When trailblazing scientist and animal advocate, Dr. Jennifer Barnhard, instructs her eight-week-old Siberian husky, Dauntless, for a future career, she knows she is changing her corner of the world.
Dauntless doesn’t have a career yet, but the pup is learning foundational skills for search and rescue, water rescue, and service work. As she grows and her personality develops, her career path will become clear.
Dauntless recently joined Dr. Barnhard’s non-profit, Starfleet Service Dogs Inc. (Starfleet), as a working dog prospect.
Many dogs are not cut out for the pet dog life. Barnhard began Starfleet in 2013, adopting shelter dogs and training them to be service dogs for people with disabilities.
She began by identifying shelter dogs with a strong desire to work. “Our mission is to help dogs who thrive when given a job, especially those waiting in shelters for a second chance,” she explains. “My role is to discover their natural talents, teach them how to apply and blend those skills, and find the perfect job that suits them.”
Starfleet, located in Cabin John, Maryland, has graduated more than 175 service dog and handler teams and has assisted the training of over 1200 working animals.
Most clients come from Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. As a non-profit, monetary donations and local volunteers are always welcome. Since Starfleet does not operate a kennel, every one of their animals lives with a client or trainer, and these teams are working every day in the broader community.
These dogs are labeled as service dogs or service dogs in training, so the public refrains from distracting them while they are working, but they are always happy to demonstrate their skills. “The dogs love to show off retrieving their handler’s phone, or performing a task that can be lifesaving”.
At Starfleet, the mission is to train service dogs and build partnerships empowering people with disabilities to pursue their goals. The multipurpose service dogs are trained for the handlers’ unique needs, supporting mobility, allergen detection, medical alert and response, PTSD, and much more.
But just as important as training and finding the right handler-canine match, Starfleet supports its teams for their lifetime. Barnhard is proud that the human recipients can chase their dreams, including finishing school, building careers, raising families, contributing to communities, and even traveling the world.
Dr. Barnhard trained service dogs for others before her life was forever changed by her now service dog, Spock, a husky mix. Barnhard grew up with a then-unknown allergy in foods, shampoos, soaps, and medications, leading to trying more than a dozen medications and severely limiting what she could eat outside of her home.
Spock was in the back room of a shelter moments away from being euthanized. “I knew that he needed help, and [his] behaviors … that made him reasonably unadoptable at the shelter, would later be turned to skills to save my life.”
Spock, taught to detect gelatin/alpha-gal to prevent anaphylaxis, has been at Barnhard’s side while she earned four academic degrees, including her veterinary doctorate, and has successfully traveled with her to 31 countries.
“Spock has given me the freedom to explore, experience new cultures, and go through life with my best friend,” Dr. Barnhard explains. Spock is 14 years old now, still working while teaching the next generation.
“My younger service dog, Isaac, a rescue German Shepherd, is learning the ropes. Isaac and I are breaking new ground for professionals with service dogs,” she adds.
Barnhard and Isaac teach canine fitness to other working dogs to keep them in optimal condition. In addition to service work, they are training in search-and-rescue and water rescue. Isaac is also working towards certification as a K-9 lifeguard by the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue.
The latest Starfleet initiative, built on a decade of research and practical experience, is Working Animals Veterinary Care and Education (WAVE), including veterinarians, scientists, physicians, accountants, lawyers, and other professionals, to rewrite the standard for husbandry and working animals.
“This is about making sure the animals get the care that they need,” she says, “at the same time elevating them to be seen as the athletes, career partners, and family members that they are.”
For More on Starfleet Service Dogs, Go To:
Website: https://www.starfleetservicedogs.org/
Email: drjenniferbarnhard@gmail.com
“My rescue dog, Spock, has given me the freedom to explore, experience new cultures, and go through life with my best friend,” Dr. Jennifer Barnhard.