08/07/2025
⚡️🐕🦺 This week, we’re featuring one TCA dog every day to celebrate International Assistance Dog Week! And for today’s post, we’re going to turn the spotlight inward, open up a bit, and highlight a pupper who could perhaps be called the very first TCA assistance dog ever, my personal Service Dog, Rahja. After two battles with pediatric spinal cancer, I entered remission needing more than just a little help living day to day life and navigating the world. Rahja came into my life as a puppy, but quickly became a full grown Pittie and I had no clue how to train her (or me)! So we both embarked on a journey together to become the best partners for one another we could be, and trained to learn how to get the best out of one another as a team. We achieved Service Dog certification and from that moment on, Rahja never left my side. She provided constant emotional/mental health support as well as numerous physical assistance skills. It was our experience together in this training that sparked my fascination with dog training and behaviorism I still carry with me to this day. Rahja saved my life in more ways than I can explain, and her memory and legacy are carried on and kept alive in the work we do at TCA every day. Because of the impact Rahja had on my life, countless dogs have been trained to be the best versions of themselves, countless people have been empowered with the knowledge of how they can be the best partner possible for their dog, and many, many new human/Service Dog teams have been trained and certified. I was blessed and lucky enough to get to spend 10 years with Rahja as my partner before she went on to the next place where I know I’ll see her again one day. Until then, I’ll continue the passion and the work she sparked to help train dogs, empower people, and inspire all. I sure hope I’m making her proud.
Love you, Rahja. Miss you every day, girl. ❤️
