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Meet Bay!
Meet Bay 🐾
Connecticut’s Official Water Safety Dog
We’re proud to introduce Bay, the heart of Light the Way and Connecticut’s Official Water Safety Dog,
formally recognized by the Connecticut General Assembly.
Bay is a golden Labrador whose role goes far beyond being a mascot. She supports boating safety education for children, offers calm and comfort at community events, and helps make important safety conversations approachable and engaging.
Bay’s Role in Our Mission
As a trained outreach and facility dog, Bay accompanies the Light the Way team in support of:
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School and youth boating safety programs
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Community safety and awareness events
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Fundraisers and public gatherings
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Outreach efforts centered on education, healing, and prevention
Her presence helps create an environment where learning about safety feels welcoming, reassuring, and human.
Official Recognition
Bay’s work and impact have been formally recognized by the Connecticut General Assembly, certifying her as Connecticut’s Water Safety Dog, a unique honor that reflects the importance of education, outreach, and compassionate engagement in preventing water-related tragedies.
More Than a Symbol
Bay represents the values at the core of Light the Way: responsibility, resilience, and care. She reminds us that safety education doesn’t have to be intimidating, and that meaningful learning often starts with trust, connection, and a calm presence.
She’s not just part of our story - she helps carry it forward.
Follow Bay’s Journey
As Bay continues her work across Connecticut, we’ll be sharing training milestones, outreach moments, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of her role in action. Because sometimes, the best way to teach safety is with patience, consistency… and a wagging tail.💙🐾
Help us Teach Water Safety with Bay!
Light The Way for Water Safety
Every ripple on the water tells a story.
Ours began with loss - three young lives taken too soon at the Saybrook Point Breakwater - but it continues with purpose.
Through Light the Way, we are transforming heartbreak into hope - one life jacket, one conversation, and yes, one wagging tail at a time. Because no family should ever have to experience the silence that follows the storm.
A Life Jacket Can Save a Lifetime
Tragedy can unfold in seconds. Prevention takes only a moment.
Wearing a life jacket - every time - can mean the difference between heartbreak and coming home. That’s why our mission focuses on helping children, families, and even pets see safety not as a rule, but as an act of love.
Our outreach includes:
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Demonstrations that help children wear life jackets with confidence and pride
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Life jacket fittings for dogs, because they’re family too
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Partnerships with marinas, schools, and first responders to expand safety awareness
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Community events that honor lives lost while protecting lives ahead
We’re not just teaching safety - we’re building a culture of care that shines across every shoreline.
Bay’s Role: Where Safety Meets Compassion
Bay isn’t just our outreach dog - she’s a healer, a teacher, and a gentle bridge between learning and love.
Trained by Rhodes Collar, Bay visits classrooms, marinas, and community events to help teach children the importance of wearing life jackets. When she puts hers on, little hands follow. What could feel frightening or overwhelming suddenly becomes simple, warm, and memorable.
Bay also offers comfort to those who need it most - children learning about loss, families navigating grief, seniors seeking connection. Wherever she goes, she brings calm, reassurance, and light.
“Bay reminds us that love is still here.
And with every child she reaches, another life is lit with hope.”
In Partnership with Rhodes Collar
We are deeply grateful for our partnership with Rhodes Collar, whose compassion, professionalism, and belief in the power of dogs make Bay’s work possible. Together, we share a belief that education wrapped in kindness can change lives. Through Bay’s presence, we’re proving that safety education doesn’t have to be intimidating - it can be human, healing, and deeply effective.