Photography by Megan Mumford

This story is part of our annual Capital Region Gives Back initiative that honors 10 locals who are making our community a better place. Read up on all of the 2026 honorees and join us on December 9 for the 8th annual Capital Region Gives Back event at Putnam Place.

Wherever Morgan McCarthy goes, her loyal and helpful service dog, Wolf, is there. 

The Saratoga native has spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that affects her balance, ability to walk, and gross motor function, in addition to brachydactyly, a genetic condition that causes fingers and toes to be shorter than normal or missing altogether. 

McCarthy can walk, though in many environments she opts to use a walker or wheelchair—whichever makes her feel safe—and her trusty black Labrador Retriever is a steady source of support. “Instead of me getting on my hands and knees to pick something up, Wolf is there to pick things up, retrieve things, turn off the lights, close doors, and close my fridge,” she says.

Wolf was trained by Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that provides service dogs at no cost. The animals go to people with disabilities, neurodivergent children, military veterans with PTSD, and others. McCarthy advocates for Canine Companions, helping raise awareness of its mission, fundraise, and recruit people to raise the pups that become service dogs. 

For McCarthy, Wolf is the difference between living independently and a more dependent day-to-day existence. “Because I have her, I can do things on my own,” she says. “She is my safety—my confidante. I ask her to do something, and she does it.” 

Wolf isn’t McCarthy’s first service dog from Canine Companions. Her previous service dog, Dewey, lived with her from 2015 to 2024, accompanying her to college and graduate school; Wolf, who is four, arrived later that year. 

Wolf also helps McCarthy socially. She wears a harness indicating that she is a service dog, and when the two go out, her presence is “a nice, easy, friendly way for the public to understand, ‘Hey, something’s going on with this person—they might need a little more space,’” McCarthy says. But Wolf can also help break the ice, serving as a conversation starter and “social bridge” when meeting new people.   

“Without Wolf, I wouldn’t be leaving my house,” McCarthy says. “I’d be sitting watching the world go by around me.”