By Virginia Chavez-Nelson

Call them furry four-legged angels, even saviors with tails, but around the highly trained staff at Arizona Goldens LLC, don’t you dare call them pets.Boasting bold-colored vests with IQs high enough to rival Ivy League standards, service dogs stand apart from the average household pet...

by Alicia Canales, Cronkite News & AZ Republic

The Ludwig family purchased Bandit from Arizona Goldens LLC, a Mesa company that raises, trains and places service dogs nationwide with adults and children who have disabilities...

by Jen Turrell

However, if anyone else ever wants to follow in our footsteps and take their special needs kids and a service dog overseas, I do have a few tips to pass on....

Article By: Ben Meiklejohn

SACO – Joanne Picard, a medical assistant at Southern Maine Health Center, is reaching out to the public for help raising money for a service dog.

Ten years ago, Picard, of Dayton, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system. She was subsequently diagnosed with lupus, stage 3 renal failure and, more recently, rheumatoid arthritis. On difficult days, Picard said getting up, maintaining balance and even walking or standing can be a challenge. Eventually, doctors recommended that she look into getting a trained service dog....

Article & Story Originally on ABC 15 News & Reposted by OneGreen Plant Anna Vallery

Pet parents understand the power of having a pet around. Pets are known to relieve anxiety and stress, as well as promote healthy living. For children suffering from disorders such as autism, recent studies have found pets can make all the difference. Take Evan, for example. Evan is a nine-year-old living in Goodyear, Arizona with his loving family. He does great in school, but has trouble making friends. Evan was diagnosed with Autism at a very young age and also suffers from ADHD and anxiety...

By Sheri Smith, Raising Arizona Kids

Meet Irish, a distinguished “gentleman”—well mannered, kind and highly educated. Irish is the service dog for Suzy Brunk, of Tempe, a 9-year-old who has both autism and epilepsy.

The golden retriever alerts the teacher when Suzy is about to have a seizure. He provides counter pressure by pushing or leaning against Suzy to relieve her anxiety. Because Irish has been trained to react to Suzy’s emotional states, he also gives Suzy the peace of mind to sleep through the night in her own bed—something she had never done until the first night Irish joined the household...

Article By: Tempe Public Schools

When Suzy Brunk walks into Broadmor Elementary School, she brings a little bit of hope with her each day, as she holds onto the leash of her new golden retriever Irish.

As a second-grader, Suzy is happy and playful in spite of many challenges in her young life, including diagnoses of autism and epilepsy. She is non-verbal, has learning challenges, and experiences episodes of anxiety. However, Suzy’s family and school community have glimpsed how the extraordinary new partnership is already changing the life of a special girl and opening hearts and minds all around her...

Article by: Kody Acevedo
Photo by Billy Hardiman

Irish, a six-year-old golden retriever, is man’s best friend in more ways than one.

For 11-year-old Suzy, he’s her connection to the world.

Suzy is non-verbal. She has epilepsy and autism. Irish is her service dog and through a language of his own, speaks for her.

“For me, it’s my journey to help her out,” said Suzy’s mother Jaime Arredondo. “As parents, it’s what can we give her to help her succeed?”

Suzy didn’t have many friends growing up. It’s tough for little kids to understand Suzy’s situation. Then Irish came along...

By Jeff Nguyen  (CBS Los Angles)

VENTURA (CBSLA.com) — A man is in a Ventura County hospital thankful to be alive.

And he’s grateful not only to his doctors – but to his dog.

“He’s an angel. He’s sent down from heaven,” the Arizona resident said, revealing,”When the first responders showed up I wasn’t breathing.”

That could’ve been fatal had it not been for Garth...

By Alyssa Tufts

MyNewsMesa.com spoke with Founder and CEO Brian Daugherty of Mesa-based Arizona Goldens, the business with local, national and international ties through their clients.

Combining their experience and expertise, Arizona Goldens raise and train service dogs for various medical reasons to help their clients have better quality of life...