u/Apprehensive_Dog1909

Hi all, I’m hoping to reach the local service dog community with this post. My sister has been matched with a program dog and he should be fully trained and ready to come home in early 2027/late 2026. He is the best boy (black lab) and she is so excited!
We would love to get a sense of what the community is like here. Are there local handlers meetups? Any young handlers who would like to keep up on training or just let the pups have fun together?
Recommendations for safe public areas to let him run around would be greatly appreciated! Dog parks are a big no per his program, so mainly hoping to get tips on big fields, tennis courts etc that don’t typically have a lot of other dogs around. The emptier the better for sure.
Additionally, suggestions for vets and groomers in the area would be helpful. We live in the River Road area and have heard some great things about the Laundromutt already, but finding a good vet so far has been hard.