One of the least covered but most affecting portions of Healdsburg City Council meetings is often the issuance of Proclamations, just after the Pledge of Allegiance. Last Tuesday, Sept. 2, a city employee gave several minutes to thank Canine Companions in recognition of National Service Dog Month. Benjamin Veith, who described himself as a veteran with PTSD, appeared with his dog Mateo, his companion for over 10 years.
“One of the first things I learned about him is that he likes treats. I also like treats,” declared Veith as he told their story to the council. “The second thing I learned about Mateo is he was able to save my life.”
Just a few days later, Veith and Mateo showed up at Garrett Hardware for a Saturday morning celebration recognizing 50 years of service by the local exemplar of service dogs in the field, Canine Companions. The two Garrett stores, in Healdsburg and Windsor, are supporting Canine Companions throughout the month of September. They hosted a modest “puppy party” and pizza roast for local participants and supporters of Canine Companions on Sept. 6.
Among those on hand was Paige Mazzoni, since 2018 the CEO of the organization. “We actually invented the concept of the modern service dog. There were only guide dogs before us,” she said. “We provide service dogs that help people with over 65 disabilities, including hearing loss, PTSD for veterans, all kinds of mobility and neurological disabilities, and autism for kids.”
The founding of Canine Companions took place in 1975, 50 years ago, in Santa Rosa. In 1996, Jean and Charles Schulz donated the location where the headquarters now stands, at the Schulz campus. “They came in very early, gave us our headquarters campus and have continued to support us,” Mazzoni said.
It’s now a nationwide organization, with six regional headquarters and multiple chapters coast to coast. People can participate either as recipients of trained dogs or as volunteer puppy raisers who provide puppies a safe home, take them to obedience classes, serve up a healthy diet, and “provide socialization opportunities and give lots of love,” according to the website canine.org.
On Saturday, the proclamation recognizing National Service Dog Month was again read by Mayor Evelyn Mitchell in front of the Gift Horse garden, though this time she had to compete with a passing flatbed semi and firetruck sirens. Before she joined the City Council, Mitchel served as executive director of Humane Society of Sonoma County, and was deeply involved in the creation of the campus—primarily feline at present—at 555 Westside Rd.
A number of dogs also attended the Saturday morning gathering, many of them the mild-mannered golden lab breed so favored for service.
The celebration—complete with pizza and other treats—was held at Garrett Hardware because of Carol Mascherini, since 1991 the owner of the hardware stores. As of a couple of years ago, Mascherini, now in her 80s, turned over the operations of Garrett Hardware to her entrepreneurial son, Rod Matteri. More recently daughter Jordan Matteri has become involved as well.
Jordan Matteri mentioned to Mazzoni at a Canine Companions gala last year that she’d like to do a fundraiser, in part because her grandmother has had a companion dog herself since 2022. Attached to the timely declaration of Service Dog Month, the idea was hatched for a month-long campaign in which shoppers could “round up” to the nearest dollar on their purchase as a donation to Canine Companions, and the store itself would match the donations at the end of the month.
“So it goes back to my grandma,” she said, “way back when I was really little. We volunteered at the Humane Society and that kind of evolved with Canine Companions as well. So it’s always been a part of my life growing up, Canine Companions.”
Jordan Matteri said she worked in marketing at Gallo for 12 years, but her first job was in the family business. “My first job was actually here as a cashier,” she said with a laugh. “So it’s kind of full circle now for me to be back.”
