The Woof Life Show - A Podcast for Dog Lovers - From Prison to Beverly Hills - The Journey of Leader Dog Lady – 2019 Hero Guide Dog an Interview with Dawn Rudolph

From Prison to Beverly Hills - The Journey of Leader Dog Lady – 2019 Hero Guide Dog an Interview with Dawn Rudolph

10/19/19 • 58 min

The Woof Life Show - A Podcast for Dog Lovers

In this episode of The Woof Life Show the podcast for dog lovers, Lauren Farricker chats with Dawn Rudolph who is the dog mom and handler of Leader Dog Lady who won the 2019 Hero Guide Dog Award.

Dawn Rudolph is legally blind and Leader Dog Lady is her guide dog. Dawn shares with The Woof Life show how much her world has changed so much since Lady came into her life. Leader Dogs are the eyes to support their handler and are trained like a Secret Service Agent to put their own life in danger before harm could come to their handler.

Leader Dog Lady’s life started in a peculiar way, she lived for the first year of her life with an inmate in Iowa named Kevin. Kevin worked diligently to train her with other inmates as a part of the program through Leader Dogs for the Blind. Interestingly the long-term success rate of pups trained in prisons is better for placement as a lead dog as compared to other training programs.

Since Lady came into Dawn’s life, her world has been vastly improved: they travel, they set goals, and conquer challenges like everyone else. Friends and family always ask them Leader Dog Lady what their upcoming adventures will be. They educate people about Leader Dogs for the Blind, go to Lions Club conventions to promote Leader Dogs for the Blind. We attend big events and fundraisers for this wonderful organization. July will be their four-year anniversary as a team. What a beautiful partnership and it’s so incredible to hear about the impact that a dog has on someone’s quality of life.

The 9th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards® will premiere on the Hallmark Channel on October 21st at 8pm ET/ PT. The event was hosted by Beth Stern and James Denton and presenters included Kristin Chenoweth, Shannen Doherty, Trevor Donovan, Danielle Fishel, Vivica A. Fox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jenna Johnson, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ally Maki, Larissa Wohl, Cameron Mathison, Debbie Matenopoulo, Kristoffer Polaha, Brandon McMillan, Barbara Niven, Roselyn Sanchez, Ariel Winter, Eric Winter, and Sofia Wylie.

In this episode of The Woof Life Show the podcast for dog lovers, Lauren Farricker chats with Dawn Rudolph who is the dog mom and handler of Leader Dog Lady who won the 2019 Hero Guide Dog Award.

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Sergeant Yeager – 2019 Military Hero Dog our Interview with Caroline Zuendel

In this episode of The Woof Life Show the podcast for dog lovers, Lauren Farricker chats with Caroline Zuendel who is the dog mom and handler of Sergeant Yeager who won the 2019 Military Hero Dog Award.

Sergeant Yeager honorably performed combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Improvised Explosive Detection Dog with the United States Marine Corps. Sgt. Yeager has been credited with detecting the locations of dozens of explosive devices. During his three combat tours, Sgt. Yeager participated in over 100 patrols, and was tasked with clearing routes for his fellow Marines. On April 12, 2012, Sgt. Yeager suffered shrapnel wounds from an IED that caused him to lose part of his ear.

He was awarded the Purple Heart for his injuries. Unfortunately, the same explosion took the life of his handler, Lance Corporal Abraham Tarwoe. The pair was virtuously trying to protect the other Marines in the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Fellow Marines attest to the unbreakable bond between Tarwoe and Sgt. Yeager. After the attack, Sgt. Yeager was transported back to the U.S. and treated for his injuries until he was stable enough to retire from the USMC. Lance Corporal Tarwoe’s widow was unable to adopt Sgt. Yeager as she would now be raising their infant son alone. Sgt. Yeager was adopted by another Marine Corps family. Today, at 12 years of age, Sgt. Yeager is beginning to show signs of aging, though his spirit is undiminished. Despite his trials and witnessing acts of terrorism, Yeager remains a sweet dog with an infinitely joyful disposition. He has settled in North Carolina with his family, where he is an ambassador for the Project K-9 Hero Foundation, which pays 100% of his medical bills from his sustained injuries. In September of 2019, Sgt. Yeager also received the Medal of Courage Award!

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Piglet– 2019 Hero Search & Rescue Dog - Interview with Lori Wells

In this episode of The Woof Life Show the podcast for dog lovers, Lauren Farricker chats with Lori Wells who is the dog mom and handler of Piglet who won the 2019 Search & Rescue Hero Dog.

But there’s another “Piglet” in town: an eight-year-old Catahoula Leopard Dog. This Piglet, a veteran search and rescue dog, is trained and certified to help families in arduous times. Nothing could have prepared Piglet and handler Lori Wells for the inconceivable conditions on a recent deployment. Called to aid in the aftermath of the horrific “Camp Fire” in Paradise, California, this little dog deployed to do all she could to help. Piglet provides a vital service. The value of her work in bringing answers to grieving families is immeasurable.

She assists in locating people on land and in water. Once, human searchers spent seven days combing a lake with no luck. On day eight, Piglet deployed and located the subject. She helped the coroner by locating enough bones to reconstruct and positively identify the individual. Lori and Piglet donate hundreds of volunteer hours annually and depart for each call-out with enthusiasm. Traveling thousands of miles a year does not diminish Piglet’s bubbly personality and happy-go-lucky attitude. In her off-hours, she loves making friends. At events she’s always a crowd-pleaser with a wagging tail, signature “smile,” and endless kisses.