09/21/2026
🐾 Celebrating National Service Dog Month & National Dog Week 🐾
This month, we recognize the incredible impact dogs have in our lives, especially service dogs who provide vital support, companionship, and independence for many individuals with neurodevelopmental differences and disabilities.
Dogs can help reduce anxiety, provide grounding during stressful situations, support daily routines, and increase safety and confidence in the community. Their partnership goes far beyond tasks. They offer connection, comfort, and unwavering support.
As we celebrate both National Service Dog Month and National Dog Week, we're honoring the dogs who work alongside their handlers every day, as well as the beloved pets who bring joy, comfort, and unconditional love to our families.
Meet a few of our furry friends owned by members of our staff here at FASCETS. Starting with the left column in the picture, we have Suzanne and Balsam, a certified therapy dog. Suzanne says, "Balsam brings comfort and joy to older and younger alike, visiting at church in the children's program and once a week at a pediatric clinic. He is a source of comfort and laughs to many neurodiverse children and their families as I care for them in the role of Family Nurse Practitioner."
Pictured in the middle column is Lynn's family dog, Simba. Lynn said that Simba worked as a service dog and was a huge source of comfort for one of her daughters.
Lastly in the column to the right, we have Stacey's dog, Gus. Stacey shares that Gus is also a certified therapy dog and enjoys making people happy wherever he goes. He is currently in training to be a first responder therapy dog, like his big sister, Nilla was and wants to be an Animal-assisted crisis response dog when he grows up.
At FASCETS, we know that support comes in many forms, and sometimes it has four paws and a wagging tail. 🐕✨
