Puppies Starting Service Dog Training Celebrate with Snoopy and the Goodyear Blimp

Snoopy knows how to celebrate in style.

To mark the “Peanuts” comic strip’s 75th anniversary, on Oct. 1, Snoopy boarded the Goodyear blimp — celebrating its own landmark 100th anniversary this year — along with a trio of adorable puppies.

The puppies weren’t just along for the ride. All three of the little dogs, Labrador and golden retriever mixes named Niagara, Rhubarb, and Pauley, are service dogs in training with Canine Companions. The blimp delivered the 10-week-old pups from Long Beach, California, to Carson, California.

Once the aircraft touched down, Snoopy and his pup companions were greeted by an eager and excited group from Canine Companions, a nonprofit dedicated to providing trained service dogs to people living with disabilities.

Canine Companions, currently celebrating its 50th Anniversary, introduced Niagara, Rhubarb, and Pauley to their puppy raisers once the pups were on the ground in Carson. The dogs’ puppy raisers are volunteers who will spend the next 16 or so months socializing the puppies, teaching the dogs basic obedience, and providing them with a healthy diet, so the canines are prepared for more specialized service dog training in the future.

“As a longtime supporter of Canine Companions, I’m always thrilled to see a new troop of puppies begin their training to become vital members of the dog service community,” Jeannie Schulz, a Canine Companions national board member and Board Chair Emeritus and widow of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, said in a statement.

“I’m particularly delighted that Snoopy was able to join in the fun this time around – all while riding the Goodyear Blimp!” she added.

Canine Companions hopes that the adorable blimp flight raises awareness about the organization’s life-changing work and puppy-raising opportunities for animal lovers. The nonprofit and other service dog organizations are currently experiencing a shortage of puppy raisers, which can delay the process of matching people with disabilities with their service dogs.

Those interested in helping future service dogs succeed while spending time with adorable little pups can learn more about puppy raising on Canine Companions’ website.

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“We’re honored to celebrate our milestone anniversaries with this one-of-a-kind opportunity,” Jeanine Konopelski, chief marketing officer for Canine Companions, shared with PEOPLE. “For 50 years, we’ve been transforming the lives of people with disabilities through expertly trained service dogs, and partnering with beloved brands like Peanuts and Goodyear brings that mission to life in a joyful way. Peanuts reminds us that happiness is a warm puppy, and now, thanks to Goodyear, these future service dogs were able to get a sky-high sendoff aboard an iconic blimp – a perfect start to a lifetime of service.”