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Ken Vargas
Managing Editor
Service Dogs, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Dripping Springs, has been transforming the lives of individuals with disabilities since its inception in 1988. Founded by attorney Sheri Soltes, the organization is dedicated to enhancing independence and quality of life through partnerships with custom- trained assistance dogs, provided free of charge to Texas clients.
Unlike many service dog programs that rely on breeding, Service Dogs, Inc. adopts young adult dogs from shelters and rescue organizations, focusing on those with temperaments suited for service work. This approach not only provides a second chance for these animals but also addresses the needs of clients requiring assistance. The organization employs positive reinforcement training methodologies, ensuring that the dogs are well-prepared to support their future partners.
“We get our dogs from animal shelters throughout Texas. On average, we pull one dog from every third shelter we go to. Sometimes we'll get multiple dogs. The process starts with just a general walkthrough. We see dogs that are kind of more composed amongst the rambunctious ones. And then we take those dogs if they match our age requirements and health requirements, and then we'll cross reference behavior reports with the shelter staff. And so we usually look at anywhere from one to about five dogs in a yard itself, where we then go into what their instincts are and see if it's something we can mold into service. Service dog training is a lengthy process. So the dogs that come here are very special,” Soltes said.
The range of services offered by Service Dogs, Inc. includes training hearing dogs for individuals with hearing loss, service dogs for those with mobility challenges, and facility dogs that assist professionals in settings such as court- houses and trauma response units. Each dog undergoes extensive training to perform tasks tailored to the specific needs of their handler, such as alerting to sounds, retrieving items, or providing physical support.
Prospective clients must be Texas residents and are required to attend training sessions at the organization's Dripping Springs campus. While Service Dogs, Inc. covers the cost of the dogs and lifetime followup services, clients are responsible for travel and lodging expenses during the training period, as well as ongoing care costs for their service dog.
Changing human lives for the better
After losing his beloved wife, Betty, to cancer four years ago, U.S. Marine veteran Rhea Hambright found life on his family farm to be challenging. Daily tasks were nearly impossible to do on his own. He was lonely, frustrated and for the first time in his life, didn’t know how to fix things. A friend suggested Rhea get a Service Dog. Then everything changed.
Rhea got in touch with SDI and applied for a dog. SDI accepted him. A few months later, Rhea traveled to the SDI campus to meet several potential dog matches. The first dog he met was Beatrice. The connection was intense and instantaneous. Rhea calls it one of the greatest moments of his life.
Now, with Beatrice at his side, Rhea is back in the driver’s seat in life. Beatrice fetches bottled water from the fridge, helps with laundry, opens doors, picks up dropped items, retrieves medication, and helps Rhea to tug off clothing at night.
But the biggest thing Rhea has found with Beatrice? The company. Beatrice is his best friend, a constant presence, and provides joy when things are tough. She has motivated Rhea to start traveling again, visiting new places and seeing old friends, plus to make new ones when strangers approach to compliment Rhea on his beautiful Service Dog.
Although Rhea and Beatrice have been inseparable for a year, one of the most amazing parts of their story happened at the very beginning. “When I first got Beatrice, I mentioned to one of the trainers that Beatrice is a long name for a dog. She replied, ‘We don’t call her Beatrice, we call her Bea.’ My eyes welled up and I was moved very deeply. My wife had just passed and her name was Betty. Three guesses as to what I used to call her? That’s right Bea,” Humbright said.
Service Dogs, Inc. is accredited by Assistance Dogs International, adhering to high standards in training and client services. The organization's commitment to excellence has garnered recognition, including awards for its founder, Sheri Soltes, who has been instrumental in advancing the field of assistance dog training and advocacy.
The training process involves basic commands and specific tasks based on the dog's role, such as hearing alerts or mobility assistance. Dogs are sourced from shelters, with a selective process to ensure suitability. The organization employs positive reinforcement and has a team of four trainers and 11 support staff. They currently have 16 dogs in training, with plans to expand to 23. The dogs are trained to work in various public settings and are matched with clients based on compatibility. The organization also supports first responders and veterans with facility dogs.
Tailer O’Neill is SDI’s Director of Training.
