Mobility Dogs

Eddie has already made quite an impression at Albany Junior High in his role as therapy dog!

Eddie was recently awarded the school’s Buzzy Bee Award — an award given to a staff member who has been nominated by their colleagues for making a positive difference.

Eddie’s anonymous nomination said it perfectly:

“Eddie has brought so much joy, happiness and laughter to our school. Students light up when they see him, and he has an amazing ability to bring a little calm and happiness to anyone’s day.”

His other important duties apparently include boosting morale, reducing stress, accepting unlimited pats and appearing whenever snacks might be involved. 😂

Congratulations, Eddie! We think you’re very deserving of your Buzzy Bee — and we love hearing about the difference you’re already making at Albany Junior High.

Sometimes, it’s not just the dogs we find hard to let go of…

One of the hardest parts of raising service dogs is knowing that, one day, you have to say goodbye. Raisers pour their hearts into these incredible dogs, knowing from the very beginning that their journey with them will eventually lead somewhere else.

But what we don’t always talk about is how hard it can be for us to say goodbye to the people who make this journey possible. Our raisers, boarders and volunteers become so much more than people who help us raise and train service dogs.

They become part of our Mobility Dogs family. We share the highs, the challenges, the celebrations, the heartbreaks and countless stories along the way. And today, we are saying goodbye (at least for now!) to someone who has been a very special part of that family.

Jack has been involved in raising an incredible number of service dogs for at least a decade. Ten years of opening his home and his heart to dogs who would go on to transform lives. Ten years of helping puppies learn, grow and become the amazing dogs they were destined to be.

Jack has given so much of himself to Mobility Dogs, and his contribution has reached far beyond the individual dogs he has helped raise. He has been a valued, trusted and much-loved member of our team.

Thank you, Jack, for everything you have given to our dogs, our clients and our Mobility Dogs family.

We’re delighted to be joining St Matthew-in-the-City for their annual Blessing of the Animals on Sunday 4 October, and we’d love to see you there! 💚

This special service celebrates the wonderful place animals hold in our lives, with animals of all shapes and sizes welcome. Bring along your dog, cat, rabbit, bird, horse or other animal companion for a special blessing. If your animal can’t come along, you’re welcome to bring a photo instead.

St Matthew-in-the-City is also supporting Mobility Dogs by collecting donations to help us continue our work creating life-changing partnerships between people and dogs. Our dogs work across our Mobility, Therapy and Companion Dog programmes, helping people to experience greater independence, confidence, connection and companionship.

We’re so grateful to the St Matthew-in-the-City community for choosing to support our work and for giving us the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful celebration of animals.

📅 Sunday 4 October
🕐 1pm
📍 St Matthew-in-the-City, 132 Hobson Street, Auckland

🐾 Jimmy is ready for his next adventure!

Just look at that proud face! Jimmy is about to begin his new role as a School Therapy Dog at Berkley Normal Middle School, and we couldn’t be more excited for him.

We know he’s going to bring plenty of cuddles, companionship and happiness to his new school community.

It takes a village to raise a Mobility Dog

We recently received this beautiful letter from Kim, who is partnered with Sunny, and we wanted to share a little of her heartfelt message with everyone who played a part in his journey.

“I know that it truly takes a village to raise and train a service dog. Sunny didn’t become the dog he is because of one person or one stage of his journey. He became Sunny through the combined love, patience, time, teaching, encouragement and commitment of many people.”

Kim says Sunny has brought her confidence, companionship, purpose and laughter, helping her get out and about again and face things that can sometimes feel daunting.

“Having him beside me makes the world feel a little more manageable, and knowing he is there gives me the courage to do things I might otherwise struggle to do.”
And perhaps most beautifully, Kim says that when she looks at Sunny, she sees the whole village behind him — the people who raised him, taught him, socialised him, challenged him and cared for him along the way.

“Sunny may now be my service dog, companion and helper, but a part of him will always belong to the village that helped make him who he is.”

Thank you, Kim, for such a beautiful reminder of the incredible impact of our puppy raisers, volunteers and everyone who helps create these life-changing partnerships.

🌼 Daffodil Day with Tahi! 💛

Tahi is a Therapy Dogs in Christchurch, and after a career change from being a School Dog, he now spends his days working alongside the team at the Cancer Society.

He was a real hit with the public on Daffodil Day, proudly sporting his special daffodil bandana alongside his ‘work mate’ Winnie.

What a wonderful way to spend the day supporting such an important cause!

Sometimes, a family doesn’t quite feel complete until the right four-legged member comes along. Hugo has found his people, and today he begins his new life as a companion dog, bringing love, comfort, laughter, and all the little moments that make a house feel like home. We couldn’t be happier for Hugo and his wonderful family as they begin this beautiful journey together.

A special moment at St Matthew-in-the-City!

Eddie was delighted to be part of the celebrations as Xintong Li and Yue Ma gathered at St Matthew’s for a Blessing of their relationship.

And it seems Eddie made quite the impression — they loved their photos with Eddie so much they’re having them printed for their photo album!

Thank you, Xintong and Yue, for letting us share this beautiful moment.

Caesar recently joined us for a training walk, where he practised walking nicely on a loose lead, checking in with his person and staying focused around food distractions.

There was also some desensitisation training around lifts and buses, before finishing the day by settling in a café around other dogs. Lots of new experiences and valuable learning for this clever pup!

Eddie taking a well-earned rest at St Matthew-in-the-City. A very good boy enjoying the beautiful surroundings!