I'm participating in DogFest Washington DC 2026 because I have gotten to wittness first hand how impmactful these dogs can be. I also believe in Canine Companions and their mission to provide expertly trained service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities FREE of charge.

I learned about Canine Compnaions in high school. While I wasn't able to raise during high school, when I was looking for colleges, I applied to three schools that had puppy raising clubs. I ended up going to the university of Pittsburgh and as soon as I got on campus, I became involved with STEP at Pitt. I puppy sat for my first two years of college, then three days before my junior year I got my first puppy to raise, Twix II. Choosing to get involved with Canine Companions and to puppy raise was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. I learned so much about the service dog and disability communities, and the true impact of these dogs make. I have also met the most amazing people through events, social media, and puppy classes. Canine Companions is truly such an incredible community. A few months after Twix matriculated, I got Halima II. She was one year old and I finished raising her for the remainder of my senior year. I had the incredible opportunity to raise for half of my college experience. Something that was incredibly special was that four days after I graduated from college, Twix graduated as a service dog. Passing his leash to his graduate and getting to hear about the impact that he is going to make and has already made in someone else's life further solidified why I raise and why this organization is so important to me. 

Leading up to DogFest Washington DC 2026, I am raising money to support the Canine Companions mission. The impact these dogs have on the lives of people with disabilities is incredible. Help me get to my fundraising goal by donating online so we can get more of these amazing Canine Companions service dogs into the lives of those who need them. Every little bit will help me reach my goal. Thank you! 

DogFest - Grab a leash and have fun!