Canine Companions For Independence

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

TRAINING AND CLIENT SERVICES - CANINE COMPANIONS PLACED 330 WORKING DOGS IN 2023. OUR TRAINING BEGAN TO RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER THE PANDEMIC WITH STAFF DEDICATED TO IN-PERSON FOLLOW-UP VISITS WITH CLIENTS, TRAINING DOGS ON OUR CAMPUSES, AND TEACHING NUMEROUS TEAM TRAINING CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WHILE WE STILL DID SOME VIRTUAL FOLLOW UPS AND CLASSES, THE MAJORITY OF OUR PUPPY RAISER SUPPORT AND GRADUATE FOLLOW UPS WERE DONE IN PERSON.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 AT RISK. WE PROVIDE SERVICE DOGS TO INDIVIDUALS WITH MORE THAN 65 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 2023, WE PLACED 259 SERVICE DOGS, WHICH INCLUDED 47 DOGS TRAINED TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE D/DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING TO ALERT TO SOUNDS, AND 41 DOGS PROVIDED TO VETERANS INCLUDING 29 DOGS TRAINED TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED TASKS FOR VETERANS WITH POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). IN ADDITION, WE PROVIDED 71 DOGS TO PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE UTILIZING THE DOG TO MEET CLIENTS' THERAPY GOALS AND SUPPORT CLIENTS WITH DISABILITIES OR WHO ARE AT RISK. WE ALSO PROVIDED 10 AGENCY TRANSFERS AND CERTIFIED 110 THERAPY DOG PLACEMENTS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1975, CANINE COMPANIONS HAS TRAINED AND PLACED 7,784 SERVICE DOGS AND CURRENTLY HAS OVER 2,732 ACTIVE GRADUATES.WE TAKE IMMENSE PRIDE IN OUR VETERANS' INITIATIVE. THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED AND SACRIFICED IN OUR MILITARY OFTEN COME BACK WITH INJURIES, SOME VISIBLE AND OTHERS NOT. AFTER RECEIVING THEIR SERVICE DOGS, OUR VETERAN GRADUATES REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: 7 OF 8 INCORPORATED THEIR SERVICE DOGS 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 TRAININGS. DURING 2023, CANINE COMPANIONS STAFF PERFORMED 1,591 IN-PERSON FOLLOW-UP VISITS AND 106 IN A VIRTUAL SETTING DUE TO CONTINUED CONCERNS REGARDING COVID-19.

BREEDING AND PUPPY RAISING / VETERINARY - OVER THE PAST 47 YEARS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PROVEN FORMULA FOR BREEDING, RAISING, AND TRAINING SERVICE DOGS. WE BREED LABRADOR RETRIEVERS, GOLDEN RETRIEVERS, AND A CROSS OF THE TWO TO BE SERVICE DOGS. VOLUNTEER BREEDER CARETAKERS CARE FOR OUR BREEDER DOGS AND NURTURE NEWBORN PUPPIES FOR EIGHT WEEKS. PUPPY RAISERS THEN RAISE THE DOGS FOR 16-18 MONTHS AS VOLUNTEERS, TEACHING THEM THEIR FIRST TWENTY COMMANDS. AT THE END OF 2023, WE HAD 1,314 ACTIVE, VOLUNTEER PUPPY RAISERS AND 1,110 ACTIVE PUPPIES. OUR TEAM OF VETERINARY AND CANINE EARLY CARE STAFF SUPPORT THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR BREEDER DOGS AND THE LITTERS THEY WHELP (779 PUPPIES IN 2023). THEY ALSO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO OUR PUPPY RAISERS AND GRADUATES WITH CANINE HEALTH QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. WE ARE INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS RESEARCH PROJECTS LEADING UNIVERSITIES AND INDUSTRY RESEARCH GROUPS.TO MEET OUR AMBITIOUS GOALS LAID-OUT IN OUR MOST RECENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING A NEW, STATE-OF-THE-ART CANINE HEALTH AND 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 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 SERVICE 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, REACHING OVER 350 MILLION PEOPLE.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, X, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, AND YOUTUBE.