The fifth annual Barks 'n Rec fundraiser for Saint Francis Service Dogs kicked off Monday. The event invites participants to take on a personal challenge, like swimming, hiking, biking, reading or even juggling—with their pet companions welcome to join the fun.

Saint Francis Service Dogs is calling on community support to raise $65,000 for its fifth annual Spring Fundraiser.

The community is coming together to support Saint Francis Service Dogs' fourth annual “Barks’ n Rec” fundraiser.

As we kick off the month of July, a new 3 Degree Guarantee recipient is on the horizon.

Listen up dog lovers, Barks ‘n Rec is underway.

Saint Francis Service Dogs has a goal of raising $65,000 during this year's event.

Saint Francis Service Dogs is in need of puppy raisers and trainers to help on the journey to becoming service dogs.

Barks n’ Rec is back in Roanoke.

8-Year Old Charli Celestin was born with no hands and no legs. These days he manages well, with the help of a service dog named Duxi From Saint Francis Service Dogs.

ROANOKE, Va – Saint Francis Service Dogs is just $10,000 away from meeting its spring fundraising goal and has already collected more than $40,000. The money raised will go toward the organization’s service dogs. “They really help the whole person. It’s really a wonderful, wonderful thing for people with disabilities and we don’t charge, so, the funds go to help us providing dogs for people who really do need them,” said Executive Director Cabell Youell. For more information on how to register and get involved, you can visit the organization’s website here.

Walker the labrador retriever received a root canal in preparation for his work as a Saint Francis Service Dog. The procedure is rare, but Saint Francis Service Dogs executive director Caball Youell said it was essential to Walker’s future career. Instead, Dr. Grant Throckmorton of Wythe Family Dentistry drove an hour from Wytheville to operate on Walker in Roanoke. “The tooth is about twice as long as you’ll ever see a human tooth," Throckmorton said. Some of my instruments don’t even work on dog teeth.”The procedure went well, and Throckmorton finished the job in about an hour.

ROANOKE, Va. – Cue “Pomp and Circumstance” because these smart pups are graduating from Saint Francis Service Dogs. The organization is holding a virtual ceremony for its new graduates on Sunday at 7 p.m. to celebrate the end of their service dog training. Saint Francis Service Dogs is a nonprofit organization in Roanoke that matches professionally-trained service dogs with children and adults with disabilities who need assistance to lead a more independent life. It takes a rigorous two-year training period for each puppy to become a service dog, according to organization officials. If you’d like to attend the virtual graduation, you can find more information here.

ROANOKE, Va. - A local organization that provides service dogs to people is using a documentary to help recruit needed volunteers. On Monday, Saint Francis Service Dogs will host a free showing of "Pick of the Litter" at the Grandin Theater in Roanoke at 7 p.m Sept. 24. It's a documentary about puppies who become guide dogs for people who are blind. We need probably another dozen or so puppy sitters and then for other things like dog walking or grooming or transporting dogs to different places, we could use quite a few more volunteers in those areas," Saint Francis Service Dogs Executive Director Cabell Youell said. To learn more about Saint Francis Service Dogs, click here.