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NEADS Service Dog Meets His Match

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NEADS service dog Bailey meets new owner Ashley Sequeira at the organization's training facility in Princeton, Massachusetts. (Karyn Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)
NEADS service dog Bailey meets new owner Ashley Sequeira at the organization's training facility in Princeton, Massachusetts. (Karyn Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)

Here & Now has spent the last year following Bailey, a budding service dog raised by the Western Massachusetts-based NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services) organization.

During the week, NEADS dogs are trained by, and live with, prison inmates (under the expert guidance of professional dog trainers). Then, on weekends, the dogs go to families. Bailey started his life with inmate Bernard, but after committing an infraction, Bernard lost Bailey, who was transferred to inmate Antonio.

In this segment, Bailey meets his new owner, Ashley, who has weakness in her arms and also uses a wheelchair. Here & Now's Robin Young reports.

More Photos Of Bailey

Bernard with his former service dog, Bailey. (Karen Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)
Inmate trainer Bernard with service dog Bailey. (Karyn Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)
Bailey stands with Antonio, one of his former owners. (Photo/Cathy Zemaitis)
Bailey stands with Antonio, one of his former inmate trainers. (Photo/Cathy Zemaitis)
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Bailey walks out of the prison with Antonio, one of his former inmate trainers. (Photo/Cathy Zemaitis)
Inmate trainer, Antonio, gives Bailey a kiss. (Photo/Cathy Zemaitis)
Inmate trainer, Antonio, gives Bailey a kiss. (Photo/Cathy Zemaitis)
IMG_4365
Bailey looks out of a car window. (Photo/Cathy Zemaitis)
NEADS service dog Bailey flips a light switch for new owner Ashley Sequeira at the organization's training facility in Princeton, Massachusetts. (Karen Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)
NEADS service dog Bailey flips a light switch for new owner Ashley at the organization's training facility in Princeton, Massachusetts. (Karyn Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)
NEADS service dog Bailey opens a refrigerator door for new owner Ashley Sequeira at the organization's training facility in Princeton, Massachusetts. (Karen Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)
NEADS service dog Bailey opens a refrigerator door for new owner Ashley at the organization's training facility in Princeton, Massachusetts. (Karyn Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)
NEADS staff and trainers join host Robin Young and Producer Karyn Miller-Medzon with Bailey’s new owner, Ashley Sequeira. (Karyn Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)
NEADS staff and trainers join host Robin Young and Producer Karyn Miller-Medzon with Bailey’s new owner, Ashley. (Karyn Miller-Medzon/Here & Now)

Reporter

This segment aired on May 25, 2016.

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