Community Spotlight: Aspen Service Dogs

Park Memorial Funeral Home hosts a Christmas Memorial Service every December to give the families that we have served over the past few years, as well as the community-at-large, the opportunity to gather together to remember their loved ones who have passed away. 

For the past two years, we decided to support three local organizations while also allowing our families to pay meaningful tribute to their loved ones via our memorial donation. In order to choose which organizations we would support, we first gave our staff family a list of local organizations and asked them to vote on their top three. The vote netted that Roozen Family Hospice Centre – Pilgrims Hospice, Edmonton Food Bank, and Aspen Service Dogs would be the benefitting organizations. We then gave each individual who RSVP’d for the service the opportunity to choose which of the three charities would best honour their loved one with our memorial donation.

On January 18th a few members of our staff family delivered the corporate donation as well as the list of loved ones that each donation honoured to each of the three organizations. Each organization gave some time to our team to explain more about who and how they serve, and answer our questions about their impact in the community, how this memorial donation will help them, and what the greatest needs of the organization are at present. Here is the story of our time with Aspen Service Dogs:

At Park Memorial Funeral Home, we understand the profound impact of loss and the importance of finding solace and support during difficult times. That's why, as part of our commitment to our community, we're proud to highlight organizations like Aspen Service Dogs, whose work brings comfort and companionship to those who need it most.

Empowering Lives Through Service Dogs

Aspen Service Dogs is dedicated to training and providing service dogs to individuals facing various challenges, including those coping with PTSD, autism, and more. With a mission rooted in compassion and empathy, Aspen Service Dogs aims to enhance the quality of life for their clients by offering the invaluable support and companionship of a professionally trained service dog.

Investing in the Legacy Breeding Program

Your donation to Aspen Service Dogs will contribute to their Legacy Breeding Program, a cornerstone of their efforts to cultivate a new generation of service dogs. For more information about this program and how your contribution will make a difference, visit their website and explore the detailed information provided.

Making Service Dogs Accessible

The cost of acquiring and training a service dog can be prohibitive for many individuals and families. At Aspen, they understand the financial barriers that may prevent people from accessing these life-changing companions. That's why they've committed to keeping the cost of their training program affordable, priced at $30,000 per dog—a fraction of the typical cost, which can range from $40,000 to $55,000 elsewhere.

Urgent Call for Dog Raisers and Puppy Raisers

Aspen Service Dogs relies on the dedication and generosity of volunteers to raise and care for the puppies and dogs in their program. Currently, there is an urgent need for dog raisers and puppy raisers to support their mission. By opening your heart and home to these furry companions, you can play a vital role in providing emotional support and companionship to individuals navigating Mobility Limitations, Autism, PTSD, and Facility, Hearing and Diabetic Alert.

Healing Through Connection

Caring for a service dog or puppy not only benefits the recipient but also provides emotional support and healing for the raiser. For those struggling with grief, depression, or isolation, the companionship and responsibility of caring for a dog can be profoundly therapeutic. This has definitely been the experience of our staff member, Nicole, an Adult Raiser with Aspen Service Dogs. She is foster-raising her second adult dog with this organization and speaks highly of the training, flexibility, and impact of the program. Having suffered the loss of her mother and a significant long-term relationship one after the other, foster-raising these pups has given her purpose and drive in healing the hurts of her losses. She also speaks very highly of the value of furry cuddles. She says that working with Aspen helped her walk through her grief in a healthy way by becoming the dogs' best partner. In order for the pups to succeed in their training, she needed to ensure that they had access to the experiences required to lead them to graduate from their program and help those in need. By nurturing and training these dogs, raisers find purpose and connection, helping them navigate their own journey of healing and recovery.

oin Us in Supporting Aspen Service Dogs

As we come together to honor the memory of our loved ones, let us also extend our support to organizations like Aspen Service Dogs, whose work brings comfort, companionship, and hope to those in need. Whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading awareness, your support can make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals facing challenges.

For more information on how you can support Aspen Service Dogs or get involved as a dog raiser or puppy raiser, visit their website or follow the link provided. Together, let's continue to uplift and empower our community through the love and companionship of service dogs.

Note: The information provided is based on the available data at the time of writing. For the latest updates and opportunities to support Aspen Service Dogs, please refer to their official website.