Farmingville, NY – On September 13, Supervisor Ed Romaine (top photo, second from right), Councilwoman Jane Bonner (top photo, left) and Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (top photo, right) stopped by Canine Companions Northeast Region Training Center located at 286 Middle Island Road in Medford. They were there to present a proclamation to Deborah Doherty, Executive Director of the Northeast Region (second from left), in recognition of September being National Service Dog Month in the Town of Brookhaven. The organization is the largest non-profit provider of service dogs in the United States. As the leader of the service dog industry, Canine Companions enhances independence for children, adults and veterans with disabilities through expertly trained service dogs. Bottom photos (left to right) are Supervisor Romaine and Councilwoman Bonner with “Sarge” and Councilmember Kornreich with “Maximo.”
Supervisor Romaine said, “Dogs really are our best friends and service dogs are a cut above the rest. People with disabilities can lead better lives with a service dog by their side to help perform the tasks that are so important to their independence. I recommend anybody with special needs to contact Canine Companions and get started on your new life.”
Councilwoman Jane Bonner said, “If you are a person with special needs, a companion dog can be the most loving and loyal friend that you can ask for. Thanks to Canine Companions, people can live fulfilling lives at home and in the community. As soon as you meet them, you can’t help falling in love with these sweet, beautiful and highly intelligent dogs.”
Councilmember Kornreich said, “Thanks to their dedicated volunteers and generous donors, Canine Companions is able to provide service dogs to their clients free of charge. We saw a demonstration of what these dogs can do, and it was amazing: They can fetch dropped items, push buttons, open drawers and cabinets and even load laundry machines. One of the bottlenecks in their pipeline is that they need more volunteers to help raise puppies, so if that’s something you might be interested in, please visit their website at canine.org for more information.”