Pupdate: May 2023

As part of our partnership with Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, our associates were able to choose the name of our dog - please meet our little girl, Barqs (Barqs/Barks…get it? 😉)! Barqs was born on April 4, 2023 and is a healthy and happy puppy. We can’t wait to share periodic ‘pupdates’ as she completes her 2-year long training program.

Pupdate: July 2023

Susannah Smith, the Senior Director of Public Affairs & Communications at Coke Northeast, visited Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs in Williston, FL. She got an in-depth look at the organization’s training protocols, programs, goals, and accomplishments while touring their impressive campus. The first stop was to meet Barqs - the service dog we are sponsoring through Guardian Angels. She was just about 3 months old at the time of the visit and it was great to see that she is growing into quite the big, happy girl! While interactions with Barqs had to be limited because she hadn’t received her immunizations yet, the visit was jam-packed with plenty of other activities. Susannah observed group and individual training sessions with adult dogs, visited Guardian Angels’ on-site veterinary clinic, and participated in a training session with a 13-week-old puppy named Crypto, who showed off his newly-learned retrieval skills and his superior sit-and-stay talents, displaying amazing focus for such a little guy.

After her visit, Susannah had this to say: “I knew we had made a great decision to partner with Guardian Angels, but I came away from my visit even more impressed and with an even greater respect for the work that they do. This organization fundamentally transforms lives, literally saves lives, and the program they have put together to ensure the dogs are perfectly trained service companions is incredible. Guardian Angels is an absolutely outstanding organization that I am so proud Coke Northeast is partnering with. I can’t wait to see the awesome things Barqs is going to do!”

Pupdate: December 2023

We are so excited to tell you that Barqs, the medical service dog that Coke Northeast is sponsoring through Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, is doing great! And getting so big!! She has been working hard to learn how to be a service dog with daily training sessions, and is currently working on her basic commands, including paws, sit, down, stay, and heel, and has recently started agility training. She is also socializing with other dogs, becoming accustomed to household objects (like vacuum cleaners and umbrellas), being exposed to regular grooming, and going for car rides to acclimate her to different vehicles.

The staff at Guardian Angels says Barqs is very playful and affectionate, and loves playing fetch with the other puppies. She enjoys meeting new people and is always up for a good snuggle session at the end of a long day. In the words of her trainer, “Barqs is overall a very sweet, smart, and goofy puppy. She will be an amazing service dog and is an absolute joy to train with.” Good girl, Barqs!