Patterson awards grant to place assistance dogs with veteransDecember 20, 2019The Patterson Foundation has announced $94,530 in grant funding to 12 nonprofit organizations, including two animal health groups.
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Covetrus delivers 2,000th puppy care packageJune 4, 2019Covetrus has delivered its 2,000th puppy care package to volunteers who train assistance dogs in support of Canine Companions for Independence. For the last four years, the company has equipped volunteer puppy raisers, who are responsible for socializing and training the puppies, with a puppy care package supplied with vital products for raising the puppy during the first 18 months of its life. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing highly trained assistance dogs at no charge to recipients with disabilities. "We are thrilled to have delivered our 2,000th Puppy Care Package in support of Canine Companions for Independence," says Davey Stone, Covetrus vice president of specialty markets and corporate philanthropy. "This philanthropic initiative was designed and managed by Covetrus employees wanting to support volunteers who raise puppies for Canine Companions and the veterinarians who provide their care. It has been a rewarding mission for our employees, and a wonderful channel for their compassionate philanthropic spirit." During the 18 months with their puppy raiser, the future assistance dogs must learn 25 commands to enable them to assist their future partners, including opening doors, retrieving items, or pulling a wheelchair. Afterward, the puppies move to professional training for four to six …
What makes a good working dog?February 5, 2019The canine labor market is diverse and expansive. Assistance dogs may be trained to work with the visually or hearing impaired, or with people in wheelchairs. Detection dogs may be trained to sniff out explosives, narcotics, or bedbugs. Others even learn to jump out of helicopters on daring rescue missions. Despite the wide variety of working roles available for man's best friend, those jobs can be tough to fill, since not every dog will qualify. Even among those specifically bred to be assistance dogs, only about 50 percent starting a training program will successfully complete it, while the rest go on to be very well-trained family pets. As a result, the wait list for a trained assistance dog can be up to two years. Evan MacLean, PhD, director of the Arizona Canine Cognition Center at the University of Arizona (UA), is exploring ways to identify the best dogs for different jobs—before they start the long and expensive training process—by looking at their cognitive abilities. He is lead author of a study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science looking at whether canines' cognitive abilities can help predict their success as working dogs. While a dog's physical characteristics and temperament are often considered …
PenFed Foundation donates $50,000 to program providing assistance dogs to veteransNovember 20, 2018PenFed Foundation donates $50,000 to support the launch of Canine Companions for Independence’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) program.
24 VCA Animal Hospitals donate $12K to NEADS nonprofitAugust 28, 2018VCA Animal Hospitals and its nonprofit partner organization VCA Charities have donated more than $12,000 to NEADS Inc. (formerly known as the National Education for Assistance Dog Services and Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans), the internationally accredited nonprofit organization that raises and trains service dogs for people with disabilities. From the beginning of April to June 2, 24 animal hospitals in Massachusetts and New Hampshire collected donations by encouraging clients to round up their transactions to the nearest dollar or to donate online. "We want to thank all of those clients, donors, and staff for helping to make this years' 'Pennies for Pets' a success," said Lauren McVey, regional operations director for VCA Animal Hospitals. "These funds are helping our valued animal-welfare partner groups improve lives in our community." NEADS service dogs offers service dogs for adults and children with a physical disability, service dogs for veterans, and hearing dogs and service dogs for children with autism or other developmental disabilities. The organization's assistance dogs are partnered with professionals in classroom, hospital, ministry, and courthouse settings. Learn more at neads.org. Reported by Sentinel & Enterprise.
Hill's announces Assistance Dog of the Year for 2017July 3, 2017Assistance dogs provide valuable services to people worldwide. A competition put together by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, with the help of the veterinary journal Clinician's Brief decided to ask veterinarians to nominate assistance dogs they've treated, and then chose the Assistance Dog of the Year.
