Junkies Care: Supporting Canine Companions

Ever wondered about the extraordinary work of service dogs and the organizations behind them? We're kicking off our second month of Junkies Care by spotlighting Canine Companions, a remarkable nonprofit transforming lives through expertly trained service dogs provided completely free to people with disabilities. 

#caninecompanions #servicedogs #junkiescare #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #ursulinehighschool #youngstownohio #woosterohio #newalbanyohio #labradorretrievers #goldenretrievers #dogfest2025

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Junkies Care
• 0:48 Our Community Initiative Explained
• 1:29 Spotlight on Canine Companions
• 2:50 September's Focus and Dog Fest
• 4:18 Service Dogs vs. Emotional Support Animals
• 5:22 Labor Day History and Traditions
• 9:04 Closing and Donation Information

Transcript

DJ NICK: 0:07

Welcome to Junkies Care, a special edition of the Dysfunction Junkies podcast, where we celebrate great people and celebrate great causes. And now here are your hosts, chrissy and Keri.

Kerry: 0:21

Hello Junkies, I'm Kerry

Chrisy: 0:24

and I'm Chrisy.

Kerry: 0:25

Happy Labor Day.

Chrisy: 0:27

It is Labor Day.

Kerry: 0:29

September 1st. Where did the summer go?

Chrisy: 0:33

Where does it always go? I have no idea.

Kerry: 0:37

Well, we are really excited. We're going into our second month of Junkies Care, and Junkies Care is our initiative for community awareness, recognition and engagement. We started this last month and it's our way of reaching back to the community and giving a shout out to some great organizations. So last month we started with our alma mater. Chris, you want to talk about Ursuline real quick. You had a recap last month.

Chrisy: 1:02

Yeah, we were really excited about their golf outing. Funds, help with alumni causes, I guess, and students and just anything with our alma mater we like supporting, because without that we wouldn't be here.

Kerry: 1:19

So is Ursuline High School in Youngstown Ohio is our alma mater. Yes, and we also introduced a national organization called Canine Companions. Canine Companions is a national nonprofit that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs and ongoing support completely free of charge. This is an organization that's very near and dear to my heart. My husband, Jim, and I, farm boy Jim, have raised 12 puppies for this organization.

Chrisy: 1:48

Oh, wow, that's a lot. I didn't know you did 12. Yeah, 12. Good for you.

Kerry: 1:52

We're on a little temporary hiatus from puppy raising. I know that we will do it again, but just with everything going on in our life right now. So we are taking this time to just spread awareness for Canine Companions.

Chrisy: 2:03

So I'm very excited about this too.

Kerry: 2:05

Yes, because this month our goal is to really shout out Canine Companions and we are sponsors for the North Central Ohio Dog Fest and Dog Fest is Canine Companions. It's their signature event that helps raise funds and awareness. It's a really fun day. It's all throughout the country, different regions, and for Ohio, our Dog Fest is going to be on Sunday, september 21st at the North Central Training Center, which is in New Albany, ohio. So if any of you listening are within the Columbus, even Youngstown, cleveland area, cincinnati area it's not too far of a drive you can join us that day and you can meet Chrissy and I because we're going to be there.

Kerry: 2:48

Yes, we are, we're going to be there. So the event starts at one o'clock. You can bring your pet dog, as long as they are well behaved and leashed, but it is a great event and we are very, very proud to be part of that. We are also trying to raise $500 for canine companions that day and all of this information can be found on our website, and that is a new website that we just released last night or last night it's been a long week people Last month and that dysfunction junkies podcastcom. So those are our goals for our junkies care initiative that we are going into our second month on.

Chrisy: 3:31

Yes, and I'm excited to go to the event. I'm excited to see people there and meet people, so I'm really looking forward to that an emotional support dog or animal versus a therapy dog, versus a service dog there's differences.

Kerry: 3:58

We're also going to talk about service dog etiquette. So if you should happen to see a service dog in public, what should you do or not do? And we'll also talk about service dog fraud. I'm sure you've all seen in the news or read on Facebook about you know someone trying to pass off a peacock on the plane as a service animal or their emotional support alligator. So we're going to talk about some things like that, but it's going to be all on our Facebook page. So you got to make sure you're checking out our Dysfunction Junkies Facebook page because there's going to be some great information throughout the month on that.

Chrisy: 4:31

What does that say about where we are with people? That we've put all of this pressure on animals now to provide us with all of this help and support and we've run out of the typical animals. The dogs are wonderful and still that's like the OG. You're not going to really get rid of that. But, now we've like resorted to having alligators and birds, and you know a gerbil or a guinea pig somehow be emotional support for us. I don't know if that speaks a lot about the animal or about you as a human being.

