Our Impact
Transforming Lives
Through Service Dogs
Canine Companions creates greater independence for people with disabilities. Lives are changed, communities strengthened and hope is delivered every single day.
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100%Provided at No Cost Every service and facility dog is free to those we serve
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8K+Graduate Teams Placed Since 1975, over 8,900+ expertly trained dog-human teams have been matched.
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6.1K+Volunteers Nationwide Our passionate volunteer community makes every placement possible.
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2.8K+Active Service and Facility Dogs Our clients are present in all 50 states, all receiving ongoing follow-up services at no cost
Trusted & Featured by Leading
Media Outlets
Help End the Wait
Every gift and every hour volunteered brings expertly trained service dogs to people with disabilities, at no cost to them.
Why Us?
Why Thousands Trust
Canine Companions
Our mission is rooted in care, backed by science and powered by community.
Always Free of Charge
Every service and facility dog and all follow-up training and support is provided at no cost.
Lifelong Support
From the day a dog is placed through every stage of the team’s life, we provide ongoing training, guidance and resources.
Purpose-Bred and Professionally Trained
Our dogs are purpose-bred for health and temperament, then professionally trained to master the skills that make them safe, reliable partners in daily life.
Our Stories
True Stories of Connection, Trust, and Support
During a hospital stay, Bella and her mom, Alana, met a Canine Companions facility dog. The dog climbed into Bella’s bed to snuggle, and Alana immediately saw the impact on her daughter. That moment inspired her to apply for a service dog.
#01 of 30
When Mackenzie met Facility Dog Shakespeare, it opened a world of possibility.
At Green Middle School, Mackenzie worked regularly with her school counselor, Lori Morgan, and Shakespeare during physical therapy sessions to help manage the symptoms of Friedreich’s ataxia.
The rare, degenerative neuromuscular disease affects Mackenzie’s balance and coordination and causes fatigue.
#02 of 30
After losing her leg and half of her pelvis to bone cancer, Courtney wondered what independence could look like now.
Then she met Service Dog Pokey.
#03 of 30
Atticus gives us a lot of hope for the future that Luca can live independently with the help of a service dog.
#06 of 30
Hayden has always navigated a silent world as someone born profoundly Deaf due to Goldenhar Syndrome. For him, being Deaf is simply life as he knows it. But it also means missing everyday sounds that most…
#09 of 30
In 1975, Gerald Ford was president, the Vietnam War ended, “Jaws” was the #1 movie, and the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series. It was also when people with disabilities gained a new tool in life-changing independence through Kerry and Abdul, the first Canine Companions service dog team. Kerry was working at the Sonoma Development…
#10 of 30
Erin was an inmate at the Folsom Women’s Facility on and off for nine years. In the final years of her incarceration, Erin found the Canine Companions puppy raising program, and it completely turned her life around.
#11 of 30
“I tried every type of vibrating and flashing alarm clock,” Makenzie says. “The alarm would shake my entire bed, yet it still wouldn’t wake me up. I had to rely on my parents to wake me up every morning and depend on everyone else around me.”
#12 of 30
“Sean is 32, and he spends most of his time at home with us,” Deb says. “But, Canine Companions and Oscar have opened our world!”
