Service dogs that become certified Canine Companions were the meeting topic and visitors on Oct. 4 at a meeting of the Central Village Homemakers in Mathews.

Speakers Leslie Neely and Kris White of Canine Companions told the group that a major land donation in the county last year enables the dogs to be trained from the age of eight weeks until they go into service.

Once trained, the dogs serve adults with physical disabilities or deafness, the speakers said. The dogs are trained to help with daily tasks or alert to important sounds. The group partners children with disabilities to service dogs, such as a boy who would occasionally stop breathing in the night, and the dog would alert his parents.

Others who benefit from Canine Companions include veterans with physical disabilities, hearing loss, or post-traumatic stress disorder, the speakers said.

Training begins when the puppies, which are part yellow lab and part golden retriever, are eight weeks old. Volunteers at leas...