I am the lucky person who has been matched with Scorpio, and I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve put
into this sweet boy as well as send you an update on how he’s been doing since we were matched.
When I received the news from New Horizons that they had a service dog for me, I was so excited. I was also very
nervous; there were so many unknowns, and I wondered if the experience – and the dog – would be everything I
had imagined.
…When they finally led the dogs in one by one, Ms. Janet brought a big, beautiful golden retriever my way. When I
realized she was bringing the dog to me, I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing as she said, “This is Scorpio,” and
handed me the leash as he wiggled excitedly.
…After a few minutes of being distracted, Scorpio turned to
face me with his big brown eyes and pushed his head into my
chest for a few moments before lying down next to me and
promptly falling asleep as I gently played with his soft fur and
velvety ears. I will never forget that moment. It was as if he
knew, and had chosen me.
…I am incomprehensibly grateful to you for the role you
played in bringing this sweet boy to me. Through working
with New Horizons and helping to raise and train Scorpio, you
have given me the gift of independence. As a young woman
looking forward with goals and dreams for the future, I can’t
thank you enough. A world of opportunity has opened up at
my fingertips, and I have you to thank. I can only imagine how
difficult it is to raise and train a pup only to have them move on to help bring light and hope into someone else’s
life, but I hope it has been worth it.
It is certainly life-changing for me. …words will never be enough to convey my gratitude to you for being a part of
this journey.
This is part of a letter that Tyler Burrell wrote to her dog’s prison puppy raisers.
