Allow us to introduce Paula and Carisa, our dedicated Breeder Caretakers. Together, they are forming a powerful team to support our beloved DBL Breeder Dog, Frosty, as she brings the next generation of Service Dogs into the world.
Frosty was born and raised with a purpose, and after graduating our Puppy Program was selected to become one of our Breeder Dogs – an important role that our most special dogs take on.
Breeder Caretakers and Puppy Raisers are critical to our mission to create life-changing partnerships between Service Dogs and individuals with disabilities. With Carisa’s nurturing expertise and Paula’s unwavering dedication, Frosty is in the best of pawsible hands!
Breeder Caretaker Spotlight:
Carisa
I volunteered to help whelp Frosty’s litter, because it’s amazing to see the beautiful part of life. Even though birth can be messy, watching it is exhilarating and so beautiful! I never thought I would do something like this, but it turns out I love it so much. I am not much of a people person but I love to help people through the love of a dog. I’ve always said a dog can go where people can’t with other humans. You hear stories of how a dog was the reason a nonverbal child with autism spoke their first words. Dogs are pure love.
As a Breeder Caretaker, you have to be okay with the “earthier” part of life. You are dirty all the time and you worry about the puppies. It’s the story of my day, I’ve got poop or pee on me somewhere. Sleep can be hard to come by.
Messes and sleeplessness aside, it’s such a rewarding experience. Nothing gets to your heart as much as when the puppies recognize and run to you when you walk into the room. They recognize you as a safe place and know you will take care of them.
Breeder Caretaker Spotlight:
Paula, Rife and Buttercup
We are so grateful to be able to care for Frosty and be part of such an important community that breeds and trains these exceptional dogs. These dogs provide such an important service to help those in need.
Our family had been involved with the Guiding Eyes for the Blind organization for years while living in Connecticut. We raised a puppy for them, socialized puppies and were fortunate enough to be a foster to a beautiful brood mom named Oreo. Our current family dog, Buttercup was a released puppy from their program.
When we moved to Cape Cod full time, we were looking for another organization to be involved with and were lucky enough to find Dogs For Better Lives. We are now a Breeder Caretaker family for new mom Frosty.
She is a beautiful black lab with a gentle spirit who in a short time has worked her way into all our hearts.
Thank you for letting us be a part of her journey.
Breeder caretakers open their heart and home to a purpose-bred dog from Dogs for Better Lives’ breeding program. Enjoy the companionship of a well-mannered Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, or a cross of the two and help bring future generations of assistance dogs into the world to one day change someone’s life. Interested? Learn more and apply!
