National Assistance Dogs

National Assistance Dogs, Inc. (NADI) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. NADI provides trained assistance dogs primarily to our great nation’s veterans with mobility and post-traumatic challenges.

Our mission is to raise, train, and place vastly skilled assistance dogs to enrich lives in our community through specialized programs. NADI strives to make a difference in the lives of those who we serve, and impact our community by education and providing volunteer opportunities throughout the development of our puppies into assistance dogs.

Our clients are partnered with an assistance dog that is a compatible match through personality and ability to perform specifically trained tasks to their needs. Through this partnership, clients gain the ability to take on and accomplish daily life demands. Our certified, working assistance dogs enhance the quality of their disabled handlers’ lives not only through performing mitigating task work, but also enrich a sense of freedom and independence.

Our puppies are raised in our homes through dedicated volunteers called Puppy Raisers. Each week Puppy Raisers attend socialization and obedience classes lead by our Staff Trainers in public. We are able to reduce the cost and waiting time for client partnership because of our Puppy Raisers. We are building a program for veterans to volunteer to join and hep us train!

Puppy Petting therapy- Puppy petting is great way to help with our puppies’ socialization. Before puppies become 12 weeks old, they have a window of opportunity called a “socialization period” where early experiences will heavily shape the puppy’s future. Because of this, we take careful precaution to ensure that most experiences are positive. Our puppies need to be comfortable with diversity in the outside human world to work as a service dog, so proper socialization can help prevent problems such as fear of children or men, for example. Petting from community members help better acclimate our pups to all types of sights, sounds, and smells and the puppies will likely be comfortable with people and animals of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, etc. later if they have a positive experiences with them while growing up. Involvement with puppies is fun and a therapeutic way to interact and educate our local Phoenicians, and is also beneficial to our puppies’ future at the same time.

Puppy Petting sessions will be held every week a litter is present and details can be seen on our calendar. Everyone is welcome to come. All participants must have an application in and a RSVP is greatly appreciated. We ask that all people please remove their shoes, sanitize their hands, and not visit with shelter or sick animals the same day prior to coming to avoid spreading zoonotic diseases.

 

Learn more at http://www.nadiassit.org/