Nika and Service Dog Waverly (30 sec) | Canine Companions #servicedogs #TogetherWeBecome

For 9-year-old Nika, she experienced an instant “sparkle” when she was matched with Service Dog Waverly. Nika lives with hydranencephaly and cerebral palsy, which impacts her mobility. In addition, she experiences extreme anxiety when out in public, which limits her ability to experience the world around her. Now with Waverly alongside her, every step of the way, she views her surroundings with a new outlook—with more sparkle. She’s able to not only experience outings, but enjoys them, with a huge smile on her face. Nika can go confidently to her Girl Scouts troop meetings, the public library and Target shopping trips, all with Waverly by her side. Every night, Nika falls asleep as Waverly applies deep pressure across her legs to control muscle spasms. “As parents, nothing makes us happier than when Nika expresses true joy, and we have been able to see so many of these moments since having Waverly in our lives,” shares Nika’s parents, Sarah and Stephen. Learn more about our Together We Become campaign at https://canine.org/together-we-become » Support Canine Companions mission of providing expertly trained service dogs to people with disabilities - free of charge: https://canine.org/donate-now » Watch more videos: https://youtube.com/c/CanineCompanions/videos Canine Companions is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, dedicated to providing service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities. We also offer facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. All our dogs and follow-up services are provided free of charge to clients in the U.S. » Learn more about us at https://canine.org Connect with Canine Companions! » View photos and videos on Instagram: https://instagram.com/canineorg » Stay connected on Facebook: https://facebook.com/caninecompanions » Follow us on X: https://x.com/canineorg » Watch puppy videos and more on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@canineorg » Shop Canine Companions merch: https://canine.org/shop #dog #servicedog #nonprofit #LeadWithIndependence #TogetherWeBecome #servicedogs