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Service / Assistance Dogs

General Info/Articles / Associations & Organizations / Fundraisers & Events / Books


General Information / Articles:

Service Dogs are trained to assist people who have a wide variety of mobility impairments and other hidden disabilities, such as seizures, psychiatric disorders, life threatening medical problems, or chronic pain. These dogs provide services to disabled individuals helping them function with greater self-sufficiency; prevent injuries; and summon help in a crisis.

Service Dogs receive approximately six months to one year of training on learning to perform various tasks, obedience, and public access manners.

Copperstone Reg'dLabrador Retrievers
Jersey and Griffin
Photo courtesy of:
Copperstone Reg'd Labrador Retrievers


Associations & Organizations:
(Listed in alphabetical order)

  • AASK — Animal Assistants Inc.
    Dedicated to providing specially trained Service Dogs to individuals with disabilities. Specializing in the training of Psychiatric Support and Response Dogs, but also working with Mobility Assistance Dogs. AASK is based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but dogs can be found across Canada.
  • The Canadian Foundation for Animal-Assisted Support Services
    P.O. Box 279
    Winchester, Ontario, K0C 2K0
    Tel.: 613-774-0001
    E-mail: generalinfo@cf4aass.org
    Website address: www.cf4aass.org and www.cf4aass.org/events

    Vision Statement: Our vision is to support the innovation, coordination, and integration of Animal-Assisted Support Services.

    Mission Statement: Our mission is to receive and maintain a fund to build the capabilities of individuals facing physical, intellectual, emotional, behavioral, developmental, social and spiritual challenges through the use of animal assisted therapy and related services.

    Goals: To unite Animal-Assisted Support Services Stakeholders to identify core values and common priorities to stimulate collaborative action in the spirit of cooperation and inclusiveness. To inspire and ensure a consistent level of quality, safety, and End-user satisfaction.

  • Canines with a Cause
    Ottawa, Ontario based Canadian registered charity dedicated to train Assistance Dogs as well as to help create awareness in our community on the value these special dogs bring their human partners.
  • Colorado Service Dogs, Inc.
    Located in Colorado, USA
    E-mail: info@coservicedogs.com
    Colorado Services Dogs, Inc. (CSD) is a non-profit organization established to train and provide rescued dogs to assist people who have disabilities in leading more independent lives at work, at home and at school. These dogs become an extension of their owners and bring security, freedom, independence and relief from social isolation to their human partners.
  • C.O.P.E. Service Dogs
    Located in Barrie, Ontario
    E-mail: info@copedogs.org
    "Through the training and subsequent placement of special service dogs, Canine Opportunity, People Empowerment (C.O.P.E.) helps people with disabilities, challenged youth, children and people in the community achieve positive changes and growth in their lives."
  • Diamond In The Ruff Medical Dogs
    www.medical-dog.com
    We provide an Owner-Assisted Program: For those whom have any medical, mobility issue or cross there of who wish to be involved in training a dog for use as a Certified Medical Dog, we provide specialized, custom-designed training programs to meet your needs.

    Our experienced Medical Dog trainers are very well versed in a wide range of conditions and their effects on people's lives. They will help design a program to help you get your dog to perform as desired. Don't have a dog yet, no sweat we'll help you find one.

    We service all of Canada and the United States. Providing both in-home and in-public area service.
    Contact us at 647-724-4316 or email at: info@medical-dog.com

