What! No bulldog?
Bearden group seeks funds for service dog

By Wendy Smith

Bearden, a future service dog sponsored by the Bearden High School Navy Junior ROTC, has received a promotion. Due to his fearless nature, the golden retriever pup is now a Seaman Apprentice, says NJROTC instructor Chief Randy Dickson.

Bearden is being trained by Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, and he is now 6 months old. Students in the Bearden High NJROTC program raised $2,500 last year to sponsor the puppy, and the fundraising effort continues. It will cost $12,500 to train Bearden as a companion for a disabled veteran or an autistic child.

The cadets are more enthusiastic about raising funds for the dog than they are for collecting money for an upcoming trip to a competition in Kansas City, says Dickson.

It was, after all, their idea to sponsor the dog. They wanted to do something for those who have served our country, says Maj. Belinda Twohig. ... More