Service Animals for Service Members

Dogs have always been man's best friend. Darlene Cavin of Harken Kennels in Rogersville, Missouri has spent her life figuring out just how useful these friends can be. She trains many ordinary canines to become full fledged service animals, capable of many types of assistance to their owners. These animals are capable of alerting their companions to low blood sugar levels; they are able to sense oncoming panic attacks; they are able to assist people either with difficulty in hearing or no hearing at all in being more aware of their surrounding environment. That's not to mention what service animals have done for people with difficulty in seeing. The right dog with the right person can alert on virtually any type of anxiety disorder.

The wonderful people at Harken Kennels not only train animals, that is just a small part of what they do. They also train people. A service animal is no ordinary pet and cannot be treated as such, or all of the animal's training will disappear. Ms Cavin, handler and trainer, and the other volunteers at Harken Kennels help people to create new abilities instead of focusing on disabilities. They offer many classes for people of special needs, and can even help locate animals for those who do not have one ready for training.

If you are a veteran and you believe that having a service animal companion will help you cope with your daily routines, then we can set you up with an appointment with the people at Harken Kennels who have agreed to help train you and your animal at absolutely no cost. They do this for the same reason all of us are a part of the "Our House" Foundation: out of respect for what disabled veterans have sacrificed for us and our freedom.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact us for more information.