yellow lab with its mouth slightly open as though smiling.

Voice of the Leader Dog Community: Moira Shea

March 25, 2021
Hello there, my name is Moira Shea and I have been invited to share some of my life lessons with you. I live in Washington DC with my husband and three Leader Dogs. My current Leader Dog, Declan, is a ...
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