Paragon Press September 2025 | |
|
| |
Happy September!
As the crisp October winds arrive, we’re looking back at all the adventures and excitement September brought. From new beginnings for our clients to fun activities worth celebrating, it was a month full of memorable moments. We can’t wait to share the highlights with you!
| | | | |
Dog Diaries: E. A. Pruitt Edition | |
This past month has been full of adventure! One of the most exciting outings was a trip to the pet store with my trainer. There was so much to see, but my favorite part was watching all the fish swim. There were so many! The pet store can be a little challenging with all the different animal smells, but Joe told me I did a great job! I was focused the whole time, even if it was hard. That’s all for now!
With love,
E.A. Pruitt.
| | | | Paragon Service Dogs is accepting applications. Applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis. If you are interested in applying, please review our eligibility criteria and program description. | | |
|
This September, we had the joy of welcoming Christina and Danny to Paragon for team training. Over the course of two weeks, we watched Christina and Danny grow together, forming a strong and inspiring bond.
If you’ve been following along on our Facebook and Instagram, you’ve likely seen their Team Training adventures already. Now, we’d love to invite you to revisit some of our favorite moments from their team training journey.
First, team training always begins with a bonding session between client and dog. When Danny welcomed Christina she held a toy, waged her tail, and pranced in a circle making everyone laugh. Watching her joyful welcome reminded us of her roots. Danny came to us as a gift from Can Do Canines, another wonderful service dog organization. Her gentle, loving demeanor reflects the care and thoughtful breeding that went into her breeding. We’re so grateful to Can Do Canines for Danny.
Throughout training, Christina and Danny practiced many sound alerts, but the first successful alert brought a special moment of pure joy. The moment Danny guided Christina to the timer, Christina’s eyes lit up, and a wide smile crossed her face. Although she had seen sound alerts before, this one was special: it was their first. And while Christina celebrated, a quieter but equally powerful emotion shone through the eyes of Joe, Danny’s trainer. Hundreds of hours of training and dedication culminated in that single moment of connection. Everyone took a moment to breathe at the same time. The room filled with the quiet weight of hope and accomplishment.
Team training is not only magical, but it’s also exhausting. With full days of lectures, hands-on practice, and public outings, even the dogs are affected. Often, the first night a dog spends with their new partner at the hotel leads to a sleepy pup the next morning. But not Danny. She arrived the next day with a wagging tail and a bouncy gait, ready for more. The love and attention she’s received from our puppy sitters helped her feel safe, secure, and at home anywhere.
One of the most special moments during Danny’s journey was her introduction to Christina’s retired hearing dog, Carmen. The two dogs bonded quickly, over their shared love for soft toys. Danny gracefully interacted with Carmen, a similar bond to her to her own puppy friend Sporty. Her puppy raisers, Heather and Phil, invested hours in her for this moment. They spent hundreds of hours exposing Danny to new environments, people, pets, and everyday life experiences. Because of Heather and Phil, Danny gracefully welcomed Carmen. Their dedication laid the foundation for Danny’s success.
The final step of team training is the public access test and sound alert test—both of which Christina and Danny passed with ease. It was a joyful milestone, one that called for celebration. As Christina beamed down at Danny, she wrapped her in a hug and kiss, a simple but powerful sign of the love between them and the life-changing path ahead.
Every step of Danny’s journey, from puppyhood to partnership, was made possible by her incredible sponsor. Thank you, Joyce, for your generosity. And thank you to our volunteers, to Can Do Canines, and to Danny’s devoted puppy raisers, Heather and Phil. You’ve each played a role in creating this life-changing partnership.
| | | | A Team Triumph: Christina and Danny | | | |
Christina approaches life at full speed! As a business owner and entrepreneur, she’s always ready to take on the world. And sometimes, the perfect partner arrives at just the right moment. That’s when Danny pranced into Christina’s life.
Christina first connected with Paragon when her older hearing dog, Carmen, originally from International Hearing Dog, was preparing for retirement due to hearing loss. For over a decade, Carmen had been her lifeline, keeping her safe by alerting her to sounds, like the fire alarm. But as Carmen’s ability to perform sound alerts declined due to loss of hearing, Christina began to feel isolated and vulnerable again, a feeling she hadn’t known since Carmen first came into her life.
