Proud Service Dog In-Training Visits Disneyland and Becomes Internet Star
What better place to attend a field trip than at “the happiest place on earth?” A trip to Disneyland would be any student’s dream.
But magical — and educational — excursions aren’t just for students of the human variety. Puppies in training love Mickey’s house, too.
“Canine Companions for Independence is a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.”
The dogs are raised by volunteers during their training, and even get to go on fun outings to see how well they will do in different environments.
One of those outings just so happened to be an adventure to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. During the spring of 2018, several CCI canines in-training visited the park, according to CBS News.
More recently, volunteer Ashley Wilt took the pup she’s been raising for his visit with some favorite characters.
Elijah is training to be a full-time service dog. Wilt took him to Disneyland to see how well he would do among large crowds.
Several photos posted to Wilt’s Instagram account, Adventures in Puppy Raising, revealed Elijah did just fine indeed.
View this post on Instagram
“He is loving. He is loyal. He is sweet,” Wilt wrote in a post to commemorate Elijah’s 1st birthday in May 2018. “I have so much confidence in his future and I feel so lucky to be the one to witness all of his dreams.”
And it appears Elijah’s dreams came true at the place where, well, dreams come true! His trip to Disneyland was nothing less than magical!
From cuddling with Cinderella to snuggling against Winnie the Pooh, Elijah seemed to have no problem meeting new friends and being on his best behavior.
He even sat for a caricature, waiting patiently as the artist created a perfect rendering of the faithful dog.
Whoever ends up with Elijah as their forever pal is no doubt going to thank their lucky stars. What a wonderful and loyal friend he is, and so good to pose for photos!
We wish Elijah all the best as he soon moves on toward his future as a service dog. According to Wilt, Elijah will leave her loving arms and face the world beginning Feb. 15, 2019.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.