Dogs know much more about us than we think.
Dogs can sense how we’re feeling, and trained service dogs are even more in tune with their veteran handler. By providing physical and/or emotional support, a service dog can increase a veteran’s physical, emotional, and social self-sufficiency.
Veterans share their stories of how welcoming service dogs into their lives helped them find peace, comfort, and resilience.
Veterans living with trauma may constantly feel on edge or in a state of hypervigilance. Service dogs can make them feel safer by accompanying them on public outings and providing unconditional loyalty.
A service dog can comfort a veteran when they feel overwhelmed. The dog can serve as a battle buddy and help facilitate social interaction.
Having a service dog to care for challenges a veteran to take care of themself by getting out into the world and exercising with their dog.
Our Chittenango, New York site is accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) — the gold standard for not-for-profits within the Assistance Dog Industry. Accreditation ensures the highest standards in all aspects of our operations. This includes ethical treatment and training of dogs, ethical treatment of clients, quality of dog training, and follow-up care.
Before we match you with a dog, we’ll ask for a few interviews, personal references, and background checks to learn about your circumstances, personality, family, and environment.
Once we determine your eligibility, our team will provide you with regular canine-training updates until you finally meet your canine counterpart.
You’ll come to our campus for three weeks to officially meet, train, and bond with your service-dog match.
You will receive continuous support and guidance from our staff to ensure that you have everything you and your canine need to thrive together.
During their 24-month-long journey to become service dogs, we pair our puppies with dedicated volunteers who provide the dogs in training with a safe home environment and access to training and socialization opportunities.
As a puppy ambassador, you’ll assist our canine trainers with daily tasks while the dogs live on the Clear Path campus. You’ll help with activities and training that are crucial to puppy development and socialization.