The worry weighed heavily. Without sound alerts, her safety was at risk. Then came Danny. From the start, Christina and Danny were inseparable. Whether bonding during the day or snuggling at night, their connection was immediate and undeniable. The most meaningful milestone came when Danny met Carmen. Thanks to her gentle nature, Danny quickly became Carmen’s companion too, and soon the three were a joyful team.
Now, with Danny by her side, Christina is once again empowered to embrace every adventure with confidence and joy. As she beautifully reflects: “I look forward to building on what I learned with Carmen and being a hearing dog team [with Danny] where truly the sum is greater than the parts."
| | | A Beautiful Broomfield Day Booth! | | |
This month we had an incredible booth at Broomfield Days! What made this booth especially meaningful is that it was led and organized entirely by three amazing Girl Scouts, Emma, Amelia, and Emily from Troop 67658, as part of their Bronze Award Project. Their hard work and dedication resulted in an outstanding booth that truly stood out.
The girls began by brainstorming over several meetings, exploring different ways they could support Paragon. They identified one of the biggest challenges we face, finding enough puppy raisers, and decided to focus their project on that need. With creativity and determination, they designed eye-catching posters and shirts to spread awareness.
Their ideas kept building, and soon they added a spinner wheel and two silent auctions to draw even more people to the booth. Emily and Cindy (a parent and Paragon client) spent hours at the local library using the xTool makerspace to create a donation box and additional posters to support the event.
When the big day finally arrived, the girls and their troop leader showed incredible commitment. Even though they had stayed overnight at the Denver Aquarium the night before, they brought nonstop energy to the event. Throughout the day, they handed out hundreds of flyers, collected contact information from 20 seriously interested puppy raisers, and raised $65 in donations.
A very special thanks goes to Cindy and Liz, their troop leader, for making this possible. Cindy not only helped with posters but also donated supplies for the shirts, while Liz worked behind the scenes to secure the booth space at the Superior Chili and Beer Festival.
Thank you, Cindy, Liz, Emma, Amelia, and Emily, for making this booth such a huge success. Your effort and passion truly make Paragon possible!
We are always thankful to have volunteers to make these events possible! If you’d be interested in volunteering at an event like this email Chloe@paragonservicedogs.org.
| | Congratulations Alicia and Bloom! | |
|
Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with one of our owner-training client, Alicia, and her dog, Bloom, this September. We are thrilled to announce that they officially graduated as a hearing dog team!
Their journey began more than a year ago, when Alicia enrolled in Paragon’s Owner Training Program. Alicia reached out to Paragon with concerns about safety, because of her hearing loss, she couldn’t hear critical sounds like fire alarms or doorbells. She hoped Bloom, a two-year-old Mini Sheepadoodle could become the partner who would help her gain greater independence.
After collaborating with Paragon staff to set training goals, Alicia began meeting weekly with a Paragon trainer and practicing diligently at home. Together, she and Bloom spent countless hours working on outings, building focus, and mastering sound alerts.
This September, their hard work paid off, and they successfully passed their public access test and sound alert test. This achievement is the result of tremendous dedication, perseverance, and teamwork. Congratulations, Alicia and Bloom!
| | | | Welcome to Good Talk Counseling | | |
As you may know, this month we were excited to announce the launch of Paragon’s mental health counseling program, Good Talk Counseling (GTC). This important social enterprise is not only financially vital to Paragon’s mission, but also reflects our ongoing dedication and commitment to serving our community.
As part of that commitment, we are proud to share that Good Talk Counseling accepts Colorado Medicaid (Health First Colorado) statewide. This ensures greater access to excellent mental health care for those who need it most.
In addition, Good Talk Counseling is offering a free grief workshop on Saturday, October 18th, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. This workshop provides a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space to gently explore the unique experience of grief. Participants will be empowered with tools and strategies to navigate this deeply human experience.
For more details, please see the flyer below or visit our website for more information
| |
Thanks for Reading!
Thank you for joining us for our September newsletter! We hope you enjoyed the heartfelt moments that will create lasting memories. Wishing you a wonderfully spooky October, and we can’t wait to share more stories with you soon!
With gratitude,
Paragon Service Dogs
| | | | | 14737 County Road 3 Longmont, CO 80504
Phone (303) 287-3277
| | | | | |
