EUGENE – Like many couples, Darin and Jennifer Campbell had been through their fair share of ups and downs. Then life really became a roller-coaster one tragic afternoon about 15 years ago when Jennifer caught some thieves rummaging through the family car. When she confronted them, one of the guys hopped into the getaway truck and intentionally sideswiped her, leaving her there injured in front of her house.
“Just like that, the career I had built was gone,” Jennifer said, the pain still evident in her voice all these years later. “I was just a pile of crying goo, but my husband never left my side.
“The dog, Baldur, next door kept running away every day and the neighbors had five kids under the age of 6, and they couldn’t handle him and he would come and spend 8-9 hours in my yard every day while they were at work. Then one day God just said, ‘He’s your dog,’ and then they said, ‘He’s your dog.’”
“It was right at the same time her doctor said she needed to get a service dog, so it was serendipitous how it all came together,” Darin said.
“I’m disabled, but I can train dogs,” Jennifer said. “I don’t have to leave the house to do that. It’s become like a career for me. I don’t get paid for it, but it’s rewarding when I hear all the stories about the dogs.”
Jennifer was diagnosed in 2011 with Complex PTSD and DID (formerly referred to as multiple personality disorder), as well as Panic Anxiety Disorder – all stemming from childhood trauma and abuse that she had tried to bottle up and store away.
“I had pretty much recovered from all of that,” Jennifer said, “but being attacked one more time caused me to shatter.”
Of course, it was horrifying to know his wife had been hit by a car. But Darin was the one in shock.
“Prior to (the accident), she was raised with all of this trauma that her brain caused her to box everything away,” Darin said. “But I had no clue. It was an interesting time.”
Darin knew that he needed to get Jennifer a service dog. He was told there would be a three-year waiting list, and the cost would be $25,000. They couldn’t wait that long.
That eventually led to the idea of creating their own nonprofit business.
And Working Dogs Oregon was born.
“For me, a service dog is a lifeline,” Jennifer said. “I can’t say that enough. It helps me get the help I need to make it through the day.
“It’s a very personal mission for us to provide these dogs for our community. The dogs have been a huge help, they’re not going to hurt me, they’re just there for love.”
“Just having that practical experience with Jennifer showed me what these dogs can do for people and makes me want to push our resources out there for people,” Darin said.
Maybe it’s the holiday spirit, maybe there’s something truly unexplainable going on, but the testimonials that come from Working Dogs Oregon clients are nothing short of magical.
Let’s just hope they don’t suddenly do a disappearing act.
“We’re one big vet bill away from being wiped out – that’s my biggest fear,” Darin said. “We’ve had our share of challenges. But we find a way.”
So far, the Campbells have trained about 30 dogs for various purposes. Some are targeted to be police support K9s; others are strictly comfort dogs; and some are earmarked for specific types of therapy or service.
“Our first comfort dog we donated to the Central Point Police Dept. was Simon,” Darin said, “and the impact Simon made virtually overnight on that whole community was so impactful that – well, I won’t speak for (Jennifer) – but it turned this into my passion. We’re really, truly making a difference in the world through every dog we donate.
“Between veterans getting service dogs or police departments or treatment centers, I have a nonstop flow of stories about what these dogs do on a daily basis, about what these dogs just did and how they touch people’s lives.”
Jennifer feels consoled to know all the hard work will be worth it in the end.
“We’re never going to get rich, but like my dad used to say, ‘I’ll get more stars in my crown in heaven.’ It’s very rewarding,” she said.
Darin has been clean and sober for 21 years. He had to work doggedly to reach that point, going through 11 treatment programs. The couple’s strong bond has always helped them thrive in tough times.
“I stuck by her and she stuck by me,” Darin says.
He had checked himself in to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Newberg, then went directly to Serenity Lane in Coburg.
“I knew I needed more help, so I went straight to Serenity Lane. They don’t have a time frame there, and I think that’s important – if somebody has an adolescent brain, 28 days isn’t enough to get everything reset.
“There are people there now who have been there for 10 or 11 months. It can take up to two years for your brain to go back to where it needs to be.
“That’s why Carlton House is amazingly successful. We need to have more facilities that use that kind of model that allows people to move along at their own pace.”
Serenity Sam has an extra-special bond with Darin. The Goldendoodle entered WDO’s Raising Heroes Puppy Program at 7 weeks old and has become a fixture at Serenity Lane, providing comfort and healing with a deft touch.
“We’ve heard a couple of incredible stories about Sam’s intuition and just his ability to read people when they need them,” Darin said. “A dog’s intuition and their ability to read people is just incredible.”
