We are back with another edition of The Paw Print! Read on for all the updates from the last few months about Hero Dogs programs, events, and more. As always, thank you for your support of our work!
Hero Dogs Sprout is a facility dog at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC.

Hero Dogs facility dogs assist people in ways distinct from other types of working and service dogs. In partnership with a trained handler employed by the facility, they work full-time with staff to achieve specific treatment or program goals through animal-assisted therapy.

Children's National is a nationally ranked pediatric acute care children's hospital in our nation's capital. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults throughout the region. 

Sprout is the second Hero Dogs facility dog to work at Children's National. Following in Hero Dogs Barney's footsteps, Sprout works with his primary handler, Child Life Specialist Becca, to help reduce the stress and anxiety that is common for children to experience in a medical environment. He does this in several ways, including:

  • providing emotional support and bedside visitation;
  • assisting with procedure preparation by receiving mock procedures before the patient's procedure;
  • engaging in medical role play and therapeutic games;
  • assisting with patient mobility;
  • contributing to the emotional support and comfort of patients' families and staff.
to keep up with his work!
"Sprout has a remarkable ability to read emotions and provide patients and families with the exact support they need in that moment," says handler Becca.

"Recently, we were in a family meeting sharing some challenging news. Somehow, he knew which person to go to at just the right time to provide comfort. The team providing this patient care could see the healing power of Sprout in that moment very clearly. He brought this entire family care and support during one of the most challenging moments of their lives."
Congratulations to Hero Dogs Anita
& Veteran and First Responder Joe
We were proud to announce another service dog partnership in late October. Retired Master Firefighter and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Joe was paired with his service dog Hero Dogs Anita. We are grateful to Anita's sponsor, scholarship provider, puppy raisers, trainers, and to everyone else who had a hand in yet another successful service dog placement.

Interested in a Hero Dogs service dog? Learn more about our program and eligibility by visiting our website.
Out &
About
Hero Dogs love to get out in the community and explore new places! Thank you to our volunteers for attending events, for giving the dogs these training opportunities, and for representing Hero Dogs!
Hero Dogs Spirit, Tripp, Max, Skipper, Virginia, and more were at the grand opening of Spirit Park at National Harbor in November. Spirit even got a spot on the local news with Fox 5 DC anchor Claire Anderson! Check out more pictures here.
On December 3rd, several Hero Dogs had the honor of spending some quality time with families of fallen military heroes at the airport as they awaited their flights to Disney World thanks to the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Thank you to the Wood Acres neighborhood in Bethesda for raising money for Hero Dogs in their 10th Annual Jingle Bell dog walk! Hero Dogs Huck, Hero Dogs Elsie, and their puppy raisers had so much fun!
On Saturday, December 17th, Hero Dogs Cassie, Hero Dogs Ruth, and their raisers participated in Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery, a cherished opportunity to honor fallen heroes at the holidays.
Hero Dogs Shanna Safely Delivers 2nd Litter!
We welcomed seven new puppies on January 15th! Mama Hero Dogs Shanna, her four girls, and her three boys are all doing well.

Thanks to our accreditation with Assistance Dogs International and our participation in their North American Breeding Cooperative (ABC), Shanna was bred with a dog from PADS in Canada, making this our first international litter!

Our staff is now caring for mama and her puppies with the help of our wonderful volunteer puppy nannies. Check out our Instagram for pictures of the puppies as they grow!
Welcome New Puppy
Hero Dogs Belle!
In early November, we welcomed Hero Dogs Liberty Bell, also known as "Belle," a black lab puppy who came to us via the Assistance Dogs International's North American Breeding Cooperative. Follow her on Instagram at @HeroDogsBelle.
Hero Dogs Cliff Starts Advanced Training
Hero Dogs Cliff began the next stage of his journey to become a service dog! He moved into the kennel in mid-November to start Advanced Training. Keep up with Cliff and the other dogs in Advanced Training on Instagram here.
We are always on the look
out for Puppy Raisers!
Interested in raising a future service dog?

Visit our Raise a Hero Dog page to learn more about what it takes to raise a puppy with Hero Dogs. If you have any questions about the process, please email volunteer@hero-dogs.org.
Giving Tuesday: Thank You!
For this year's Giving Tuesday, we raised money for Going Home Kits full of supplies we send home with a veteran or first responder after they are matched with their dog.

Our wonderful community donated over 3x our goal, totaling over $15,000! That’s fifteen kits for Hero Dogs teams! We are so grateful for your support.

Check out our Instagram reel for a look at some of the supplies in a kit.
Happy Howlidays!
This time of year is full of holiday celebration and Hero Dogs is no exception!

Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers and clients who joined us for our annual Howloween Potluck. We always have a blast seeing the costumes everyone comes up with!

Many Hero Dogs and their humans celebrated Christmas by visiting Santa. Check out the precious photos here and here.
Upcoming Events