https://www.facebook.com/fox13newsutah/videos/10154053263455586/

Galliher served seven years in the Marines, and multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan. The pair were traveling through Utah, headed home to Washington after attending Marine promotion and retirement ceremonies at Camp Pendleton, when Raider slipped out the door of their motel room.

Heartbroken, the Marine searched throughout the night to no avail. And although he’d walked around the building of the nearby veterinary office next door numerous times, he didn’t think to knock on its door.

Raider hadn’t gotten very far; staffers there had picked him up pretty quickly.

Early the next day, employees at the Midvale office were able to reunite Galliher and his beloved German shepherd. The scene was touching and tearful.

“I got Raider when I felt like I felt like I was in a dark cave and there was no chance of seeing the light again and getting him was like having a little glint of hope,” he told Salt Lake City’s KSTU.

“Having him with me side-by-side makes me more confident, strong, and more like the sergeant in the Marines I once was.”

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Noah Baderman and his dog Skipper took center stage at a school assembly recently.  They are there to kick off a fundraiser campaign the school is throwing for him to get Skipper trained as a service dog.  Noah, now in 8^th grade, had a heart transplant when he was just four years old.  Having Skipper fully trained would be a great help to him.

“He’s very stressed, and very shy,” said Noah’s mom, Melinda Baderman.  “I think a lot of that has to do with that he’s different, he’s in 8th grade, and 8th grade is hard.”

She got Skipper as a companion for Noah.  Someone that can be there with him when it may feel at times that no one else wants to be.

“We were thinking he really needs something that comforts him, that helps him deal with his stress,” said Noah’s mom.  “He’s going into this big world, where he’s just this little guy, and we thought that having a service animal that you can take with you everywhere, just as a comfort, but that can help him do tasks that he can’t do,” she said.

That’s why Noah’s school Principal Lisa Austin is trying to help Noah and his family raise the money to get Skipper trained.  Principal Austin knew that training a dog for Noah would be very expensive, so she got together with other faculty members to start a fundraiser.

“We’re going to do what we call a penny war, by the grade level, so 6th 7th and 8th grade will be competing,” said Principal Austin.  “We are also selling Support Skippy slips.  Kids can write their names on those and we will string them throughout the hallway.”

So far, sales of the Skippy Slips and the Penny War have brought in $2,000 for the cause.  He and Skipper are one step closer to their goal.  If you want to help Noah get Skipper trained, you can click here for more information.  Also, feel free to click that link if you or someone that you know runs a training organization that’s willing to help train Skipper.

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“Today therapy was really hard. I was sitting here crying, and generally being miserable, when I felt a nudge at my knee. I looked down to see that Zeus, my service dog, was doing his job… and brought me a potato,” Drovie posted on tumblr.

“It is very hard to cry with the gift of a potato,” she said.

She didn’t know where the potato had come from.   But there were more to come…

Later on, she posted again

“Remember this?  I’m having a rough time right now. Zeus has a solution.”

“That would be an empty pill bottle, the *correct* pill bottle, a bottle of embossing powder, and two, TWO potatoes.”

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Yesterday, Pulaski County Jude Herbert Wright said he would be holding off on making the decision in an effort to get more information  He is requesting that both the defense and the city show documentation and reasons why he should be deciding in that party’s favor.  The interest in fairness is a good thing, however it’s making life rougher than it should be for a little girl and her family.

“Ahmeha is regressing and it’s kind of making things a lot worse on us at home,” Amanda said just after leaving the court room Monday.  “Since her service dog Edith was taken away, Ahmeha has been diagnosed as depressed.”

The Family’s lawyer, Clint Lancaster said that the issue is a tricky one, and quite unusual considering all involved.

“You know I think it is a very unique issue,” said Lancaster.  “It’s not something you see every day especially in a criminal case.”  Lancaster also said that there have been protesters trying to sway the judge in the family’s favor as well, and voicing their opposition to breed specific legislation in the city.

“If you do not make an accommodation in your BSL for service animals or emotional support animals, then you’re violating the FHA and the laws are very, very clear on that in our opinion,” Lancaster said.

Due to the judge’s call on Monday, this extends things for at least one more month, and Amanda Simmons is worried about what it is doing to her daughter.

“She doesn’t want my comfort and support she just wants her dog. She just wants her dog,” said Amanda Simmons.

Robert Bamburg, attorney for the City of Jacksonville declined to comment on the situation.  The next court date is set for February 7^th.

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The events happened in Bogota, Colombia. A blind man aided by his service dog boarded the bus for route 135 in the Engativá sector, however, after the disabled man took a seat, the bus driver parked the bus and started a heated conversation with the blind man and other passengers.

The driver refused to offer the public service to the blind man as long as the dog was on the bus. He demanded the dog to be inside a crate, be left at the bus stop or placed in the bus’s locked luggage compartments. However, bus passengers who knew the law defended the blind man and his dog.