Jennifer calls Darin a “dog whisperer” who has a gift of seeing how to match up a dog with the perfect owner. So far, their record is perfect … well, just about.
“We’ve had one true failure, but that was mostly on the handler’s part,” Darin said. “We’re always looking for disposition. Now this dog is the Chief of Police’s service dog, so maybe it’s not a total failure, he just didn’t live up to what our initial desire was for him to do.”
As uplifting as this entire venture has been for everyone involved, it’s been equally heartbreaking at times. Particularly this past Nov. 19, when the Cottage Grove Police Dept.’s new service dog, Sabrina, got loose when one of the officers left the building that night and was killed by a car. It was devastating to the department, and crushing to everyone whose life Sabrina had touched.
Sabrina was born on Darin’s 54th birthday, a few hours after Jennifer’s second service dog, Fergus, had died. Baldur had died in 2019 after nearly a yearlong battle with leukemia.
On a Facebook post, Jennifer said, “Sabrina was just an angel in fur. I loved how joyous she was for each adventure. I miss her deeply. It’s never easy when something like this tragedy happens.”
Sabrina even had a starring role in “Sabrina the Brave,” a children’s book project about overcoming bullying and discovering your purpose as a police comfort dog.
Several other Working Dogs have made their Rainbow Bridge trip far too soon.
The aforementioned Simon died after only two years of service, but as the first WDO comfort dog his spirit lives on.
K9 Hank was living in a Northern California shelter in 2022, when WDO stepped in and decided to give him a chance. On his very first shift with the Portland Police Bureau, he apprehended three fleeing suspects. Sadly, Hank died in his sleep this past October from what was believed to be cancer.
Another dog, K9 Lin, lost his front right leg when a training practice went horribly wrong. Lin’s inspirational story is told during every first-aid course that WDO performs for our local law enforcement.
Man’s Best Friend? Yeah, that and a whole lot more.
When the right dog, with the proper training, is placed in the proper hands, in the right situation, it can oftentimes do things that no therapy or drugs can achieve.
Afghanistan War veteran Tyler barely stepped outside of his trailer for two years, isolating himself from his wife and young son. His wife reached out to WDO, which introduced him to Ellie, a 2-year-old mixed-breed rescue who wasn’t trained for service but showed a lot of potential.
Within six months, short walks had turned into runs around the park, Tyler enrolled in college, and was taking the family out to restaurants and shops.
Ellie will always be remembered for her exemplary work – and for her “family tree.” Tyler’s sister-in-law next door took in a stray that was going to be euthanized at the clinic where she worked, and the pregnant dog wound up having 12 puppies. Two of those pups were Sabrina and her sister Daisy, who works with the student body at the University of Oregon Police Dept.
Chief Wade and the University proudly announced the school’s first-ever Kindness Citation to Darin because of the impact he has made on UO staff and the community by bringing in Daisy.
Darin was issued his Kindness Citation at the Oregon-Minnesota game on Friday, Nov. 14, as Darin and his family are avid Duck supporters, and Chief Wade felt it was a very appropriate venue.
Just how important is Bentley, a comfort and wellness K9, to the Albany Police Dept.?
A statement read: The department emphasizes that he is “used at every opportunity” – his presence is woven into almost every facet of APD’s operations, underscoring how central he is to the agency’s culture.
“Albany is a perfect fit with Bentley,” Darin said. “That’s a great example of us finding the perfect dog for the perfect fit.”
A portion of Darin’s passionate personality obviously comes from Larry Campbell, his father and No. 1 fan.
“What he and Jennifer have done is nothing short of amazing,” Larry said during a recent Rotary Club meeting. “Darin does things that I could never imagine spending the kind of time that he does. He knows what happens when you match the perfect dog with the right person. He works really well with servicemen. Twin Rivers Rotary Club has doubled down on him, and they’ve never done that before.”
After losing his taxi-driver job a year ago, the Campbells have been living on Jennifer’s “measly” disability check. They have received two grants from Rotary – for $2,000 and $500. There’s also a GoFundMe account with a Venmo link.
They’ve only bought two of the dogs – the rest have been donated – but training animals takes time and money, and Darin says, they’re realistically just a couple of large vet bills away from shutting down.
Larry lost his wife of 63 years last year (Jan. 14). She was a former Miss Oregon, and she’ll be Larry’s queen forever. After his mom’s death, Darin said he realized his parents’ love had a major impact on the success of his own marriage. Maybe that explains why he’s so passionate about all the dogs he trains.
Like Jennifer says, maybe he’s a dog-whisperer. Maybe the universe wanted him to be in this position, who knows?
What is clearly apparent, though, is that Darin Campbell is barking up the right tree.
