Talk: Dog Days of Summer: Meet Assistance Dogs of the West

SAR presents the Dog Days of Summer, a series of outdoor talks about human’s best friend. Dogs invited! Stroll the scenic SAR campus in the cool morning, then join a community of dog lovers to hear talks in honor of the Dog Days of Summer. Open to humans and responsibly handled, leashed dogs. Cold beverages provided.

Meet Assistance Dogs of the West

Linda Milanesi
CEO and President, Assistance Dogs of the West

Service dogs change lives. From assisting individuals with disabilities to providing critical emotional support in high-stress environments such as courthouses and police stations, these highly trained animals perform essential tasks with remarkable intelligence and empathy. In this inspiring presentation, Linda Milanesi, president of Assistance Dogs of the West, will explain how these extraordinary dogs are selected, trained, and matched with both individuals and facilities. Linda will be joined by canine colleagues and their human handlers to demonstrate some of the real-world skills they use every day.

Linda Milanesi began her career with Assistance Dogs of the West (ADW) in 2006 when she apprenticed to become an instructor/trainer in the school programs. She served as vice president of the ADW board until 2011, when she was named ADW’s executive director. Linda oversees a whole-systems team approach for ADW. She supervises and manages policy and procedure, advocacy, board relations, finance, development, and grantwriting. She is responsible for creating and nurturing donor and foundation relations and earned income projects. She produces the annual graduation ceremony celebrating the dogs that have been successfully trained for client placements and facility placements.

FREE admission. Advance registration encouraged.
Gates open at 9:00 am. Talk begins at 10:00 am.