An event that is the first of its kind in San Diego. Our community is comprised of extraordinary animals, passionate people, non-profits and dedicated businesses who serve and contribute to animal welfare and strengthen our community. The San Diego Animal Hero Awards is a gala...
School-age children have been experiencing high levels of stress in recent years. Stress can negatively affect learning and development in kids. A group of researchers in the UK were interested in how animal-assisted interventions (AAI) with therapy dogs could help alleviate stress in school children. The...
A research study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science found that the average dog will respond to around 89 words, half of them being commands. The researchers identified the most frequently understood words, as well as the factors that may play a role in a dog’s...
This sweet pup is a 9 year old Cocker Spaniel, Poodle, and Chihuahua mix. Sadie Rose is an emotional support animal for her human mom, adopted a little over a year ago. Sadie Rose developed bladder stones that required emergency surgery, but her mom is on...
Researchers studying the performance of medical alert dogs found that, even though the dogs were trained to work with one person and one medical condition, they proved adept at alerting to multiple people and multiple conditions. Medical alert dogs (MAD) are trained to detect certain biomarkers...
Researchers at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have found that early spay/neuter in heavier mixed breed dogs can lead to joint problems later in life. Specifically, the study found that mixed breed dogs with an adult weight of 44 pounds or heavier...
August 2-8 is International Assistance Dog Week, an annual event created to raise awareness about the important work assistance dogs do to help people with disability related limitations. Assistance dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and breeds and play a variety of roles. Here’s a quick...
Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel are on the front lines of the Coronavirus pandemic. A one-year old yellow Lab named Wynn is providing much-needed emotional comfort for staff at Rose Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. According to a story on CNN, Wynn’s trainer (who is...
The US Department of Veterans Affairs currently does not offer reimbursement for the cost of service dogs for military veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That could change with proposed legislation known as the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act, which is making its way...
Mark your calendars, dog lovers…International Assistance Dog Week starts this Sunday, August 4th! IADW was created to recognize all the wonderful assistance dogs who help make life a little easier for people with disability-related limitations. According to the official IADW website, assistance dogs help humans with both...
Ready for a heartwarming documentary about service dogs and the people who rely on them? Be sure to keep an eye out for the movie Buddy, a film from the Netherlands that tells the stories of six special service dogs and their owners. Buddy is currently...
[caption id="attachment_3397" align="alignnone" width="360"] Jax and Luis[/caption] We’re privileged to introduce you to a very special FACE Success Story. Jax and his dad Luis headed out for a day of fun and were driving north on California’s Interstate 5 when a drunk driver, who was driving the wrong way, collided...
In the ongoing effort to understand what our pets are thinking, researchers have been performing MRI scans on dogs’ brains for the past several years. A recent canine brain scan study conducted by scientists at Emory University may help determine which dogs will make the...
Recently FACE received a wonderful thank you letter from a truly special grantee. Meet Kenneth and his service dog Sampson. FACE provides financial assistance for emergency veterinary care to qualified pet owners…and some of these pets happen to be service dogs like Sampson! Ken receives...
Meet Joshua! Joshua is truly an exceptional dog with an exceptional story. This adorable Lab mix has long been a service dog for his loving owner who spends all of her spare time trying to fund-raise for his medical issues. When Joshua's "mom" found out...