Service Dogs of Virginia, Inc. raises, trains and places dogs to assist people with disabilities. Highly trained dogs perform a wealth of tasks that allow greater personal freedom and independence. We are based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Get on the Polar express!

This campaign is in honor of "Polar," a dog trained in the Ann Arbor area by a local trainer for Service Dogs of Virginia...

>> Click here for more info

 

Two new videos are up:

>> Watch SDV video

>> Watch Artful Dog Video

 

Greeting Cards

Our artful dogs have been busy painting and made greeting cards for you. For $12.50, you'll get 8 cards, 2 of each painting. All proceeds go the SDV.

We are a 501(C)(3) organization primarily reliant on private donations and foundations to carry out our work. We raise the funds necessary to place the dogs without cost to the recipient so that need, rather than income, determines who receives a service dog. Service Dogs of Virginia is member of Assistance Dogs International, a coalition of not-for-profit organizations that train assistance dogs.

It costs as much as $18,000 to raise and train a service dog over a period of two and a half years. See: How you can help support our work.

Service dogs are companions that can perform a variety of tasks for their handlers, including retrieving dropped items such as cell phones, pencils, and change; opening and closing doors; and “fetching” a cordless telephone to name a few. A service dog not only makes life easier and safer, additionally, the dog serves as a vital bridge to the able bodied community. A canine companion is an appealing warm magnet that draws people to an individual in a wheelchair, an individual who is characteristically ignored and rendered invisible. Once the dog performs this little bit of magic, disabled individuals can be seen for the people they are.

Our dogs can perform more than 50 behaviors: they pick up objects and deliver them to hand, pull open doors, push buttons and drawers, pay for items in a store, get the phone, even pull off gloves and socks. Our dogs are trained “generically” and then customized to an individual’s needs. For example, we have trained dogs to help take clothes from the dryer and put them in a basket or tug an apartment alarm to summon help. Dogs can be trained to help a walking person with their balance or brace a wheelchair bound person when they transfer from their chair to a couch or bed. They make difficult tasks easier and impossible tasks possible.

Autism Dog Program

Autism has become one of the most talked about disabilities facing children today both nationally and internationally. Autism knows no bounds – it affects the rich and poor alike and is quickly reaching epidemic proportions.

Autism service dogs will improve the family and child's overall quality of life and has the potential to improve a child's communication skills and behavior. In the dog's main role as partner, he is tethered to the child and will anchor himself in a "stay" and not move until cued by the parent/ handler if a child is heading toward an undesirable situation or danger. Dogs are taught to walk with a child by their side at the same time the adult is holding the leash and following behind. A child that is tethered to the dog is thus prevented from running away, or into a dangerous situation. However, what starts out as a fairly simplistic process can lead to far greater success.