Ensuring “dogs with jobs” receive top-notch training is the driving force behind a recent donation.
In honor of National Service Dog Month (September), nonprofit organization Canine Companions has received an $85,000 contribution from consumer financial services company Synchrony. The donation supports Canine Companions’ ongoing commitment to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by providing them with expertly trained service dogs at no cost.
“The partnership between a person with a disability and their service dog is a lifetime relationship,” says Boo Larsen, vice president and general manager of Synchrony solution, CareCredit. “By expanding our partnership with Canine Companions, we can help provide independence to people with disabilities by matching them with their cherished companions.”
Synchrony began its relationship with Canine Companions more than eight years ago and has since donated more than $250,000 to the organization.
“Synchrony and Canine Companions have a partnership rooted in a belief of the transformative power of the human-canine bond,” says Canine Companions CEO, Paige Mazzoni. “We are grateful for its marketing and financial support of our mission to enhance the lives of people with disabilities through expertly trained service dogs.”
Established in 1975, Canine Companions pairs service dogs with people who have physical and developmental disabilities, as well as adults with hearing impairments. Additionally, the group provides task-trained service dogs to professionals working in health care, visitation, educational, or criminal justice settings. It has six training centers across the country, which serve all 50 states.