At 8 weeks old, a litter of seven Labrador puppies played for the last time before heading off to different service dog training schools. All of the dogs entered their respective programs bright-eyed and ready to become the best service dogs for people with various needs.
But one of the pups’ parents, Paul and Matthew Castle, couldn’t stand to keep the siblings apart forever.
When Paul Castle, who is blind, welcomed his new guide dog, Maple, he was overjoyed to have found a loyal companion and mobility aid. Maple, affectionately known as Mr. Maple, accompanied Castle everywhere, working diligently when he had his harness on and getting some much-needed rest when he was officially off the clock.
But as Maple settled into his new home, the Castles couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of his littermates were doing and if they remembered each other.
The Castles tracked down Maple’s siblings, Major, Marathon, Mikey, Mascot, Matrix, Murdock and Madrid. They soon arranged a playdate with Major, a high school therapy dog in Washington state, not far from where Maple lived. Maple and Major hit it off instantly, inspiring the Castles to set up more playdates with other siblings.
The couple then connected with Mikey’s family in Hawaii, where he works as a therapy dog at a hospital, and decided to fly out and meet him.
On the day of their meeting, Maple arrived at the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, wearing his harness, ready to work. He dutifully walked around the hospital grounds with his parents for a bit and didn’t react when another yellow Lab, Mikey, appeared. But when it was finally time to take his harness off, Maple’s serious, professional demeanor changed completely.
“When Mr. Maple is in his harness, he’s 100 [percent] in work mode: focused, composed and professional,” Castle told The Dodo. “But the moment we took off the vests and harnesses, it was like someone hit the ‘play’ button.”
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