As Ambassadogs, we sometimes can’t resist being a bit nosy, especially when it comes to knowing what our human handlers think and say about us guide dogs. My dad, Arsenio, gave me the green light to tune into the tail end of Tuesday’s BVA Dog Handler Group meeting. Something intriguing unfolded after the official meeting wrapped up: a chat between Yoneka Trent, the meeting’s moderator that day, and Teresa Galgano, the BVA National Membership Coordinator and a fellow dog handler.

Yoneka mentioned that Teresa had called her inquiring about a BVA member in the Carolina Regional Group, which Yoneka currently heads. Confirming the member’s presence on her roster, Yoneka learned from Teresa that a gentleman in Florida had stumbled upon a wallet containing a BVA membership card belonging to a veteran, along with contact details for the National Headquarters. This man wanted to return the wallet to its rightful owner.

Without delay, Yoneka reached out with a message to the member whose wallet had been. Within ten minutes, the member’s spouse called back relieved and grateful. They had lost the wallet while visiting Fort Lauderdale and were deeply worried about continuing their journey without vital IDs and valuables.

Yoneka promptly shared the good Samaritan’s contact info with the spouse, offering assistance. Soon after, the BVA member himself got in touch with Yoneka, expressing heartfelt gratitude and a newfound enthusiasm for regional group activities.

This real-life incident ended happily, thanks to the wisdom of carrying a BVA membership card in a wallet. I urge everyone to follow suit, including essential contact details and identification, as it might come in handy someday, just as it did here.

While we guide dogs excel in many areas of assistance, retrieving lost wallets isn’t a normal part of our training! Nevertheless, stories like this warm a dog’s heart and remind us that good fortune and honest humans still grace our world.