It may seem ironic that a self-proclaimed cat person has spent nearly four decades creating powerful partnerships between dogs and people, but that’s exactly what Sheri Soltes, founder and CEO of Service Dogs, Inc. (SDI), has done.
Since 1988, the nonprofit has matched more than 1,000 unwanted dogs with clients experiencing hearing loss and limited mobility. SDI also places specially trained dogs in facilities such as courthouses and police stations to build resilience and support to people experiencing high levels of stress.
Soltes, a former attorney, is no stranger to stress. “They threw me in the deep end, and my stomach started to hurt,” she says of her early days trying civil court cases in Houston. It was around that time she happened to read an article about organizations that trained service dogs. Inspired, over the next three years Soltes built a network of trainers and recruited donors. And, in pursuit of her mission, she left her legal career behind.
Today, SDI—originally known as Texas Hearing Dogs, Inc.—employs about 25 paid staff at its campus on Bell Springs Road. “We like being part of the community,” Soltes says. “I looked all over Texas, and Dripping Springs was by far the best match.”
“We’re one of the few organizations, globally, who uses shelter dogs and does it free of charge,” Soltes says of the specialized training that costs $50,000 per dog and covers lifetime follow-up. The process takes about one year for each client, beginning with an application and a half-day orientation at SDI and followed by matching them with their perfect canine partner. “We may introduce them to four or five dogs to see what meshes with the lifestyle of the client,” Soltes explains.
SDI trains each dog in specialty behaviors requested by the client, such as alerting to a baby’s cry or opening a refrigerator and retrieving a medical bag. Clients attend five days of team training on the SDI campus, followed by three months of weekly sessions in the client’s community. SDI provides all of this at no cost to the client.
Seven years ago, SDI matched retired U.S. Air Force Captain Tonya Andrews with a mobility dog named Herman, who has changed her life. “From visiting friends and family to traveling and seeing the sights across America, Herman and I are always on the go,” she shares. Andrews chose SDI because it rescues dogs rather than breed them. “The idea of giving dogs a second chance really moved me,” she explains.
A service dog like Herman, trained for a client with mobility issues, is typically about the size of a labrador retriever. Service dogs trained for clients with hearing loss are usually smaller and learn actions like nudging the client to alert them to sounds such as doorbells and smoke alarms.
Nancy Browne, who was matched with her whippet mix, Indie, last fall, says her dog is very aware of typical everyday noises that Browne doesn’t hear. “Indie loves going to the post office with me now, and she is a pro at shopping at H-E-B,” she says. “Having Indie with me is like having an angel watching over me.”
Alec Beard, one of SDI’s five trainers, says they go all over Texas to evaluate dogs, looking for canine candidates who are ages 1 to 3, have a good temperament, and are very sociable. SDI’s trainers use only positive reinforcement techniques: “No” isn’t part of their language. “If a dog doesn’t complete the training at any stage, we adopt it out as a pet. It doesn’t go back to the shelter,” Soltes says, adding that nearly all of the dogs finished the program in 2024.
Last year, SDI tripled the size of its training department and graduated 19 dogs, exceeding its goal of 15. Part of that growth was due to a new quarantine kennel built and donated by C.C. Carlton Industries, Ltd., an Austin construction company. “He visited us in 2024 and basically adopted us,” says Soltes of the company’s owner, Craig Carlton. “He’s our guardian angel.”
In addition to donations, SDI raises funds through its Mighty Texas Dog Walk, an annual celebration 25 years strong, in which 2,000 people and their pooches take a leisurely one-mile stroll through the grounds of Camp Mabry in Austin. Every year features a new theme—this November’s is the Renaissance—and both dogs and humans go all-out with creative costumes and enjoy freebies from dozens of dog-related exhibitors. Tickets are available at MightyTexasDogWalk.org, and all proceeds benefit SDI.
How can you help? If you’re a dog lover, you may volunteer to be a weekend foster for one of STI’s dogs in training (you can’t have other dogs in your home). Or, if you know someone living with significant hearing loss or mobility challenges, Soltes asks that you refer them to SDI.
ServiceDogs.org | @servicedogsinc
“Herman has widened my life exponentially!” - Tonya Andrews