#13 of 30
Living with a traumatic brain injury, Londen spends more time than most children in a hospital setting. A special Canine Companions facility dog named Dexter helped him through hard times during his earlier treatments and therapies, which left a lasting impression on him and his family. “We saw so many benefits for Londen in such…
#14 of 30
Shannon Cogan is an anchor at WAVE News Sunrise in Louisville, Kentucky. She is also a mother to Colt Cogan, our client who graduated with Canine Companions Service Dog Wink three years ago. She has witnessed, first-hand, how much Wink has made a difference in her son’s life. At mere two days old, Colt had…
#15 of 30
Alex Maryman dreamed of playing baseball for the big leagues since childhood. Though he was diagnosed with hearing loss as a toddler, he played baseball every chance he got, eventually joining the club team at Kansas State University. Despite his prowess on the diamond, Alex experienced anxiety in his everyday life, fearful of missing important…
#16 of 30
U.S. Marine Roger Rua completed over 100 security patrols as a machine gunner in Afghanistan with the 9th Engineering Support Battalion, Security Platoon. He was 22 years old. On March 29, 2012, he awakened after a night on the road for an early patrol and was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) within 10…
#17 of 30
In 2000, our national board of directors established a national volunteer award given yearly to one volunteer from each of our six regions. The highest honor is the Canine Companions Jack Warnock Award, a tribute to longtime volunteer and graduate Jack Warnock. This prestigious award acknowledges exceptional volunteerism at Canine Companions. We are pleased to…
#18 of 30
Following the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, a temporary family resource center was set up to offer support to the children and families in the community. Canine Companions facility dogs, along with working dogs from other organizations, joined forces to provide a safe and secure space to for residents to cope…
#19 of 30
After seven-and-a-half years with Sarpy County, Manny the facility dog died on January 3, 2022, following some health-related issues. He was nine. “He liked to be around people,” said Sarpy County Victim/Witness Chief of Staff Jean Brazda. “His favorite age range was kids. Whenever he would come to work with me, just about every day,…
#20 of 30
From viral dance videos to how-to tutorials, social media has a plethora of entertaining content. James, who is hard-of-hearing, was scrolling through Instagram one day to try to meet others who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. His search initially led him to Lauren, a Canine Companions graduate and her hearing dog, Elroy. After looking through their…
#21 of 30
In a groundbreaking study in canine cognition, our partners at the Arizona Canine Cognition Center at the University of Arizona have determined that Canine Companions puppies understand aspects of human communication from just eight weeks old! The results also suggest that a large part of human-canine communication is genetic – at least in Canine Companions’ dogs.
#22 of 30
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Canine Companions has relied heavily on volunteer pilots to transport our puppies to their volunteer puppy raisers. Recently, Canine Companions volunteer breeder caretakers and puppy raisers who are also pilots have stepped up their support to fly puppies to their volunteer raisers across the country! Pilot Owen Leipelt, who…
#23 of 30
Army veteran Victor Greene loves spending time with his family, playing the drums and piano, and singing in his local church choir. In 2005, Victor served in Iraq in a transportation unit, escorting troops all around the country. On a seemingly normal day, Victor last remembers being in a convoy. A week later, he woke…
#24 of 30
When Tom Prin followed in his father’s footsteps and chose a career as a New York City firefighter, he pledged a life of service to others. As a young man, Tom was one of many courageous firefighters to respond to the horrific events of 9/11. His unit returned to the debris at the World Trade…
#25 of 30
Hilary Pircher has had three Canine Companions service dogs by her side over the years and credits each of them with a unique purpose in her life. Growing up with cerebral palsy, Hilary often had to rely on her parents. But like any teenager, she longed for autonomy and greater independence. She found that and…
#26 of 30
Rodney Sparks served our country in the United States Army for 20 years. He has experienced lasting effects impacting his daily life, including a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While the adjustment to civilian life was tough, Rodney found hope through a Canine Companions service dog named Novella, provided to him completely free of…
#27 of 30
On October 12, 2011, a gunman entered a hair salon in Seal Beach, California and shot nine people, killing all but one of the victims. All mass shootings are a tragedy, but for a community as small as Seal Beach, this devastated everyone. One of the Seal Beach Police Department’s biggest priorities following this incident…
#28 of 30
Naomi and her parents live in Colorado. Adopted from Niger at age 5 and born with schizencephaly, a congenital brain malformation, Naomi relies on a power wheelchair to get around and uses a computerized “talker” to speak. Despite these incredible technologies, Naomi has been dependent on caregivers to meet all her needs. That began to…
#29 of 30
Luke has Down Syndrome, creating cognitive and physical delays. Staying on task, speech and socialization are difficult for Luke. After being matched with Skilled Companion Ruff, Luke is making great strides.
#30 of 30
Make a Difference
From giving to volunteering to raising a future service dog, you have the power to change lives.
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Raise a Puppy
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change a life.
Our Partners:
Together We Dream Bigger
