Kane County Staffer's Volunteer Work Showcased on National TV

Blair Peters, Kane County’s Technical Coordinator, is making a difference beyond his role of managing technology and public access for County Board meetings and events. For the past several years, he has volunteered with the VIP Service Dog Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable service dogs to adults and children with disabilities, along with specially trained dogs at no charge to Veterans.

The foundation, based in Hinckley, was recently featured on The Drew Barrymore Show. The segment highlighted its impactful mission with Veterans, focusing on the story of Veteran Sean Smith and his VIP service dog, alongside insight from Veterans Program Coordinator Tom Bolek.

​Peters has trained several dogs, in part by bringing them to County Board meetings. The activity and noise create an ideal environment for teaching the dogs to focus on commands despite distractions. The puppies-in-training also spend time in many public places around Kane County, including restaurants, stores, medical offices, and anywhere else Peters visits during the roughly eight months of training for each puppy. If you see Peters and one of his trainees around town, he’d be happy to answer your questions about service dogs.

Peters traveled to New York with his latest trainee, Maui, to attend the taping of the show. Check out the photos below to see highlights of their adventure through the airport and at the show!

Learn more about the foundation at www.vipservicedogfoundation.com. If you know someone who needs a service dog or would like to volunteer to train a dog, please reach out to the foundation or contact Blair Peters directly at Blair@VIPServiceDogFoundation.com.

You can watch the inspiring segment featuring VIP Service Dog Foundation here.