as one of nine amazing women in the NY’s 110th District at the second Assemblymember Phil Steck’s Women of Distinction Awards ceremony. This annual event honors women whose work makes the community a better place to live in. (read more)

Local veteran and hero was honored with a memorial service held at the Mechanicville Stillwater Elks.

The second annual PTSD & Service Dog Awareness motorcycle ride took place in Troy Saturday morning!

Ibi Semper Training, Inc. held their second-annual PTSD and awareness ride at the Brunswick Harley Davidson in Troy.

IST Founder Sonya Ward was featured in the March edition of Niskayuna Neighbors, a local magazine for Niskayuna residents

Interview with Ann Parillo about Ibi and PTSD Service Dog training

Highlighting the importance of service dogs.

Ibi Semper Training (IST), Latin for “Always There,” is helping veterans and first responders while rescuing dogs, and pairing them together to train them to become Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Service Dog teams. (read more)

Arts4Vets is such a wonderful program and we thank them and the American Legion Post 1520 for their support for and partnering with Ibi Semper Training, Inc! Please read and reach out, it can only benefit you. (read more)

Specially trained service dogs helped ease PTSD symptoms in U.S. military veterans in a small study that the researchers hope will help expand options for service members... (read more)

Scientific Reports is an open access journal publishing original research from across all areas of the natural sciences, psychology, medicine and engineering... (read more)

Dogs' sensitive noses can detect the early warning signs. Now, scientists have found evidence that assistance dogs might even be able to sniff out an oncoming PTSD flashback, by teaching two dogs to alert to the breath of people who have been reminded of traumas... (read more)

There’s confusion about the rules when it comes to service animals. Here’s what the law says and why... (read more)

Many people wish their dogs could live forever; but, since this is an impossible dream, it makes it all the more important to honor the trusty canines in our lives. This is exactly what Marine Corps veteran Cole Lyle has done... (read more)

Researchers are learning more about how traumatic events may physically change our brains. Neurologists have revealed changes to a brain mechanism used for learning and survival may play a role.... (read more)

Humans and dogs can form incredible bonds. Some people even believe that their canine companions can understand their emotions. Well, a new study suggests that this could be true... (read more)

The rate of suicide among veterans may be more than double what federal officials report annually because of undercounting related to drug overdose deaths and service record errors, according to an analysis released September 2022... (read more)

Veterans could have greater access to therapy dogs and service dogs now, thanks to the passage of U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin's PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act.... (read more)

Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)... (read more)

It’s almost impossible to find any other creature as loving and comforting as a dog. Their ability to empathize and their natural desire to be close to us makes them remarkably predisposed to helping get through emotional... (read more)

Given a green light from the Transportation Department, airlines have banned so-called emotional-support animals from cabins, making it more complicated—and more expensive—for pets to fly with their owners... (read more)

It’s been found that disrupting episodes of anxiety ranks among the most important tasks a service dog can provide to veterans with PTSD... (read more)

For veterans traveling abroad, the use of service animals can be difficult. Where there’s a will, there are at least possibilities, as Air Force veteran Melanie Boling showed on a recent trip to Peru. Regulations for visiting Machu Picchu prohibited dogs, but Peruvian law allowed it... (read more)

When you think of a service dog, you might imagine a fluffy golden retriever, a sleek black lab, or perhaps a strong shepherd — but no matter what breed comes to mind, you probably picture them wearing a brightly colored vest... (read more)

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes -- this one just happens to have four legs and a furry coat... (read more)

A decade-long effort to have the Department of Veterans Affairs provide service dogs to veterans with mental health issues passed a major hurdle with House passage Wednesday... (read more)

Images of a “comfort turkey,” a duck with shoes and a kangaroo on airline flights have all gone viral on the internet. So, too, did the photo of a pheasant at Newark airport and a story about Wally, an emotional support alligator... (read more)

On the brisk winter afternoon of January 22 in Syosset, over two dozen local residents greeted two spirited therapy dogs, golden retrievers Bella and Riley, at the nonprofit... (read more)

There are too many of them to consider. There were more than 10,000 when I started reading, and it just kept growing. People from all over the country with lots of strong opinions... (read more)

The U.S. Department of Transportation is considering tightening the rules for taking service animals on planes after increased customer complaints and lobbying from the airlines who think current regulations are too lenient... (read more)

Kaitlin’s life was saved by her service dog, Chester, Flaherty said about the recent incident, and the dog has changed the lives of the entire family in many other ways... (read more)

The days of passengers bringing rabbits, turtles and birds on planes as emotional-support animals could be ending... (read more)

Ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft have made the world much more accessible for many people who can't drive or don't own cars. However, despite federal and state laws demanding these services provide equal access for passengers with disabilities, many customers with service animals experience frequent denial of service once driver-partners see they are accompanied by a worker-companion animal... (read more)

No doubt you've noticed, pet lovers seem to be taking their animals everywhere these days. Some are performing a true service for their owners, but many are not. Now, several states, airlines and businesses are being forced to crack down on the abuse... (read more)

A Lowcountry veteran says he and his service dog are being harassed because he doesn't walk her on a leash... (read more)

The service dog organization NEADS Inc., formerly from West Boylston, is working with state Rep. Kimberly Ferguson (R-Holden) to pass a bill that would make misrepresenting a service animal illegal... (read more)

A condominium association in Snowmass Village violated federal law — the Fair Housing Act — when it banned the service dog of a resident with disabilities from her home... (read more)