Animals Deserve Better 770.678.9234

AWAITING ADOPTION | ADOPTION & FOSTER FORMS | our programs | Pet 101

SERVICE AND THERAPY DOGS

RESCUED DOGS/RESCUED PEOPLE -- FOR DOGS AND PEOPLE IN NEED.

Animals Deserve Better is unleashing the possibilities, matching rescued puppies and dogs to assist people who are disabled in leading more independent lives at work, at home and at school.

Do you know of a disabled person who needs a service dog? Animals Deserve Better works with most families within the boundaries of it's organization's ability to train and place the type of dog needed.

Current dog available for training 15 week old Samson - golden retriever mix

We follow our adoption procedures - you adopt the puppy / dog that we believe will be the best match for you and your family. You will then start working with the puppy / dog from that point on and both of you will begin training together.

We have placed 4 dogs so far in 2010. We've never turned anyone away who we had the ability to help.

Training quality dogs takes time, and this is a time delay that cannot be avoided. Each dog is specifically trained for the tasks they provide to their specific child or adult. Any amount of time after this is waiting time; we can’t produce the numbers of dogs needed without a facility.

We are all about quality and will not give that up to increase our numbers. We have our work cut out for us, but we know that to continue to meet the needs of our families is an endeavor in which we must succeed.

It is imperative that we build our facility as to continue with what we have in place now we will have to schedule adoptions for two years or more and operate on a waiting list. Our families can't wait for their dogs, they need them now.

Each day these dogs significantly impact their partners' lives. People who couldn't do the ordinary activities of daily living that others take for granted are able to function independently with the help of their canine partners.

Our program consists of placing the right rescued canine assistant with the right person and working with them both, right from the beginning. We select puppies or dogs from high kill shelters and they live with us in our homes enabling us to learn about their personalities. We look to see if they have the potential to become an assistance / therapy / service dog.

Some will have what it takes others will be adopted into loving family homes and not progress through the program to become an assistance dog.

We then match the disabled child or adult with the puppy or dog that we believe will become their perfect match.

Professional trainers begin with basic obedience, follow up with specialized training for the disability and end up graduating them as a fully trained team.

Animals Deserve Better believes that this journey which both dog and human undertake together forms a strong bond that will last forever. It will be at least 2 years before both dog and handler are fully integrated.

For these and other reasons, Animals Deserve Better offers a variety of training for assistance dogs. Here is a list of the types of dogs we can help work with you and train

Hearing Ear Dogs
Autism Assistance Dogs
Multipurpose Assistance Dogs
Mobility Assistance Dogs
Seizure Assistance Dogs
Psychiatric Service Dogs

Don't see a dog that fits your child's exact disability? Animals Deserve Better can help train dogs on a case specific and will work with you to meet your child's or an adults unique needs!

A psychiatric service dog is a specific type of service dog trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric disability, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia.^[1]^[2]

Although assistance dogs have traditionally helped with people with disabilities such as blindness or more recently deafness or mobility disabilities, there are a wide range of other disabilities that an assistance dog may be able to help with as well, including psychiatric disabilities

Every year in the U.S. children with autism wander from their homes and die because they have no understanding of danger.

We rely on the generosity of individuals, as well as corporations, and accept donations for operating expenses, training, food, toys, training supplies, medication, and our building fund.

It costs on average $18,000 to $25,000 to train a service dog. We would love to count on you to be a sponsor. There are so many ways you can make a difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities!

Animals Deserve Better is an IRS 501c3 Non-Profit
No Kill Animal Rescue Organization.

Types of Service Animals

This is only a partial list of Service Animals and is not intended to be all-inclusive or authoritative:

Guide Dog or Dog Guide – This Service Dog/Service Animal would assist an individual that has vision loss; either fully or partial.

Mobility Dog – This Service Dog may retrieve items, open doors or even push buttons for its handler. Also, this Service Animal may assist people with disabilities with walking, balance and transferring from place to place.

Hearing Alert Dog – This Service Dog will alert its handler with a hearing loss to sounds.

Seizure Alert Dog/Seizure Response Dog – Also known as Medical Alert Dog, this Service Dog alerts to oncoming seizures and is trained to respond to seizures such as "Get Help" or stay with the person until help arrives.

Medical Alert Dog/Medical Response Dog – This Service Dog is trained to alert to oncoming medical conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, epilepsy, panic attack, anxiety attack and even post traumatic stress disorder.

Autism Service Dog – This Service Dog can alert its handler of certain behaviors so that the handler may keep these behaviors to a minimum.