Service Dog to be Marine Family's 'Early Warning System'

Editor's Note: This story was provided by Camp Pendleton Public Affairs.

By Lance Cpl. Derrick K. Irions

Eighteen-year-old Savannah Salazar will soon have a personal assistant to lend a helping paw in the case of an emergency.

Milk-Bone Brand partnered with the Canine Assistants held a ceremony to donate Carmen, a specially trained service dog, to a retired Marine’s special needs daughter at Camp Pendleton’s Commissary, Feb. 23.

Representatives from both organizations spoke about the major benefits a highly trained assistance dog can provide to those living with physical disabilities, seizure disorders and other special needs. Savannah suffers from epilepsy and experienced her first seizure at the age of two.

“She was kicking me in the back but I thought nothing of it. I thought it was something usual for a 2-year-old to do,” said Savannah’s father, Ruben Salazar, a veteran Marine Corps gunnery sergeant. “It wasn’t until her eyes began to roll back that I felt something was wrong. I knew I had to call 9-1-1 and take her to the hospital.”

The donated service dog will act as an “early-warning system” for Savannah by recognizing and alerting her to an oncoming seizure, as well as helping Savannah with tasks that she struggles with on a daily basis, such as opening and closing doors, retrieving dropped items and even turning lights on and off.

“What the dog will be great for is offering her some independence,” said Savannah’s mother, Tracy Salazar. “You can imagine, someone who has seizures every day -- she’s unable to do the things that other 18-year-olds do.”

The Canine Assistants is a non-profit organization that breeds and trains service dogs to enhance and improve the lives of children and adults who have debilitating conditions, and is providing the service dog on behalf of the Milk-Bone brand to Savannah without any expense.

“The dogs can cost up to $20,000 with all of the health care, food and training needed,” said Beth Fate, a recipient of two service dogs from Canine Assistants. “[Owning the service dogs has been] the most wonderful experience I’ve ever had. -- The best part of it all is the love and bonding that I get to share with my dogs. There’s no judgment with them, just unconditional love.”

Tracy Salazar, expects her daughter’s quality of life to improve after the completion of the required two-week training course to help Savannah and her dog get to know one another, while simultaneously teaching the service dog to react to the signs of Savannah’s approaching seizure.

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