Make Every Day Independence Day -- Give a Dog a Job

Non-profit provides assistance dogs free of charge to people with disabilities

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Jun 20, 2017, 15:38 ET

SANTA ROSA, Calif., June 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For people with disabilities, independence means more than just a celebration of the founding of the nation. It is a door being opened, a dropped house key being retrieved, a prosthesis brought to a veteran. These jobs and the independence they provide, is possible thanks to expertly trained Canine Companions for Independence® assistance dogs.

Canine Companions for Independence assistance dog team Adam and Kiki

"I will never forget the moment that the call from Canine Companions came in," says mom Ali. "I was crying, but I still had no idea how much an assistance dog would impact Adam's life. It has been a wonderful decade watching Adam and assistance dog Kiki grow together."

Nearly 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have a disability. Many face physical barriers to meeting daily needs, such as turning on light switches and carrying groceries. Canine Companions for Independence transforms the lives children, adults and veterans with disabilities by providing trained assistance dogs to help with these types of tasks – as well as provide unconditional love and acceptance.

Kiki is getting older and doesn't have the energy to assist Adam anymore. She's living the life of a spoiled pet, spending most of her days on our couch now, and Adam is on the waiting list to get a new assistance dog.

Ali states, "We are so looking forward to the day when Adam will return to Canine Companions and be matched with a new assistance dog."

Canine Companions has provided nearly 5,500 life-changing assistance dogs like Kiki — a $50,000 investment for the organization for the lifetime of each team — at entirely no cost to recipients. Canine Companions' Give a Dog a Job campaign kicks off this week through Independence Day.

Learn how you can help Make Every Day Independence Day at cci.org/GiveADogAJob.

About Canine Companions for Independence
Non-profit Canine Companions for Independence provides highly-trained assistance dogs free of charge to children, adults and veterans with disabilities. Established in 1975, Canine Companions has trained nearly 5,500 assistance dog teams, with six training centers across the country in Northern California, Southern California, Florida, New York, Ohio and Texas, and over 3,000 volunteers nationwide. Canine Companions is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. The result is a life full of increased independence and loving companionship. For more information, visit cci.org or call 1-800-572-BARK. #GiveADogAJob

Contact:
Jeanine Konopelski, Canine Companions, 707-577-1759, [email protected]

SOURCE Canine Companions for Independence