Canine Companions: A Lifelong Friendship

Authors

• Brenna D. Hiss, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Olivia S. Kestner, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Sarah M. George, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Alondra I. Torralba, University of Central FloridaFollow

Streaming Media

Files

Course Code

LDR

Course Number

2002

Faculty/Instructor

Professor Esther Mandelbaum

Faculty/Instructor Email

esther.mandelbaum@ucf.edu

About the Author

Thank you to Professor Mandelbaum and the LEAD Scholars Program for the endless guidance, support, and patience throughout the course of this project.

Thank you to the welcoming staff at Canine Companions: Dina Emmanuel, Carson Deby, front office staff, and Canine Companions Inc for the opportunity to volunteer with them.

Abstract, Summary, or Creative Statement

Our group had the privilege of volunteering with Canine Companions Orlando this semester. Canine Companions is an organization that seeks to support the independence of disabled children, adults, and veterans by providing service dogs at no cost to the recipient. We were able to further support this growing establishment by volunteering behind the scenes: cleaning, turning over family rooms, and assisting wherever help was needed. Through this experience, we recognized that Canine Companions is more than an organization focused on training service dogs; it’s an organization focused on building a strong community for those in need. This commitment to an indispensable goal taught us that even the “behind-the-scenes” tasks like cleaning, assisting, and turning over rooms are vital to upholding Canine Companion’s mission of service. Additionally, we learned that through effective collaboration, gaps between volunteers, administration, and clients are bridged. Every task can directly contribute to a more accessible and supportive society.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords

Service Learning; Volunteering; Canine; Canine Companions; Community; Community Building; Commitment; Nonprofit

Recommended Citation

Hiss, Brenna D.; Kestner, Olivia S.; George, Sarah M.; and Torralba, Alondra I., "Canine Companions: A Lifelong Friendship" (2026). High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026. 74.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2026spring/74