In the video you can hear passengers call the driver’s demands absurd. During the heated discussion, commuters called the driver “ignorant” and said he had no right to refuse service. All service animals and their owners have a constitutional right to board public transportation.

The confrontation got so intense that transit security officers were called to the bus’s location. A woman also tried to improvise a muzzle and see if with the driver would restore service, but even with that solution the driver refused to move the bus.

After a while the driver came to his senses – thanks to the passengers’ reaction and support towards the blind man – and the bus continued his route.

Sitp representatives said in a press release they will train their employees better.

Carlos Parra, director for country’s blind association told Caracol News he was ashamed of the driver’s actions but unfortunately Colombia’s blind citizens face this type of discrimination daily. Parra also said he was proud of his fellow country men and woman for standing up against the bus driver and not allowing such injustice to take place.

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This first photo was taken of Tyler and Hugo in the front hallway of Davenport West High School.  Here , the team was waiting to be taken to cross country track meet against Clinton High School.  Straight away, it’s easy to see the special bond between them.

Tyler isn’t just another runner on the cross team.  He helps get the team set up and things prepared for his school to be in the best possible position to win on all levels.

Here’s a photo with Tyler, and team coach Marty Leal.  Coach Leal has been a very important mentor for Tyler.  He has known Tyler since the seventh grade, and has helped him both on and off the race track.

This photo shows Tyler with his dad, Scott.  Scott is a huge supporter of Tyler and not just because he is Tyler’s dad.  He was the one that came up with the idea of getting Hugo to help Tyler.

Here, Hugo gets a post race snack, and some much needed liquid refreshment

To keep things on the track fair, Hugo and Tyler must cross the finish line together.  Tyler cannot pull Hugo across the line, nor my Hugo pull Tyler.

The two have a special start time for a race as well.  They will typically go about 30 seconds after everyone else does.  This helps both Tyler and Hugo not get tangled up with all of the other racers, making things safer for everyone.

The 30 second delay doesn’t get factored into his actual completion time.  His coach starts a separate stopwatch for him when he and Hugo take off.

Hugo is far more than just a racing partner for Tyler.  Hugo has been instrumental in helping Tyler cope with everything from the day to day basics, all the way to keeping Tyler emotionally and mentally even.

Hugo is a great dog.  He’s living proof that no matter what your circumstances are, anyone can “get by with a little help from their friends.”

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“He knows that she ain’t coming home cause he was there when the fatal day happened,” said Dow in a news interview.

Bullet was with Moore at the time of the shooting, and had been with Moore every step of the way through going to classes at the college.  When the gunman struck down nine others at the school, Bullet stayed right by More’s side the whole time, even at the risk of losing is own life.

In total, the gunman killed nine people, and Moore was one of them.  The day after the shootings took place, deputies from the local county sheriff’s office brought Bullet to Dow.

“He’s been acting really droopy.  He goes to her door and lays down,” Dow said.  “Because he’s used to going in the room and sleeping in the room at night.  He was her world.  He was not only her dog, (he was) her best friend besides me.”

Even though Moore was in a wheelchair due to severe back problems, she trained Bullet (named by his previous humans) herself to be a service dog.  He was more than just a helper, he was with Moore always, as a loving and supportive friend.

Dow is happy to know that Bullet wasn’t physically harmed in the shooting.  He’s also happy to know that Bullet, having been so supportive to Moore, was there with her for her final moments.

“It felt good to know he was still alive,” Dow said.  “He survived because it’s a piece of her.  Bullet became a piece of Sarena.  I was happy to get him back. I was ecstatic.”

Moore had been attending classes t the community college to obtain a business degree.  She was planning on owning and operating a ranch, dedicated to training and maintaining horses for therapy animal services.

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Gabe, a Golden Retriever from Florida is U.S Army veteran Justin Lansford’s service dog. The pet is not only a certified service support dog, he is also Lansford’s best friend and as such he had the honor of standing up as best man in Lansford’s wedding.

In 2012, the Army veteran was injured by an IED explosion while he stationed in Afghanistan. The explosion flipped the vehicle Lansford was in and severed his femurs. As a result, the soldier’s left leg had to be amputated.

The veteran recovered back home and was paired with Gabe, then two years old and a recent graduate from the Warrior Canine Connection (WCC). The dog and the soldier soon establish a strong bond and became inseparable. Gabe even helped Lansford propose to his girlfriend Carol Balmes.

On October 3, 2015, Lansford and Balmes tied the knot in Largo, Fla. and Gabe was there to stand by his best friend.

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Gurney told the Daily Mail he felt when Emma was knocked by something and pushed onto his leg. At that time he used his cane to grab the attention of whoever or whatever hurt his dog, and that’s when he tapped the back of the vehicle with the cane. Once the driver felt the tapping the vehicle came to a stop, but if Gurney had not done this, he and his dog could have been killed.

