Fall 2021

volunteer & donor SPOTLIGHT Bob Vi l l ami l

“I knew we were a part of something very, very special.”

In 1998, Bob Villamil saw a commercial looking for people to volunteer to raise a puppy for a relatively new service dog training organization. After investigating the opportunity, the timing wasn’t right for him for that type of commitment, but a bond was formed between him and Saint Francis Service Dogs that has now grown for over 20 years. Bob supported and followed along with Saint Francis in our early days, and in 2006, when we launched our foster program, Bob and his wife answered the call and began to foster a dog named Roxy. At the time, we had not yet built our onsite kennel facilities, so fostering a dog meant that you would drop the dog off each morning and pick the dog up each evening. It was basically like having a child in school! In 2007, Roxy was placed with her partner. Bob struggled with this, as all of our puppy raisers, trainers, and foster families do. He tells us, “Roxy was part of our family, and it hurt to say goodbye. One of the trainers invited us to a practice session with Roxy and her new partner, who utilized a wheelchair. After seeing Roxy maneuver with her young partner and seeing the joy Roxy brought to him and his family, I knew we were a part of something very, very special, and she was where she belonged.” After this first foster experience, Bob and his wife, Sue, fostered and sat for many more dogs. They became one of our go-to foster families for helping dogs overcome certain barriers that may prevent them from being placed. They worked with dogs with carsickness, reactivity, and sensitivity. Many of these dogs went on to be placed and have distinguished careers as Saint Francis Service Dogs. One of them, Poco, could not overcome her fear of thunder, so the Villamils adopted her through our career change program.

Bob says he and Poco share a special, emotional bond that he is so thankful for.

Over the years, Bob has volunteered and supported Saint Francis in countless ways. He volunteered at our Dogtoberfest events, led and supervised community service projects at our facility, and contributed generously to the construction of our kennel building, while securing matching funds from his employer, GE. After years of experience with Saint Francis, he made the decision to join our Board of Directors in 2011. In 2015, things came full circle when Bob retired from GE and decided the time was right to try puppy raising. He received an eight-week old puppy that he named Jax. Under Bob’s care, Jax passed our Puppy Program, but he ultimately told our training team that he did not want a career as a service dog. Bob adopted him in 2016, and has since trained him as a Pet Partners therapy dog. As a team, Bob and Jax have provided joy, comfort and therapy to over 3,300 adults and children, and Jax enjoys his life as the Villamils’ beloved pet. Bob tells us, “We have experienced the magic of these wonderful dogs. We witnessed how Saint Francis provided, free of charge, the gift of independence to so many worthy people. My wife Sue and I practice service to our community, and we work with many nonprofit organizations, but the impact of Saint Francis is unmatched.” This year, Bob and his wife joined our Legacy Society by including Saint Francis in their estate plans. Their generosity and endless support of our mission are obviously felt now, and we are so grateful that future generations will feel their impact in the years ahead through their Legacy Society commitment. We could not do what we do without people like Bob! Thank you!

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