A cat named D-O-G helps train service canines

(Image credit: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson))

If the canines being trained by Support Dogs Inc. in St. Louis can handle D-O-G, they'll be able to tackle anything that comes their way.

Support Dogs Inc. trains service dogs, and after two years, they go to their new homes, assisting people who are deaf or have mobility issues. Over the summer, a black and white cat showed up at the facility, and the staff adopted him, giving him the name D-O-G — pronounced dee-oh-gee.

D-O-G thinks he's one of the d-o-g-s, Support Dogs Inc. President and CEO Anne Klein told The Associated Press. He's "fearless," and not afraid to sleep in the dog beds, use their food and water bowls, and swat at their tails. D-O-G not realizing he's a cat is actually doing the dogs a favor — by being all up in their business, he's making them comfortable around other animals and teaching them to stay focused and not get distracted.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.