Olympia honors service dogs; celebrates National Service Dog Month 

On Tuesday, the Olympia City Council chambers were graced by a special guest: Daiz, a service dog from Canine Companions.  

The city council issued a proclamation recognizing September 2024 as National Service Dog Month, honoring the contributions of these canines in empowering individuals with disabilities to live more independent lives.  

The National Service Dog Month aims to educate the community about the benefits of service dogs and the law protecting them.  

Jody Hawthorne, representing Canina Companions, accepted the proclamation alongside Daiz, a facility dog. She explained that service dogs are trained to perform a variety of tasks from guiding the visually impaired to assisting those with mobility challenges. 

Hawthorne introduced Daiz, a facility dog at the Monarch Children's Justice and Advocacy Center in Thurston County.  

Facility dogs, Hawthorne explained, are certified service dogs paired with professionals to provide support in settings like schools, hospitals, and criminal justice facilities.  

"Daiz makes a difference every day supporting children who come to Monarch," Hawthorne said. "Our community partners also enjoy visiting with her. Daiz is by far the most popular staff person at the center." 

Council Member Parshley, a veterinarian, offered additional information on the history and significance of service dogs. She noted that the first service dog in the United States was brought from Switzerland in 1910, but the dog's handler faced discrimination and challenges accessing public spaces. "He had to petition for his apartment in downtown New York City to even allow his dog. It's been a long journey." 

Olympia City Council members pose with Daiz for a photo op to commemorate the city's first proclamation of National Service Dog Month. 

Parshley added that she works with a group called Battle Buddies, which provides dogs to veterans who have suffered from post-traumatic stress or life-changing injuries from the war. She estimated that it costs between $25,000 and $30,000 to train a dog as a service animal. "And not every dog in a litter will make it to the end of the training process." 

Parshley emphasized the deep bond between service dogs and their handlers, stating that for "these dogs, this is their life. If you separate them from the person they're supposed to be helping, they get very nervous." 

The proclamation stated that in Washington State, one in eight adults has a disability, yet only 16,000 service dogs from accredited training programs exist nationwide.