International Pet Day: How Service Dogs Transform Autistic Lives

International Pet Day: How Service Dogs Transform Autistic Lives

From Just Another Autism Podcast by Autism Speaks

April 11, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the transformative role of service dogs in the lives of autistic individuals, featuring personal stories and research insights.

In this episode of Just Another Autism Podcast, Eileen Lamb has a special conversation with Brandon Oakes, an autistic self-advocate and one of our Champions of Change, and Dr. Kerri Rodriguez, an advisory board member with Fetch Pet Insurance. As today is International Pet Day, we learn more about service dogs and their role in supporting people with autism through Brandon’s own story with his service dog, Manci. Dr. Rodriguez also shares research-based insights on how important and essential service dogs are in the life of an autistic individual. It is important to learn more about their role, as well as the need to protect and support them so they can continue providing critical, everyday assistance to their owners.

People in this episode

Host: Eileen Lamb

Guests: Brandon Oakes, Dr. Kerri Rodriguez

Topics covered

  • service dogs
  • autism
  • support
  • advocacy
  • research
  • International Pet Day

Keywords

  • service dogs
  • autism support
  • Brandon Oakes
  • Dr. Kerri Rodriguez
  • Fetch Pet Insurance
  • International Pet Day
  • advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fetch Pet Insurance

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