Shannon Martin says her life changed the minute she met her service dog, Noble.
"You feel so vulnerable at times when you're in a wheelchair and people tend to not talk to you," Martin said.
Brought together by the Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, they've become a team and best friends in just a matter of months.
"I can talk to him. He opens the doors for me. He talks to me and he makes me feel accepted," Martin said.
A stampede of more than 3,000 people and their four-legged friends walked for three miles to pay for the training, veterinary care and food the service dogs need.
It costs about $17,000 to train a service dog and about a year of time. Once a dog is trained, those with disabilities that qualify receive it for free.
Sherri Soltes is the founder and president of the Texas Hearing and Service dogs. Their training center is located in Dripping Springs, but she said they're looking to expand because the demand is growing.
"It's our biggest fundraiser of the year so we can pay for more service and hearing dogs, and every dog we get is from the animal shelter so it helps the dog and the people," Soltes said.
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Dog walking
The Mighty Texas Dog Walk raised $80,000 for service dogs Saturday.
 
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Shannon Martin's husband, Bert Martin, is grateful his wife was able to receive a dog.
"This is critical to people like Shannon. We couldn't afford a dog, and to see the amount of people out here is just amazing." Bert Martin said.
The Martins are glad to have a dog who lives up to his name, and they hope other dogs will do the same for other families.
Texas Hearing and Service Dogs believes they made around $80,000 from this year's walk, which they say can help up to 17 dogs.
If you'd like more information on how to train and foster a dog for service, they ask you to visit their website.
