CLEVELAND — It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for!
Roxy, the Wags 4 Warriors service dog, was sent home with her handler on Friday and WKYC was there to see the sweet reunion.
Kayla DeLorenzo will be taking care of the service-dog-in-training for months until she’s ready to serve a veteran.
The almost nine-week-old puppy came from Woody Farms, a husband and wife duo who’s been in the dog breeding business for five years in Wayne County.
Of course there’s added pressure, too, because is the breeders' first time with a service dog!
“I hope that she turns out to be half as good as her mom and dad are,” Nicole Woody, breeder, said.
It’s been a buildup of excitement for Roxy’s new mom, too.
"My mom's really happy she won't have to wake up with the puppy this time, it's all on me,” DeLorenzo said.
Apparently, the dog and her new handler clicked automatically. You could say, she was the one who picked DeLorenzo.
"She came up to me, she was very sociable and I picked her up,” DeLorenzo said. “The other puppies were stand-offish, but she came right up to me.”
As for the first order of business when Roxy gets home, that’s all up to her.
“This weekend, we're just gonna focus on trying to her to start potty training and comfortable around the other dogs."
She is a puppy after all, a curious one with a huge assignment ahead of her.
"I think the bond is going to be extra special between the two,” Woody said.
Roxy’s first vet appointment is on Monday and WKYC will be there for that.
Stay tuned for Tuesday morning, too! DeLorenzo and Roxy will be live at 6 a.m.