Barks Blog
From Shelter Dog to Service Dog
By L. A. Bykowsky and Chere McCoy
![](https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_0358-small-rotated.jpg)
Six months ago Stella was at the HSVB waiting for that special someone to take her home and love her forever. It so happened that I went in one day looking for a super special dog to be my service dog. Stella and I took one look at each other and knew right away that we were meant to be a team – but there would be hurdles to cross first…I should explain that I am a United States Air Force veteran and my disability is not physical; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not something you can see, but it can ‘cripple’ a person just the same…Stella’s job will be to help me get through stressful situations. Some of you might be chuckling now, picturing a Chihuahua doing such important work, but Stella is training really hard and I know that she can do it. Read more.
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