Canine Companions For Independence

TO PROVIDE HIGHLY TRAINED SERVICE DOGS TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AT NO COST.

TRAINING AND CLIENT SERVICES - CANINE COMPANIONS PLACED 417 WORKING DOGS IN 2021, DESPITE SETBACKS THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT TO OUR COMMUNITY. THROUGH DEDICATION AND INNOVATION, OUR IMPORTANT WORK CONTINUED. TRAINING THROUGH COVID-19 TRAINING STAFF TYPICALLY HAVE THEIR SCHEDULES DEDICATED TO IN-PERSON FOLLOW-UP VISITS WITH CLIENTS, TRAINING DOGS ON OUR CAMPUSES, AND TEACHING NUMEROUS TEAM TRAINING CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE RESTRICTIONS CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PROMPTED A MAJOR SHIFT TO VIRTUAL FOLLOW-UPS AND AN INNOVATIVE HYBRID TEAM TRAINING MODEL. LECTURES WERE TAUGHT VIRTUALLY, FOLLOWED BY ONE WEEK OF SMALL, SOCIALLY DISTANCED IN-PERSON CLASSES. OUR PUPPY PROGRAM MANAGERS ALSO HAD TO ADJUST TO THE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THEY PROVIDED HUNDREDS OF VIRTUAL PUPPY CLASSES FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS. THESE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS RESULTED IN MINIMAL DELAYS FOR OUR PROGRAM.OUR PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS SPEND SIX TO NINE MONTHS TEACHING THE DOG TO MASTER MORE THAN 40 COMMANDS, BEFORE THE DOG CAN BE MATCHED WITH AN ADULT OR CHILD WHO HAS A DISABILITY, OR A PROFESSIONAL ASSISTING PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. WE PROVIDE SERVICE DOGS TO INDIVIDUALS WITH MORE THAN 64 TYPES OF DISABILITIES, INCLUDING A WIDE RANGE OF PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, DEVELOPMENTAL, AND AUDITORY DISABILITIES.WE TRAIN SERVICE AND FACILITY DOGS TO BEST SERVE OUR CLIENTS. IN 2021, WE PLACED 377 SERVICE DOGS, WHICH INCLUDES 34 DOGS TRAINED TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE D/DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING TO ALERT TO SOUNDS, AND 36 DOGS TRAINED PROVIDE SPECIALIZED TASKS FOR VETERANS WITH POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). OUR CLIENTS WERE ADULTS (294), CHILDREN (79), PROFESSIONALS (60), AND VETERANS (49). WE ALSO PROVIDED AGENCY TRANSFERS (10) AND THERAPY DOG PLACEMENTS (33). SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1975, CANINE COMPANIONS HAS GRADUATED 7,108 ASSISTANCE DOGS AND CURRENTLY HAS OVER 2,653 ACTIVE GRADUATES.WE TAKE INCREDIBLE PRIDE IN OUR VETERANS INITIATIVE. THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED AND SACRIFICED IN OUR MILITARY OFTEN COME BACK WITH INJURIES, SOME VISIBLE, OTHERS NOT. AFTER RECEIVING THEIR SERVICE DOGS, OUR VETERAN GRADUATES REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: 7 OF 8 INCORPORATED THEIR SERVICE DOG INTO TREATMENT PLANS AND THERAPIES; 1 OF 4 DECREASED MEDICATION; 9 OF 10 INCREASED THEIR SOCIAL LIFE; AND 3 OF 4 EXPERIENCED DECREASED SYMPTOMS OF PTSD.CANINE COMPANIONS HAS ALSO DEVELOPED A CUSTOMER SERVICE AND QUALITY CONTROL TOOL KNOWN AS THE "GRADUATE WORKSHOP". THESE WORKSHOPS PROVIDE OUR GRADUATES ONE- TO TWO-DAY FOLLOW-UP TRAINING. DURING 2021, CANINE COMPANIONS STAFF PERFORMED 703 IN-PERSON FOLLOW-UP VISITS AND 790 IN A VIRTUAL SETTING DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

OVER THE PAST 45 YEARS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PROVEN FORMULA FOR BREEDING, RAISING, AND TRAINING ASSISTANCE DOGS. WE BREED LABRADOR RETRIEVERS, GOLDEN RETRIEVERS, AND A CROSS OF THE TWO TO BE ASSISTANCE DOGS. VOLUNTEER BREEDER CARETAKERS CARE FOR OUR BREEDER DOGS AND NURTURE NEWBORN PUPPIES FOR EIGHT WEEKS. PUPPY RAISERS THEN RAISE THE DOGS FOR 18 MONTHS AS VOLUNTEERS, TEACHING THEM THEIR FIRST TWENTY COMMANDS. DURING 2021, WE HAD 1,504 ACTIVE, VOLUNTEER PUPPY RAISERS AND 971 ACTIVE PUPPIES. OUR TEAM OF VETERINARIANS AND THEIR STAFF ASSISTS OUR BREEDERS, PUPPY RAISERS, AND GRADUATES WITH CANINE HEALTH ISSUES. WE ARE INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH LEADING UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH GROUPS.TO MEET OUR AMBITIOUS GOALS LAID-OUT IN OUR MOST RECENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE INTEND TO BREAK GROUND ON NEW, STATE-OF-THE-ART CANINE HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER THAT WILL ALLOW EXPANSION OF OUR BREEDING CAPABILITIES, AS WELL AS OUR VETERINARY AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS. THIS IS KEY TO OUR GOALS OF PROVIDING DOGS TO SERVE MORE CLIENTS, DECREASING THE TIME TO RECEIVE A SERVICE DOG, AND EXTENDING THE REACH OF OUR MISSION. KEY BENEFITS WILL INCLUDE: THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF CARE FOR CANINE MOTHERS AND NEONATAL LITTERS; EXPANSION OF RESEARCH BENEFITING THE SERVICE DOG AND DISABILITY COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE; OPTIMAL HEALTHCARE FOR THE PUPPIES AND DOGS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY; AND THE ABILITY TO TRAIN NATIONWIDE VOLUNTEERS ON OUR HIGHEST STANDARD OF CARE AND SOCIALIZATION.

PUBLIC INFORMATION AND LOCAL PRESENCE - WE PROACTIVELY PROVIDE EDUCATION REGARDING DOGS AND THE CHALLENGES FACED BY SERVICE DOG HANDLERS. OUR EFFORTS HAVE PRODUCED MANY ARTICLES IN NATIONAL AND LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, NEWSLETTERS, AND ONLINE. WE HAVE WORKED WITH NATIONAL AND LOCAL WEB, RADIO, AND TELEVISION BROADCASTS TO BRING AWARENESS OF OUR PROGRAM TO MILLIONS.TO KEEP SUPPORTERS INFORMED OF NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL ACTIVITIES, WE DISTRIBUTE A TRI-ANNUAL PRINT NEWSLETTER, MONTHLY ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, AND DIRECT MAIL PACKAGES THAT EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND PROVIDE PROGRAM UPDATES. ADDITIONALLY, CANINE COMPANIONS MAINTAINS AND REGULARLY UPDATES ACCOUNTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA INCLUDING FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, AND YOUTUBE.