While most people know dogs are any person’s best friend, and they are also invaluable resources for the blind as guide dogs, many are unaware of the role that service dogs fill, with this at the forefront, September has been deemed National Service Dog Month. This awareness campaign was exemplified on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at the Medford state-of-the-art training headquarters, located at 286 Middle Island Road, where members of the community, elected officials and the media were invited to learn more about what these remarkable animals do.

Canine Companions is a leader in the service-dog industry. The day was dedicated to celebrating the singular human-canine bond. There were live demonstrations that day to educate the public about expertly trained service dogs and how they help their partners live with greater autonomy and peace of mind.

Those in attendance enjoyed an introduction to the world of service dogs, puppy playtime, service-dog demonstrations, with Canine Companions professional instructors, wheelchair immersion (the opportunity to walk in someone else’s proverbial shoes, by seeing what life is like being unable to walk at all and needing to navigate the world using a wheelchair) on their obstacle course to facilitate a greater sense of empathy and appreciation.

Debra Dougherty, executive director of the Northeast Region for Canine Companions, was issued a proclamation by Brookhaven Town supervisor Edward Romaine declaring September National Service Dog Month. Romaine was joined by Brookhaven Town councilwoman Jane Bonner and Brookhaven Town councilman Johnathan Kornreich.

“This is the first service-dog celebration for National Service Dog Month, and the purpose of today is to really celebrate the tremendous work that our service dogs do for people that they are paired with, but it is also to help educate the public on the work that service dogs do,” said Dougherty.

Romaine praised the organization and expressed appreciation for having one of the six service dog centers in the United States located right in Medford.

“Anything you need, we want to help you. It’s important that these dogs are trained because their training allows people with disabilities to lead much fuller lives, and you speak to people who are wheelchair-bound, and many of them don’t want to go out of the house without their security dog, without the help that a security dog can give. It is absolutely wonderful,” Romaine said.