🐕‍🦺 At Canine Companions, our #servicedogs transform the lives of people with disabilities, providing them with increased independence so they can live their lives to the fullest - including Dayna with Service Dog Matteo. Growing up with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a progressive muscle-wasting disorder, Dayna was 13 before she could get her dropped hairbrush from the floor without asking her parents for assistance, thanks to a special dog named Orienne. “My SMA makes my muscles really weak, and they don’t work the way they do for people without SMA,” Dayna says. “I drop everything. I use a power wheelchair full-time, and I really need help with everything.” Dayna’s parents were responsible for handling Orienne, but she helped Dayna be more independent than ever. “Asking a human for help is different than asking a service dog.” When Dayna was in her twenties, she received #ServiceDog Sender, who faithfully assisted Dayna wherever the pair went. Sender even gave Dayna the confi...