There is a nonprofit in the Treasure Valley dedicated to training service dogs for those in need, free of charge, for program recipients.
Members of the Genesis Service Dogs group hosted their first fundraiser Saturday. They organized a Family Scrabble Run that kicked off at Fuller Park in Meridian and led groups all over the valley to pick up word tiles.
Once they arrived back at the park, they were challenged to come up with the best word possible. Several prizes were up for grabs.
The group trains puppies and matches them with recipients through an application process.
The dogs help people with mental and physical health issues ranging from Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder to providing diabetes and seizure alerts.
"We might use a larger dog breed for somebody that has balance or mobility issues," said Sara Nordio, a trainer for Genesis Service Dogs. "So, it kind of depends on what the dog's job is going to be as far as what kind of breed but we do have a lot of different types of dogs in our program."
Proceeds from the event go toward supporting the nonprofit's dog training program and help pay for food and veterinary costs.
For more information on how to become a service dog recipient, send an e-mail to info@genesisservicedogs.com or visit http://www.genesisservicedogs.com.
