International Assistance Dog Week
The first full week of August is International Assistance Dog Week Philadelphia (IADW) which helps celebrate the contribution of assistance dogs around the world and enlightens everyone to their importance in our community.
What is International Assistance Dog Week?
The IADW was created to recognize the hard work that assistance dogs provide on a daily basis. These dogs have transformed the lives of those who suffer from disabilities and have allowed them a greater sense of freedom. Across the country, there are dogs that provide their human partners who have some form of debilitation either physically or mentally by being their helper, companion, and best friend as the case may be which brings joy to their lives and a better ability to rely on their own resources to reach out to others.
Thanks to the efforts of Marcie Davis, the International Assistance Dog Week was established to demonstrate what assistance dogs do for people in communities around the country. Davis, who has been a paraplegic for a significant part of her life, is the CEO of Davis Industries and wrote the book, Working Like Dogs: the Service Dog Guidebook which is a resource used by many organizations around the country who are associated with this type of specially trained dog.
In addition, her book also provides the stories from dog owners that provide inspiration to the tips and checklists needed for readers to understand just how the service dog program works. Her efforts extend to the founding of Working Like Dogs that show just how these canines have managed to change the lives of those who otherwise would be greatly restricted in their activities and need constant supervision.
How International Assistance Dog Week Works for You
With the first full week of August starting on a Sunday, the IADW will promote the efforts, hard work and success stories that assistance dogs bring to thousands of people on a daily basis. For the most part, the communities only see a small fraction of what these dogs give to their human partners on a daily basis. The purpose of IADW is to open that world up a little for the rest of the community to see what they are all about.
The week will be about the trainers who start with the dogs often as puppies so that they are on the road to helping others in their community. It will also be to recognize the work they perform on a daily basis and to celebrate the heroic deeds that are accomplished which bring a new sense of live and purpose to so many. It can be a life-changing experience just to see these dogs in action, even if only for a brief time.
International Assistance Dog Week Philadelphia offers a number of events that the public can participate in to see the wonderful work that is being done. For more information, be sure to contact the appropriate departments in your community and listen for events publicized in your neighborhood and see just how these assistance dogs work for so many of our friends and neighbors.
International assistance dog week video link See also International dog week