  • Encouraging Paws Service Dogs
    — Serving all of Southern Ontario.
    E-mail: info@encouragingpaws.com
    Tel.: 905-628-4779
    — Training personal pets to become working dogs and dedicated to helping people with physical and or medical disabilities; those with Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Scelerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Epilepsy (Seizure Response as opposed to Seizure Alert Dogs), Parapelegics, Quadrapaledgics, Amputees to name just some. All training is done in the home environment. Personal pet training is also available in your home.
  • Handi-Dogs, Inc.
    A Service Dog Training Organization located in Tucson, Arizona. — "At Handi-Dogs, Inc. we help people with physical disabilities to achieve an improved quality of life through the training and use of service dogs."
  • International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP)
    A non-profit, cross-disability organization representing people partnered with guide, hearing and service dogs.
  • Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides
    Lions Foundation of Canada is a federally incorporated charitable foundation founded by the Lions Clubs of Canada. Its mission is to provide service to physically challenged Canadians in the areas of mobility, safety, and independence. Lions Foundation of Canada was incorporated on February 20, 1983, and provides Dog Guides to Canadians through three on-going programs:
  • Mira Foundation
    Objective: To bring greater autonomy to handicapped people and to facilitate their social integration by providing them with dogs that are fully trained to meet the needs of each individual, including Guide Dogs.

Licorice is the spokes dog for Friends of Ferarri Canada — An organization that provides funding for non profit organizations. Seen here at the NSD
Photo courtesy of: Bralex Perm. Reg'd. Labrador Retrievers
  • National Service Dogs Training Centre Inc. (NSD)
    NSD specializes in breeding, raising, training, and placing Autism Service Dogs with families and children living with autism.
  • Pacific Assistance Dog Society
    PADS’ mission is to raise and train dogs for people who are facing the daily challenges of life with a disability other than blindness, in order to provide a greater level of independence and an enhanced quality of life. Serving people in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
  • PALS with Pawz
    PALS with Pawz trains rescued and donated dogs as Autism, Mobility, Therapy and Neurological Disorder Service Dog Teams for physically, emotionally and psychologically disabled persons. Our goal is to create a loving relationship between the rescued or donated dog and their disabled partner; resulting in the enhancement of their physical and emotional freedoms, sense of security, independence and the enrichment of their quality of life.
    For further details, see: www.PALSwithPawz.org, e-mail: Christine@PALSwithPawz.org, or call 888-39-4PAWZ.
  • West Coast Assistance Teams Society
    West Coast Assistance Teams is a non-profit organization that trains and certifies dogs for people with physical and psychiatric disabilities. We also certify therapy dogs for medical and social professionals who are using there dogs in the realm of their therapy treatments.
    — Serving communities of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.
  • Western Guide & Assistance Dog Society
    The Western Guide Dog Foundation has recently expanded their services to include Assistance Dogs as well as Guide Dogs. With this expansion, their name has also changed to Western Guide & Assistance Dog Society.
  • Worldwide Welcome Waggin' — Home of International Puppy Raisers
    Members of this organization are people who raise puppies that will serve as Assistance Dogs, including Guide, Service, Hearing and Seizure Response Dogs. Includes an e-mail list for members to communicate.


Note to Working Dog Organizations: If you have any upcoming fundraisers or events that you would like listed here, please e-mail us with the details and we will be pleased to add them.



Reference Books & Magazines:

The Harness The Harness is a magazine for people who use assistance dogs. It explores such issues as canine health care, access issues, travel concerns, and legislation from a Canadian perspective. For further details, visit www.theharness.ca or contact Miss Devon Wilkins at theharness@rogers.com.

Service and Therapy Dogs
— Excellent selection of books available from Dogwise.com on the subject of Therapy and Service Dogs.

The Golden Bridge: A Guide To Assistance Dogs For Children Challenged By Autism Or Other Developmental Disabilities

The Golden Bridge: A Guide To Assistance Dogs For Children Challenged By Autism Or Other Developmental Disabilities

The Golden Bridge: A Guide To Assistance Dogs For Children Challenged By Autism Or Other Developmental Disabilities



Note: We are always in need of articles, stories, poems, etc. for the Working Dogs section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website. — Submissions are welcome and encouraged. Please feel free to e-mail us.

Contact Us ~ If you are part of a working dog group and would like to be listed here. (Simply send us an e-mail with the details, including your website address, and we would be pleased to add it.)

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Last Updated: 15 December 2009   
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