I've been a Service Dog handler for over 20 years now, my first DAD (diabetic alert dog) was gotten in the 80s when I got my first dog who ended up being a natural for low glucose alert. So she was my introduction to the service dog world, a world that before her I'd only know through a local program that trained guide dogs (I got into it after watching the movie Love Leads the Way: A True Story).
The movie had a BIG impact on my life and the direction part of it would take as a result, it got me into dog training and behavior and ultimately into training service dogs as a side to my regular dog training.
My second DAD was gotten shortly after my first girl passed. He would become my first official DAD that would have actual legal coverage as the laws had changed in my area now covering non-program service dogs, though not fully would still be several years before full public access was a thing and covered. Still, it was better than nothing (he could at least go to the ER with me and be in the hospital, etc).
My 3rd DAD came into my life for a short period before he had to be returned (we didn't work as a team) and then I got my current girl (we've been a working team for 8 years now) a small standard black poodle.
We've had our ups and downs of course but she's gotten me through a lot of things over the years and sadly she's now getting on in years that I have to start thinking about finding her successor (which I have started to do).