A local organization that provides highly-skilled service dogs to individuals with disabilities incorporated a St. Louis Blues theme when coming up with names for a recent litter of puppies.

Support Dogs, Inc., a St. Louis-based national organization, named the black labrador puppies (pictured) Chase, Hitch, Hull, Oshie, Plager, Sutter and Walt.

This week, all seven puppies went to volunteers who will keep them for 18 months and provide them with food, care and supplies until they are ready for advanced training to become assistance dogs.

Once they complete their training, each dog will go on to help individuals with physical disabilities, deafness or hearing loss, or military veterans with combat-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Assistance Dogs are provided to these individuals at no cost.

"We are happy to provide these dogs because they help our clients gain a sense of independence that they might not otherwise have," said Bill Dahlkamp, Executive Director for Support Dogs, Inc. "Clients have reported getting jobs, going back to school and simply being able to be constructive members to society.

"These dogs also provide them with a sense of self-esteem and comfort, at a level which none of us can really imagine."

For more information about Support Dogs, Inc., please visit them at www.supportdogs.org.