From The Shelter To Service: Texas Dog Trained To Help Deaf Veteran

Camaro the dog used to spend his nights at an animal shelter, his future and fate uncertain.

But one day the Texas-based nonprofit Service Dogs Inc. plucked him from a pack of orphans. His age, health and temperament caught the eye of trainers, leading them to believe he might be a good service dog.

Camaro is one of more than 1,000 shelter dogs the nonprofit has trained over the past 35 years. Service Dogs has placed canines with the disabled, the deaf and people who have experienced traumatic events.

“We help the dog and we help the person,” Sheri Soltes, founder and CEO of Service Dogs, told KVUE.

Service Dog trainers worked with Camaro and recently he became the “ears” for his handler, who is deaf.

Julian Rodriguez, a United States Air Force veteran, said getting paired with Camaro has made him feel more complete and independent.

Camaro now alerts Rodriguez when someone’s at the door, or when someone is speaking to him.

“Before Camaro, I struggled with even the little things that people often take for granted, like knowing when your children are calling your name,” Rodriguez told KHOU.

Service Dogs trains hearing dogs, service dogs for those with mobility challenges, and facility dogs that assist professionals in settings such as courthouses and trauma response units.

Each dog undergoes extensive training tailored to the specific needs of their handler, such as alerting to sounds, retrieving items, or providing physical support.

If a dog doesn’t complete the training, Service Dogs finds it a good home.

They don’t go back to the shelter.

“They’re going to win either way with us,” Soltes said.

Each dog is a $50,000 investment and takes at least a year to train.

When they get a client, Soltes said they choose a dog that best fits their needs, gifting the pups to people free of charge.

“I think all of us have needed a second chance at one time or another,” she said.

“We’re giving them not only a second chance, but a chance to actually help other people.”

For information on how to apply for a service dog or to donate, check out Service Dogs’ website.

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