therapy dogs.

Good news for Scooter Givens of Hillsboro, Ore. -- the 10-year-old autistic boy no longer has to leave his service dog, Madison, at home when he goes to school. After a three-year battle with the Givens family, Hillsboro School District officials have decided to allow Scooter to bring Madison to class at Patterson Elementary for a trial period. According to KATU Hillsboro, the debate over this pup hinged on whether Madison was, in fact, a "service dog" or a "therapy dog." Though the distinction may seem minor from the outside looking in, the service dog factor is apparently no small issue in the eyes of the law. Though service dogs are covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act, ...

Deborah Glessner - Photographer We all know how perfectly the show dogs at Westminster look and behave each year, but some of these dogs do more than work the ring -- they help change lives as therapy dogs. Wes, the Labrador retriever, is one of these amazing dogs. And he's starting by "teaching" children. This champion black Lab from Richboro, Pa., specializes in helping children in grades 2 through 5 learn to read. In fact, he "teaches" at 12 schools through the school year and during the summer, and works with school and camp programs for autistic and learning-disabled children. In addition, the 8-year-old dog visits his local library once a week for a "read to the dogs evening." How ...

Polar and Billy. Credit: The Ma Family. In this three-article series, Paw Nation shadows Billy Ma as he attends the Canine Assistants Training Camp, meets his new service dog and learns how the dog can help him by turning on lights, pulling his wheelchair and, becomes his best friend. (Part one is about the first days at the training camp, part two is about when Billy and Polar find each other and part three, here, is about their early days at home.) On a Friday morning in late July, Polar heads to his new home. The sandy retriever leaves the comfort of the Canine Assistants service dog training facility outside Atlanta, where he has lived all his life, and flys to Columbus, Ohio, ...

Billy Ma and Polar, David C. Scott for Canine Assistants In this special series, Paw Nation shadows Billy Ma as he attends the Canine Assistants Training Camp, meets his new service dog and learns how the dog can help him by turning on lights, pulling his wheelchair and, hopefully, becoming his best friend. To read part one click here. MILTON, GA. - It's the second day of camp. A dozen dogs are lined up in cages in the Canine Assistants classroom, waiting to get matched with the children they'll go home with at the end of two weeks. If all goes well, the dogs will love and protect these children for the rest of their lives. Ever since the dogs were 3-day-old puppies being carried around ...