A woman who witnessed the event said the driver was going on reverse and jumped the curve hitting the dog. Emma was taken to a vet hospital and was found with minor bruising, Gurney fortunately did not suffer any injuries.

A police report was made at the time and authorities said the driver would be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention, however, days after the accident, authorities informed the blind man that the charges against the driver were dropped. The taxi driver’s action was “a lawful maneuver” over a dropped curb.

“How can it be legal to reverse onto a pavement and hit a guide dog?” wonders Gurney, but to make matters worse, police officers also informed the blind man he could face claims for property damages since the car suffered dents from the cane.

Gurney believes it is unfair he could be penalized for something he had no control off and the cab driver should instead face charges.

“If it had been a toddler or someone not too steady on their feet it could have been a lot worse,” said Gurney. “It was possible the cabbie would continue reversing if I hadn’t stopped it. Even if it was lawful it can never be right to reverse into a person.”

The woman who witnessed the accident wrote to the taxi company to complain about the treatment Gurney and his dog have received, but the transportation business has yet to respond or comment.

Gurney says Emma’s insurance has covered for all medical bills, but that money could have been used towards training other guide dogs. The service dog seems to be a lot more wary around traffic and continues to do her job, however, Gurney fears he Emma might have to go into forced retirement due to the mental trauma she experienced.

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When service dog Kai went missing from his home last November, owner Alexandra Melnick was distraught.  But after many months of ardent searching and Facebook posting, Kai was found hundreds of miles away, and has finally been sent home to his overjoyed family.

Melnick served a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan and came home with a traumatic brain injury and PTSD.  She got a German shepherd puppy and trained him to be a service dog.

“He helps me with things like PTSD and insomnia, she told ABC 10News in December. “He puts me to sleep. He wakes me up for nightmares.”

Kai was stolen from Melnick’s Vista backyard the day after Thanksgiving.  She set up a Facebook and GoFundMe page to get the word out and have money for a detective and a reward.  She handed out thousands of fliers and drove thousands of miles, looking for him.  Months later, she still hadn’t given up.

“I spend my days searching for him, I spend my nights dreaming about him and having nightmares still and I really hope that we get him home,” Melnick told San Diego 6 in April. “He saved my life, I owe this to him. I want to do anything in my power to get him home.”

In August Kai was found, and a week ago, a happy update was posted by Bring Kai Home:

I want to thank every single one of you for all your constant support and help. I also want to say from the bottom of my heart how sorry I am that I have left you in the dark this past week. I had suspected he may have been stolen but didn’t have any idea who it may have been. So, I had to search for him as if he was running around the wilderness. For all I knew, someone took him and got spooked by the media attention and dumped him. I have been looking for breadcrumbs for months with no luck. I have driven thousands of miles the last 9 months looking.

Last week, I found him searching through social media posts. I flew to Texas the very next day. The people who had him didn’t initially know he was missing, stolen, or that I was looking. When they found out, they didn’t want to give him up. In Texas, they have laws regarding this situation. While the Denton County dispatch, deputies, constables, ACOs and clerks were extremely patient, understanding, and worked on this more than I expected, they wanted to make sure I got him back legally and wouldn’t have any issues down the line. We feared him being moved again before the hearing. Animal Control seized him and has had him for time being. They have a beautiful facility and spoiled him for me while I’ve waited. My San Diego County detective worked hard and fast to get the needed paperwork to them.

Relaxing after a much-needed trip to the salon to be flea-bathed and have his painfully overgrown claws clipped.

This morning the judge ruled that Kai is to come back home to California with me.

There is still an investigation to be done over how he left my home and ended up in Texas. In the meantime, I feel beyond blessed to have my baby boy home. I’m focusing on his health right now. The people who had him allowed him to become flea infested to the point he was going completely bald in many places with open sores. He has some trust issues. I believe, the people who had him used heavy negative reinforcement.* He cowers if you move too quickly, has scars that resemble strikes across his body, and his nose has some damage to it.

The Gofundme account is how I was able to find him. Without all your donations, I wouldn’t have been able to spread the word so far and get help from professionals. The remaining money will be divided up between various organizations, ones that helped me find Kai and ones that help others find their missing animals.

This picture is from the shelter last week in Denton County. I will post a video that will help answer questions that you may have. Right now, I’m taking some time to be with someone who I’ve missed very much.

*What she meant is positive punishment.  Negative reinforcement is a misnomer.  What it actually means is subtracting something to reinforce a behavior (i.e. hitting snooze on the alarm – when the noise is taken away, a person will repeat the behavior of shutting the alarm off).  Positive reinforcement is adding something to reinforce a behavior (i.e. giving a dog a treat for learning a trick).

Positive punishment is the addition of something to curb a behavior (i.e. striking a dog – adding pain – to stop it from barking).  Negative punishment is the removal of something to stop a behavior (i.e. taking away a video game because a child misbehaved).

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