Training Transport Vehicle

The Cause

Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society is asking for a Training Transport Vehicle. On average, the cost to breed, raise, train, and place an Assistance Dog is roughly $40,000 while we place them with our clients for only $1! Our mission is to foster integration and independence for individuals and social service agencies by providing them with highly trained Assistance Dogs.

To achieve our mission, we rely on the generosity of our volunteers in many aspects of our company. Our volunteer adult dog raisers are expected to drop off and pick up our dogs daily. A Training Transport Vehicle would provide ameliorated and more efficient training for our Assistance Dogs. With a training transport vehicle, our own trainers would be able to pick up and drop off specific dogs when necessary. This would provide the dogs with less down time while working individually with our professional trainers on their personalized training program. A Training Transport Vehicle will ultimately enhance the training of our Assistance Dogs by giving our trainers the ability to access different training spaces across the city.

Our trainers and volunteers will take our Assistance Dogs in-training to many locations to socialize and work with them. Exposing them to novel objects, sounds, smells, and sights will better prepare them to be well-rounded dogs when working both in public and in the home.

Who Will it Benefit?

Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society currently places our dogs in four separate programs; Autism Service Dogs, Service Dogs, Facility Dogs, and Companion Dogs. Our Autism Service Dogs are primarily placed with children around the ages of 3 – 13. These dogs provide greater safety and independence for children with Autism and their families. They aid children who have the tendency to bolt through; sensory regulation, companionship, help with sleep disturbance, stress and anxiety reduction, social facilitation with peers, and safety and independence.

This idea will also benefit adults over the age of 16 who use a wheelchair through our Service Dogs. These dogs are specifically trained to aid their individual clients. They can do things such as retrieve objects, open and close doors, and support clients in moving from one point to another.

Our Facility Dogs are placed in social service agencies that provide assistance to victims of crime and tragedy, most commonly children. These dogs are part of a specially trained team with a Primary Handler that provides goal-directed interventions which promotes improvement in physical, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities. A Facility Dog is directed by a professional with specialized expertise and within the scope of practice of their profession. These dogs may work in a variety of settings, either group or individual in nature, specifically: Victim service agencies, child advocacy centers, and courtrooms to help families affected by crime and tragedy to navigate the justice system.

Finally, this idea will benefit individuals in our community of any age and disability through our Companion Dogs. These dogs help their client by assisting with physical needs, enhancing social interactions, and contributing to the well-being as they support their clients.

Through our training transport vehicle, we will be able to provide more efficient training to provide members of our community and social service agencies with professionally trained Assistance Dogs at the cost of only $1. We have placed over 200 working Assistance Dogs across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.