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Fairchild community member to receive service dog, life-long partner

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The Fairchild community is invited to watch the Defense Commissary Agency and Milk-Bone present a service dog to an 18-year-old family member at 11 a.m., April 27, at the commissary entrance.

Daniel Swanson was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 7 years old. Since then, he's struggled with reduced stamina, limited mobility, muscular weakness, both speech and vision impairments, balance issues and heightened emotions. Swanson uses a manual wheelchair and a walker for mobility.

"I feel like the companionship of a service dog will help me through the many difficulties I could experience as I transition into my adult life," he said.

Swanson's father, Phill Swanson, works for the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency here. Swanson currently resides with his parents, but said he plans to work for the Marines and return to school. He added he's looking forward to the constant companionship and the improvement to quality of life the dog will bring. His new companion will assist him with tasks such as: retrieving dropped items, opening and closing doors, turning lights on and off and pressing elevator buttons.

Canine Assistants is a national charitable organization that provides service dogs to people with disabilities, at no cost to the recipient. The organization runs entirely on individual and corporate donations.

"In the past ten years we have given away about 90 dogs to military families," said Mr. JD Fenessy, Del Monte and Milk-Bone national sales director. "Each dog costs approximately $20,000 to raise and train to get ready for a recipient. The military is near and dear to my heart as my father served for 37 years - we really want to get the word out so other military or retirees can take advantage of the program."

For information on the canine assistance program or how to apply, visit www.canineassistants.com.