Bolt’s Purpose by Maggie Rodriguez, photos provided by Southeastern Guide Dogs
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s team dog, Bolt, recently left for college. Southeastern Guide Dog’s Canine University will be the final step before the Labrador retriever begins his career as a service dog. Dogs raised for this noble purpose go through two years of training, including living with a puppy raiser for one year. In Bolt’s case, it was a championship year. Bolt didn’t know what to make of the Stanley Cup when the Tampa Bay Lightning brought it home last month. “The humans seem very excited about this shiny new water bowl,” his Instagram caption read. The team dog was just happy to see his friends again. They had been gone since August, playing for the Cup at the NHL bubble in way-toofar-away Canada. “He was happy to welcome them home and receive all of the love from his favorite hockey team,” according to Carrie Talamantes of Southeastern Guide Dogs, a Tampa Bay-based organization that breeds, trains and places service dogs with people who need them. Puppies begin training at Southeastern Guide Dogs’ 33-acre facility in Palmetto within days of birth. At 10 weeks, they’re sent home with a volunteer puppy raiser to learn basic obedience, house manners and socialization. For Bolt, being raised by a Tampa Bay Lightning employee brought unique experiences. “Bolt’s favorite part about growing up at the arena was playing on the ice,” Talamantes says. Bolt taught himself to “skate” like Stamkos and Kucherov and never missed a home game. He grew accustomed to the ubiquitous sights and sounds of Lightning hockey: the ear-splitting goal horn, thunderous organ, dramatic lightning f lashes and exuberant fans. Talamantes says that exposure to the action also taught Bolt to remain unruff led around large equipment like the Zambonis, calm near the mascot, Thunderbug, composed for the many ‘people greetings’ he did with fans, and quiet and obedient on T V sets for interviews. Several weeks ago, Bolt left the arena and headed back to Southeastern Guide Dogs’ campus to begin rigorous, formal training. Once he graduates, he will be matched with a compatible human partner.
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TampaBayParenting.com TampaBayParenting.com NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 2020 2020
“The humans seem very excited about this shiny new water bowl” - @boltspup, Bolt's Instagram
