Raising Heroes: Inside the Life of a Puppy Raiser
In this inspiring episode of Working Like Dogs, I sit down with two extraordinary women—Jeni Exley and Dr. Margaret Jones—who not only work at Craig Hospital, but also serve as passionate, dedicated puppy raisers for Canine Companions. Jeni has raised an incredible 19 puppies, and together, she and Dr. Jones co-raise future service dogs, creating a powerful team fueled by love, discipline, and purpose. They share what it’s really like to be part of the life-changing journey from puppy to service partner—and the incredible support system that surrounds them, including the expert trainers at Canine Companions. If you’ve ever wondered what goes into raising a service dog—or felt a tug at your heart to get involved—this episode is for you.
Listen to Episode #199 Now:
BIO:
Jeni Exley
Jeni Exley is currently raising her 19th puppy for Canine Companions, having volunteered at the organization since 2005 along with her husband and daughter. She has also served as President and Secretary of the local Canine Companions Rocky Mountain Chapter and is currently serving as the Co-puppy Raiser Liaison of the chapter with Margaret Jones. She is employed in the physician’s practice at a rehabilitation hospital that serves patients with spinal cord injuries and/or brain injuries. Through the years, the patients and staff have enjoyed the puppy interactions, and the puppies have certainly benefited from being raised in a hospital setting.
Margaret Jones
Margaret Jones is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physician at Craig Hospital, taking care of people with spinal cord injury and brain injury, along with their families. Jeni Exley introduced Margaret to Canine Companions and ever since, Margaret has been a member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter since 2022. Margaret has co-raised 3 canine companions puppies so far, with the opportunity to introduce patients, family and staff at Craig to Canine Companions Future Service Dogs as appropriate. Patients, families and staff have benefited from this exposure and it’s been a great opportunity to introduce working dogs to people with newly acquired disability.