Kerry: 5:08

It shows how dysfunctional we are as people, that is, we're really excited for the month. So be sure to be tuning in throughout the month on all our episodes and also to check out our Facebook page and our website. Hey, chrissy, since it is Labor Day, why don't we talk just briefly about Labor Day? Sure? Any special thoughts you want to share with the listeners?

Chrisy: 5:31

about Labor Day? Yeah, sure, go for it. Don't wear white anymore, unless it's winter white.

Kerry: 5:37

There is a difference. There is. Yeah, I had no clue.

Chrisy: 5:41

Like around Christmas, you can wear a certain white. Unless you're getting married, I guess you wear white then. Is it like ivory white? Yeah, I don't think it's like a true white white. It sort of has like a deeper tone to it, maybe a muted white type thing going on yeah and then dj nick made sure I had a little bit of history on labor day.

Chrisy: 6:02

So let me see here, if I can remind it's president, grover, cleveland made labor day a federal holiday in 1894. So wow, thank you for looking that up. I did not. Did they say why he thought it was important to make this a federal holiday? Can you give us some info on that please?

DJ NICK: 6:23

Well, I think there was some labor issues going on, like I don't know if there's actual strikes or anything like that, but I think there was definitely some discord between a lot of industry employees and industry management and owners, I suspect.

Chrisy: 6:38

That actually makes sense for that time period, that time period.

DJ NICK: 6:41

you know, there was a lot of factories who were starting to get into the industrial age. At that point in time, definitely, so we have a lot to do with that. But, yeah, obviously, celebrating our workers and that's where it all started it gives us a day off extra.

Kerry: 6:56

It does there, you go how funny.

Chrisy: 6:59

We celebrate this and we totally do not even connect it with what it was intended for. Oh no, it's more about school's going to start for the kids or, when we were in school, it's going to start for us. Summer is over. Don't wear white. I don't understand that whole thing.

Kerry: 7:17

we should have looked that up, but I didn't and if you're from the youngstown cleveland, young's more youngstown area, what it really means is the camfield fair oh yeah, I've been gone for a while so I totally forgot that, but uh, so the camfield fair is the Mahoning County Ohio annual fair agricultural fair and it is one of I think it's boasted as like the third largest county fair in the United States or something like that.

Kerry: 7:47

But that was a big deal growing up and it really was the true mark of the end of summer and Labor Day was the Canfield Fair. So for all of you fair goers down at the Canfield Fair in Canfield, Ohio, Mahoning County, Ohio, hey, I'll meet you at the Big Rock. They'll know what we mean.

Chrisy: 8:04

Yeah, yeah for sure. And where I am right now, not too long after Canfield Fair, we have our Wayne County Fair, which is the second week of September usually, and it's actually considered the largest, one of the largest agricultural fairs in the state In Ohio. In Ohio, yeah, in the state of Ohio, and it's a very nice fair also, so we can send a shout out for that too, and all the people who participate in that. It's a very good fair and nice to go to.

Kerry: 8:38

DJ Nick, you look like you want to add something. Nope, okay, he had a look like, oh, I want to add something.

Chrisy: 8:45

He keeps us with our research. Thank you, because I didn't even think to look this up.

DJ NICK: 8:48

I'm more than just a DJ. Yes, he is, oh boy.

Kerry: 8:52

He absolutely is. We couldn't do what we're doing without him.

Chrisy: 8:55

Absolutely.

Kerry: 8:56

Alrighty. Well, so I know this is kind of a short episode, but we really just wanted to talk a little bit about our junkies care for the month of September. Be sure to, like I said, check out our Facebook page, check out our website and, hey, we really hope to see you all. If you can come down to the Canine Companions Dog Fest on September 21st in New Albany, ohio. You can learn more about them on our Facebook page and our website, but you also can go to canineorg and learn all about the amazing things that Canine Companions does.

Chrisy: 9:28

Yes, and please consider donating. It's a wonderful cause and it helps so many people. Absolutely.

Kerry: 9:35

And you can go to the link on our website to donate to that and it'll help with our $500 goal. Yes, all right, everybody. Have a great Labor Day weekend, be safe and we look forward to seeing you throughout the month.

DJ NICK: 9:48

Bye, everybody have a great Labor Day weekend. Be safe and we look forward to seeing you throughout the month. Bye everybody.