PULLMAN, Wash. — This month, a pack of pups put their best paw forward, graduating as expertly trained service dogs.
They were raised by a group of students at Washington State University through a club called Prendergast Pups.
The club honors its late founder, Shannon Prendergast, who never got to see it come to fruition.
Shannon’s passion for therapy dogs started thanks to a friend of her mother, Janet.
Janet told KIRO 7 News that the friend was helping train a service dog through Canine Companions. It’s a national organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained service dogs at no charge to the recipient.
Her work inspired Shannon. During her sophomore year of college, she adopted a dog to train in the program.
“She threw herself into that wholeheartedly,” Janet told KIRO 7 News. “She was enthusiastic about it; she was dedicated to it.”
Shannon took Lottie everywhere—to class, to football games, to the pool where she was a lifeguard.
Shannon’s passion for the program inspired others. She recruited five more students to become puppy raisers. She also began the process of creating a university-sanctioned club for more to join.
The day of her presentation in 2017, she and Lottie were driving back to Pullman when a driver, distracted by their cell phone, crashed into their car. The impact killed Shannon.
“The only spot in the car that wasn’t crushed happened to be right where Lottie was,” Janet told KIRO 7.
Lottie survived. It didn’t take long for Janet to realize the same pain she felt in losing her daughter—
The dog Shannon had been raising— felt too.
In an effort to move forward and honor her daughter’s legacy, Janet took Lottie back to service dog training classes, practicing commands.
“She did them perfectly when I was holding the leash,” Janet said, " If somebody else was holding the leash, Lottie shut down. She was clinging to me after the accident."
Janet clung to Lottie as well.
“Those first few months, she supported me. I really wasn’t doing anything with her other than trying to survive day to day.” Janet told KIRO 7.
Lottie was eventually released from the program, unable to continue training as a service dog. But that didn’t mean her work was done.
Woodinville Schools, where Janet works, knew Lottie had behaved well in classrooms before, so they invited Janet to bring the pup with her as she returned to work. The two quickly used their trauma to help young children work through their own.
“I began using her to support some of our needier children. We have children who have anxiety, who have a hard time coming to school someday, children who have had trauma, and Lottie has a big understanding of trauma from me and from me supporting her. She gravitated towards those children who were struggling at school.”
Janet said Lottie has a talent for knowing who needs her affection and reassurance.
“If I would walk into a classroom, she never pulled on a leash, but she’d pull towards one child, I trusted her. She knew better than I did who needed help.” Janet told KIRO 7.
Lottie started as a service dog, and is now working as a therapy dog— leading the pack in the Woodinville School District. There are now 12 dogs on her elementary school’s campus helping children.
Ohio State University has documented the benefits of dogs in enhancing the learning environment for young children by increasing self-confidence and motivation while decreasing anxiety.
Janet has seen all of that first-hand. She shared one story with KIRO 7 about a young boy who had severe test anxiety. Lottie gave Janet a look, and when Janet unhooked her leash, Lottie lay right on the boy’s lap.
“You could just see him grab hold of her fur and just hold on. Little by little, you saw his hands relax, and he said, ‘Lottie, we’ve got this. I can do this.”
While Lottie is helping students in Woodinville, a group of students is paying it forward in Pullman.
After Shannon’s passing, her friends continued her work to create a club on campus for puppy raisers through Canine Companion. In her honor, they named it Prendergast Pups.
Six pups just graduated this year, the latest of several generations of dogs to come from the program.
Students get a dog at eight weeks and train them until they are 18 months old. They teach them basic commands and expose them to high-energy environments.
Janet said she sees her daughter memorialized in each dog to complete the program – as well as in Lottie.
“When she first got Lottie she would say, ‘Mom, I want Lottie to do great things.’ When I see Lottie with the students at school, and I see the program, I say to myself, ‘Shannon, do you see that? Your dog is doing great things.’”
Anyone can apply to become a puppy raiser. If you’re interested in applying, you can learn more about the process here.
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