Community Connections
Shining a local light on:
The Exceptional Sidekick, Inc
Proudly serving:
Bethel, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, Easton, Fairfield, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport
Learn more about their charity:
Community Connections
Community Connections shines a light on local charities whose compassion, service, and dedication strengthen the fabric of our community. By sharing their stories, we hope to inspire others and help the spirit of giving spread throughout our towns.
Under the spotlight today: The Exceptional Sidekick Service Dogs
An interview with Abby Hill, The Exceptional Sidekick Inc.
How do you brighten our community?
The Exceptional Sidekick provides psychiatric service dogs to disabled teens and young adults, empowering handlers to complete their education and live the life they want. Our service dogs offer life-changing, personalized support to their handlers daily. Beyond that, our therapy dogs brighten the broader community — visiting schools, supporting reading programs, and reducing anxiety in students struggling to attend. Together, these two programs create a powerful ripple effect: one dog transforms a handler's world, while another lights up a classroom. We strengthen our community one wag at a time.
Who do you serve in our community?
The Exceptional Sidekick serves two distinct groups. First, we serve disabled teens and young adults who qualify for a psychiatric service dog — individuals whose mental health conditions create barriers to education and independence. Second, our therapy dogs spread joy throughout the broader community — putting smiles on faces in schools, sitting patiently beside young readers building confidence one page at a time, and bringing warmth and comfort to community events. From life-changing service dog partnerships to tail-wagging visits that brighten any room, we serve our community with heart.
What are you most proud of?
We are most proud of the smiles returning to kids' faces. Of watching teens who once couldn't imagine surviving a full day of school walk across a graduation stage and head off to college, their dog right there with them. Of every child who finally finishes a book because a therapy dog listened without judgment, and every community member whose day got a little brighter from a wagging tail. We are proud of proving that with the right sidekick, disabled youth can reclaim their confidence, their education, and the life they always deserved.
What was the spark that started your organization?
The spark came from witnessing the profound struggle in our own backyard. After the tragedy at the Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut, we watched children and young adults desperate for support — unable to attend school, paralyzed by anxiety, and robbed of their futures. But the ripple effects reached far beyond Newtown, touching kids across the region. We knew something had to change. What began as a response to gun violence trauma has grown into something much broader — today, we serve young people affected by all types of trauma, meeting each one with a devoted, four-legged sidekick ready to help them heal.
The success has been unbelievable. Kids who once couldn't envision a path to graduating high school are now walking across college graduation stages and living independently. That transformation — from hopeless to thriving — is exactly why The Exceptional Sidekick exists, and it fuels everything we do.
Who are your community partners?
Local-Insta thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Community Connections series possible!
Celebrating the charities that make our community stronger.
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