“It typically takes about a year for us to start the matching process with the dog. With the way that we're going, we're looking to shorten that over time. But as of right now, the aversee age time on campus is a year once the dog is matched, and we do the kind of interface of the client's training with the dog. The dog will then move in with the client. We visit them weekly for three to four months, and then we still see them yearly after that, so we keep up with not only the dog campus, all of our graduates still are in that transition,” O’Neill said.
Even when all the ingredients come together to find a dog with the right temperament, intelligence and trainability, followed by hours, days and months of training, life can sometimes throw the perfect plan a curve ball.
That is what happened to Jeep who after making tremendous progress in SDI’s training program, was diagnosed in Dec. 2023, with kidney disease as a result of an untreated infection from his former life as a stray. With a prognosis of just 2 to 3 more years, so rather than place Jeep for a short time with a client, Tailer adopted him. Now, he lives a comfortable and purposeful life, working as a demonstration training dog with SDI.
O’Neill joined the nonprofit in 2023 and describes it as his ‘dream job,” and his body language lights up when he talks about the work SDI does. His love of training dogs inspired him to apprentice with an animal behaviorist and he strongly adheres to the positive reinforcement approach to training. His passion for animal advocacy and helping people is why he does this work, overseeing the campus training program, shelter dog evaluations and associate trainer development.
SDI also provides trained dogs to help first responders.
“Our first responder dogs have gone to work alongside a peer counselor with an organization called Bluebonnet Trails Community Services. They do services for veterans and law enforcement in eight underserved counties in Texas. So they will either speak to a class of police officers or have one-onone counseling with a vet who's having a really tough time, whether it's two in the morning or meeting for coffee on a park bench. And the dog has really helped folks open up and a lot of these stories they don't tell because they're very personal to the patient in themselves, but the dogs that are with some of these folks have also gone when they've had another community's had a catastrophic event, like a mass shooting. Our dogs and those teams have gone to El Paso, to Uvalde, to Allen, Texas, where there have been a lot of first responders from different organizations working together, and the dogs have helped facilitate that too, and it's very rewarding to see that,” Soltes said.
When asked how the public can help, Soltes said “For one, donations. Two, we really welcome people that would like to be a foster family for a dog. It helps if they don't currently have a dog, but if they love dogs, so they could just dip their toe in and take a dog home for a weekend, be the fun uncle or aunt, and then bring the dog back on Monday morning, and you can fill out that foster application on our website under the volunteer tab.”
Volunteers can assist at the training center or serve as weekend fosters for service dogs in training, providing essential socialization and care. Additionally, Service Dogs, Inc. hosts events such as the annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk, the organization's key fundraiser that brings together dog enthusiasts to support the organization's mission.
Soltes also said dog lovers can join SDI this Saturday in their premier fundraising event at Camp Mabry.
Mighty Texas Dog Walk & Expo
Service Dog Inc.'s largest annual fundraiser, the Mighty Texas Dog Walk & Expo, is set for this Saturday, Nov. 16, at Camp Mabry in Austin.
Founder Sheri Soltes hopes this year's dog walk will set a new world record for the largest pajama party with dogs. 'IKEA just set a new record with 2,052 employees in pajamas,' Soltes said. 'But that wasn’t with dogs. Austin is the No. 1 dog-friendly city in the country, and we’re going to prove it — again!'
She invites all dog lovers to support SDI’s mission by rolling out of bed, leashing up their dogs, and heading to Camp Mabry. After a 1-mile stroll, attendees and their dogs can enjoy treats, giveaways from family- friendly sponsors, canine agility and 'sniffari' courses, and the chance to compete for a giant gold trophy in the costume contest.
Proceeds benefit Service Dog Inc., which adopts dogs from Texas shelters and trains them as service dogs free of charge.
“A service dog can be life-changing,” said Austin Meredith, an SDI client. “My service dog, Peaches, motivated me to move out on my own after I was injured, go to college, and this past May, I started my dream job at NASA. SDI provided my service dog free of charge, which made all the difference.”
The Mighty Texas Dog Walk has previously set records for most dogs walked, biggest cake for dogs, biggest fur ball, and last year's largest dog bowl.
Soltes encourages all to join the fun. The expo grounds open at 9 a.m., with the walk starting at 10 a.m. The event continues until 5 p.m., featuring vendors, exhibits, and live music. For more information, visit mightytexasdogwalk. org. Those who cannot attend can still support SDI’s mission to provide service dogs for Texans in need. To donate or learn more, visit servicedogs.org.
