Canine Companions for Independence is the world’s largest nonprofit provider of assistance dogs. These canines aid folks with physical and/or cognitive disabilities and complete everyday practical tasks. Since the nonprofit’s founding in Santa Rosa, Calif., in 1975, they have placed 5,000 service animals, with 2,000 active dogs around the country.
“‘Retrieve’ is the most popular command,” said Michelle Williams, the organization’s public relations and marketing coordinator. But many are far more advanced: “These dogs have been trained to even pick food up off the ground. I even once saw a dog pick up a dime,” she marveled.
The Walk ‘n Roll event, one of 30 throughout the country, is a completely accessible festival. It features events such as Dunkin Dog, in which dogs bob for hotdogs; temporary tattoos for dogs; and vendors selling every dog accessory you could imagine.
Walk ‘n Roll has been coming to the University of Nevada, Reno campus for the past three years, but the Incline Village event at Sierra Nevada College is the first held around the lake.
“Incline seemed like an untapped area,” Williams said. “We wanted to bring the mission to this untouched community and to people who might want one of our dogs.”
Reno’s own Tiffany Hunter and her canine companion Pongo have been working together for five years. “If I give him money or a credit card, he can put two paws on the counter and give it to the clerk then he can give it back to me,” Hunter proudly said, and added that Pongo knows around 60 commands.
The Reno and Incline Village events are unique because they are the only ones on college campuses in Canine Companion’s northern region.
One reason for holding these events on college campuses is to get the students involved in volunteering.
“Student engagement fosters the development of student’s civic responsibility, responsible citizenship, leadership, and personal growth,” Stephanie Chen, Coordinator, Special Events, and Civic Engagement at UNR, said. “By hosting DogFest Walk ‘n Roll at our campus we are able to promote what it means to be engaged with the community while allowing our students to practice philanthropy by donating and fundraising for this organization.”
