Training dogs that change lives

Her grandfather would take her out into the remote reaches of the mountains every weekend. They went hiking, fly-fishing, tracking, hunting, backpacking, and weather watching. From the age of 6, she was taught survival skills, how to be comfortable in the raw land surrounded by ancient trees, and the way to be connected to wild animals in a balanced, harmonious way.

It was here that Carol Hannagan learned to communicate on a completely different level than people normally do. The hours of stillness in the woods accentuated her gift of being able to listen to what she calls “the Spirit in all things.” Her generous nature made her want to share this talent, so it is no surprise that she started preparing Guide Dogs for the Blind while still in junior high and high school. Raising nine seeing-eye dogs was just the beginning.

During and after getting her master’s degree in business from Chico State, she trained and worked in the field with two separate search and rescue dogs through Wilderness Finders.

“These were dogs that have the skills and stamina to be able to find lost hikers, bodies in the river, or survivors after an earthquake.” reports Hannagan.

Born in Bakersfield, she settled in Markleeville seven years ago.

“I discovered some special places here during a search for a Pacific Crest Trail hiker.” said Hannagan. “It is where I want to be, since it was the wilderness that saved my life.”

Hannagan was a top executive in the retail corporate world, traveling worldwide as a buyer and operations manager.

Unexpectedly, she became critically ill, and was told she had only three months to live.

“I was not ready to go. I had to go back to my Native American roots and take my healing into my own hands.” said Carol. “I found that how I was living was incongruent with my true purpose.” It has been 25 years since Hannagan was able to be restored. She left the business world and set out on a new path.

She began teaching outdoor classes at Sly Park environmental camp. The staff there noticed she connected well with their special needs children. They offered to send her back to school. After receiving her degree in special education, she taught classes for severely disabled students in the Sacramento school system for 11 years.

At that time, she discovered that her dog Serena had a special capability. She became a “seizure dog” anticipating epileptic events and being there to help.

This led to another fork in the road, and Hannagan started working with the nonprofit Canine Companions. Founded in 1975, they provide Service Dogs to adults, children, and veterans with physical, auditory, or cognitive disabilities. They also provide facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice, and educational settings. All their dogs and follow-up support is given at no cost to their clients.

Hannagan, along with Sacramento resident Diane Struhm, has now co-raised three dogs for Canine Companions: Lady VIII, who went into advanced training at the beginning of COVID, Harlow VI, who has become a breeder dog, and Marcia III, who has been placed with Emma, a young girl who was paralyzed in a car accident. Marcia III picks up dropped objects, carries baskets from the garden, and tugs open doors for Emma. “Marcia III responds to over 35 different commands and has increased Emma’s independence and confidence.” says Hannagan, “these dogs truly are heroes.”

For Hannagan, her expertise in finding the unique abilities and talents that an animal possesses has grown to include humans also. Her intrinsic drive to “be of service” has motivated her to offer experiences in the wilderness through her website at https://www.sacred-journeys.com/. You can purchase her beautifully illustrated book “The Sacred Journey,” there also.

Canine Companions are leaders in the service dog industry. They continue to have a waitlist for individuals needing their assistance. Their goal is to end or reduce this wait, and in the process set up an improved standard of best practices. You can find out more about the good work that this organization does on their site at https://canine.org/.