ABOUT US
Who am I/my story
My name is Bella Richardson (they/them), and I am the founder/owner/trainer behind Crowley’s Canine Academy. Since a young age, I have loved animals, specifically dogs, and imagined becoming a vet. I went to college at the University of Maryland, planning to go to vet school right after. Well, like always, life had other plans. I began volunteering with an organization on campus that raised future guide/PTSD dogs and fell in love. While I was volunteering and going to classes, my disability was progressing, proving to be a challenge in the vet field. Thankfully, training these dogs on campus made me realize I actually had a passion for something else. I could still help dogs on a daily basis, but I could also do it in a more manageable way for my disability. I continued training/raising dogs, and after my first pup graduated as a guide dog, I had a serious conversation about getting my own service dog. That is where Crowley came into the picture. I got him as an 8-week-old puppy and trained him to be my service dog. He worked alongside me while I went to college classes, raised service dogs, taught training classes, and any activity you can think of. Thanks to volunteering on campus and with Crowley, I was able to find my dream and build it from the ground up.
Who is Crowley
Now to our namesake!! This is Crowley, my co-owner, best friend, partner in crime, and most importantly, my service dog. I get asked quite often what he’s named after, and it’s a character from the TV show Supernatural. I knew a dog like mine would need a strong name that meant a lot. Supernatural has always been my comfort show, and Crowley fit this big rottie guy. I got Crowley at 8 weeks old with the plan to train him to be my psychiatric service dog to help with anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and depression. As my physical disability progressed, so did he (without me even noticing). He is now trained as a multipurpose service dog to assist with both mental and physical disabilities. Some of his favorite tasks are deep pressure therapy (he thinks we’re cuddling), forward momentum pull, finding the car or exits, and crowd control. Of course, his job doesn’t go unpaid, so you’ll always see him getting some good snacks like Charlee Bears, dehydrated chicken, or the baby-size Milkbones. Without him, I don’t think CCA would be where it is. He helped me regain my confidence and independence. A big thank you to our Crowley, aka Cow, Mister Mans, Baby Boy, Bubba Boy, the bestest guy ever!