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Missoula issues proclamations recognizing Service Dog Month and International Overdose Awareness Day
Summary
Mayor Andrea Davis read proclamations recognizing September as Service Dog Month and International Overdose Awareness Day (observed Aug. 31); service‑dog handlers and public health staff addressed council.
Mayor Andrea Davis read two proclamations at the start of the Aug. 25 council meeting: one recognizing September 2025 as Service Dog Month and another recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day (observed Aug. 31). The proclamations highlighted local inclusion and harm‑reduction strategies.
Kristen Newman, a service‑dog handler, spoke in support of the proclamation and described training and access experiences with her service dog, Poppy. "Missoula is one of the most respectful, understanding, and inclusive communities that I have experienced as a service animal handler," Newman said, adding that Montana’s state policy permits access for dogs still in training in some contexts and that community support had aided her training efforts.
The overdose awareness proclamation noted that more than 185 Missoula County residents have died from drug overdoses since February 2014 and called attention to harm‑reduction measures such as naloxone access, fentanyl test strips and recovery services. Mayor Davis thanked Missoula Public Health and the department’s substance‑use prevention program for their work; Leah Fitch Bridal of Missoula Public Health had requested the proclamation but was not present.
Both proclamations were ceremonial recognitions and did not require council action beyond the reading and acknowledgement.
