Bella Rue has always had a special way of making people feel at ease. Now, after beginning her life as a shelter dog and working hard through professional training, this lovable Great Pyrenees mix is beginning her career as a Facility Dog in an Oregon school district.
Rue trained in many environments to develop her Facility Dog skills in the From Shelter to Service Program.
Bella Rue was the very first dog selected for the From Shelter to Service Program when Dogs for Better Lives (DBL) relaunched its Texas program with new staff. The program, in partnership with Operation Kindness in Carrollton, Texas, gives shelter dogs with the ideal temperament an opportunity to train for meaningful careers as Assistance Dogs.
A calm, affectionate personality quickly became one of Bella Rue’s greatest assets. But becoming a Facility Dog takes more than being a great dog. She had to learn the skills, manners and behaviors needed to work confidently in a professional environment and support the people she will serve. After 6 months of training, Bella Rue was ready to take on the role of Facility Dog.
Bella Rue was recently placed with a school counselor in Oregon who works with students across multiple schools in her district where she will bring her Facility Dog skills: settle, visit, lap, squish, touch and pass, to help children engage in school and build connection.
“Everyone who met Bella Rue during placement week (now called Rue) instantly fell in love with her. My favorite moment was when we visited the Pre-K classroom during nap time and Rue settled right on one of the cots with a young boy. She and the students are going to be so happy!” said Rue’s trainer, Jenny.
Rue’s handler, Bonni, has already seen the impact first-hand.
“Rue accelerates at supporting students during happy times and tragic times. Recently, our small county of 850 students experienced an unexpected student death, which understandably impacted everyone. Throughout this process, students visited Rue in between classes, in their classrooms, at our staging area in the library, and she even joined me and a student in a mile-long walk. Thanks to Rue, I was able to walk alongside students as they grieved,” said Bonni.
Rue and Bonni at work
“Rue has also been an excellent way to engage bashful or shy students. I regularly brag about the tenure of Rue’s formal education, which helps me to encourage our students to continue attending school,” she added.
Our shelter partnerships help make placements like Rue’s possible. Together, Operation Kindness and DBL identify shelter dogs who have the potential to succeed as Assistance Dogs. Selected dogs then receive the specialized training and support needed to prepare them for careers serving people in their communities.
Each successful placement in the From Shelter to Service Program is proof of the incredible potential that can be found in shelter dogs—and of what is possible when they are given the time, training and support to succeed.
For Emily M., who helps support DBL’s From Shelter to Service Program, Rue’s success highlights what can happen when shelter dogs are given the opportunity to develop their potential.
“Facility Dogs have a big impact and touch so many different lives. I think Rue’s background story of being in a shelter and now being a trained Facility Dog will really enhance the work she does with the students,” said Emily.
Rue’s next chapter is about putting everything she has learned to work. She has shown she is ready to begin a career where her calm nature, loving personality and hard-earned skills can make a difference every day, and we can’t wait to see the impact she makes.
About From Shelter to Service
Learn more about how Dogs for Better Lives trains shelter dogs to become Service Dogs in our From Shelter to Service Program, which has partnerships in Texas and Atlanta.
