Right here in New Albany, Canine Companions’ North Central Training Center creates life-changing partnerships for clients across a 14-state region. The emotional journey from playful puppy to highly trained service dog is made possible by an entire community of volunteer puppy raisers, professional trainers, donors, and supporters. For people with disabilities, these service dogs can open the door to greater independence and confidence. In recognition of National Service Dog Month this September, we invite you to discover the people and dedication behind these extraordinary partnerships.
Each service dog’s path begins long before it meets its future partner. Volunteer puppy raisers provide an essential foundation, helping puppies learn and prepare for the next stage of their development. From there, professional trainers build on those skills, teaching dogs to perform a wide range of tasks, from retrieving dropped items and opening doors to turning on lights and providing other forms of support that can foster more independence in everyday life.
Canine Companions provides its expertly trained service dogs free of charge to the people with disabilities who receive them. As a nonprofit organization, it relies on the generosity of donors, grants, and volunteers to cover the significant costs of breeding, raising, training, and matching each dog with its future partner.
At a recent Canine Companions graduation ceremony, the impact of that journey was especially moving. Puppy raisers said bittersweet goodbyes as dogs they had raised moved on to advanced training, while other highly trained dogs began an exciting new chapter with the clients they were matched to serve. Behind every service dog partnership is a village of dedicated people all working toward a shared goal: helping people live with greater independence. Watch our video to experience these powerful moments and learn more about Canine Companions’ life-changing work happening in our own backyard.