New Hampshire
Give Back NH – Assistance Canine Training Services
Every other week on NHPR, we like to highlight a local non-profit that’s providing a great service for the Granite State. On this week’s episode of Give Back New Hampshire, our focus is on Assistance Canine Training Services.
Founded in 2007, Assistance Canine Training Services trains service dogs for people with mobility disabilities and facility dogs for professionals using animal assisted therapy.
Assistance Canine Training Services
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Assistance Canine Training Services
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Kathy Metz: I’m Kathy Metz, director of operations here at Assistance Canine Training Services.
Kelly Brown: I’m Kelly Brown. I hold the role of executive director of Assistance Canine Training Services, but I’m also a volunteer puppy raiser and a client. I have one of our facility dogs.
Kathy Metz: Our mission is to raise, train and place service and facility dogs. So our service dogs are for mobility, people who have challenges walking, many of whom are in wheelchairs or use scooters. And also our facility dogs go with professionals who utilize them in animal assisted therapy – teachers, therapists, occupational therapists, counselors, anyone who can utilize a dog in a therapeutic way for their patients or those they serve.
Kelly Brown: I speak more to the facility dog front. Our service dogs are wonderful and they work with one person. They provide a service or multiple services for a person in need. The facility dogs are just a little bit different in that they work with an able bodied human being. We have several dogs at different hospitals, people who are going through cancer treatments. They go in for their cancer treatment and there’s a dog there just to provide comfort and support while they’re there. As a schoolteacher, I have one in my general education classroom, and the dog is there all the time. He’s there every day.
Kathy Metz: Most of our puppies come to us at eight weeks old. Whether they come from a breeder or another organization, starting from the time they’re born, they get what we call enrichment, constant handling, constant exposure to different stimulus, different sounds, everything that get them comfortable with their world and make sure that they’re ready to start working and start training.
Connie: Hi, my name is Connie and my husband, Mike and I are volunteers with the ACTS organization here locally, and we have raised one of the dogs for the organization. His name is Hickory. We had him a total of about two and a half years. So Hickory is no longer with us. He’s been placed. And so now we help out as an auntie and uncle.
Mike: Hickory was our first dog when we moved up here from Pennsylvania a couple of years ago. We saw in the newspaper that ACTS had a nice article, and they were looking for puppy raisers and said, yeah, maybe we might make good puppy raisers. From my perspective, the most rewarding part is knowing what the dog is doing for an individual.
Connie: It’s a lot of fun to raise the dogs. A lot of people ask us, isn’t it difficult to let the dog go, especially when you’ve had them for a couple of years? And it is. And we went into this realizing that we had a job to do. And in our case, Hickory had a job to do. And I say if we both did our job correctly or all three of us, then the magic happens. And that’s exactly what happened with Hickory.
Robin Crocker: I’m Robin Crocker, I’m board chair, and I’m formerly the director of canine development, retired from that position. I still do a lot of work advising and working with training of the dogs. The people who work with the dogs are so dedicated, and the clients are so amazing, and the work that the dogs do with the client is just heartwarming. And I can’t step away. I just keep coming back.
A man was killed Monday in an exchange of gunfire with police in Ashland, New Hampshire, authorities said.
The office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said Ashland police stopped a vehicle Monday evening on Main Street. A man in the vehicle, whose name has not been released, allegedly pulled a gun.
Officials said the man shot and wounded one police officer. The man was shot during the confrontation and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The officer is being treated at a hospital for a gunshot injury. No one else was hurt, authorities said.
Formella’s office is investigating the shooting alongside New Hampshire State Police.
The names of the officers involved in the incident will not be shared until interviews are completed, authorities said. The man killed in the shooting will be publicly identified after next of kin are notified and an autopsy is conducted.
No further information was immediately available.
Dover, New Hampshire is finally going to see something go into the old Ames Building, (same plaza as Hannaford) at 833 Central Avenue. It’s not just “something,” it’s a Community space we didn’t know we wanted.
Justin Grondahl is the owner of TRAENE Fitness & Pickleball and he’s opening one here in Dover. He has 63,000 square feet to make beautiful. Justin is the son of the co-founder of Planet Fitness that started right here in Dover, New Hampshire.
Justin spent some time with me here in the Townsquare Studios and told me everything we can expect.
You will not believe what he has in store for this place. It makes me want to move to Dover. (although it’s like my 2nd home – I’m here all. the. time.) Check out what his plans are:
- 10 indoor pickleball courts
- 3,000 Square Foot Classroom for Megaformer Pilates Classes
- 20,000 square feet of just gym equipment
- 2 Cold Plunges
- 3 Saunas, with three floors. Lots of people can fit into them
- Big Locker Rooms
- Red Light Beds
- Massage Chairs
- Massage Beds
- Tanning Booths
TRAENE Recently Added a Peptide Clinic to their Plans
If you are unfamiliar with peptides, they are chains of amino acids that help you heal injuries, build muscles and in some cases, lose weight.
After Justin told me all this, I asked if they will have food and drinks too because it was the only thing I could think of that they didn’t mention! He said, “yes, we’ll have something.”
What’s Up With the Penguin?
When Justin came into the studio, he had a TRAENE branded shirt that included a penguin. When I asked him why a Penguin, he said that it has always been his favorite animal because they are very tied to their Community. They never really leave and they are always together.
READ THIS: 6 Reason’s Why Brown’s Lobster Shack is a NH Seafood Treasure
Justin is already under construction of TRAENE. He said they should be open in the Fall of 2026.
Another incredible perk of being part of the TRAENE community is they are going to pick between 10 – 15 Members of the Month who are going to get rewards like:
- Renting out a race track
- Limo service to Bruins or Celtics games, whichever the member chooses
These trips will be all paid for, all free, Justin said.
New Fitness & Pickeball Center Opening Up in the Fall of 2026 in Dover, NH
As soon as I hear about when TRAENE is opening, I’ll let you know and you and I can get our pickleball team together. Justin did say sometime in the fall, but no specific date.. yet.
8 New Hampshire Restaurants That Closed in January/February 2026
Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna
All Team USA New England Athletes Who Won Medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics
As of Sunday, February 22, 2026, 10 athletes from New England won medals in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna
The New Hampshire Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 8-6-2
Evening: 8-8-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 7-6-9-2
Evening: 6-5-8-4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the New Hampshire Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Megabucks Plus: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a New Hampshire managing editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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