Exceptional Sidekick was founded in the wake of unimaginable tragedy. After the Sandy Hook School massacre, local dog trainer and community member Abby Hill, CPDT, was not only supporting others, she was grieving too, trying to raise her own children in a community shaken to its core. Amid the chaos and heartbreak, families began turning to Abby, asking her to train their family pets to become service dogs. But while the love was there, most of the dogs simply weren?t suited for the demanding work of a psychiatric service dog.

Recognizing the urgent need, Abby reached out to Assistance Dogs International. Their response was clear: ?Start your own program. We will help.? And so, The Exceptional Sidekick was born, a psychiatric service dog organization dedicated to teens and young adults struggling to complete their education and find stability in the aftermath of trauma.

What began as a local response to one tragedy has grown into a mission of national significance. As we approach our 10-year anniversary, we?ve placed 10 highly trained psychiatric service dogs, free of charge, with youth directly impacted by the Sandy Hook tragedy. Since then, we?ve expanded to place service dogs with 18 more young people whose mental health has been shaped by trauma, school-based anxiety, systemic marginalization, and identity-related challenges.

Our mission is to provide life-changing psychiatric service dogs to those who need them most. But we know the healing doesn?t stop with the recipients. When young people are invited into the training and raising process, the impact multiplies, giving far more youth access to care, purpose, and the transformative bond with these incredible animals.