About Hero Dogs, Inc.

Our Mission

Our fundamental purpose is to train and place service dogs (“Hero Dogs”) with military veterans who become disabled as a result of illness or injury sustained while serving in the United States Armed Forces. There is no charge to the veteran for the dog or any associated training.

In support of this primary purpose, we undertake the following specific objectives:

to breed, accept via donation, or adopt homeless dogs for the explicit purpose of raising and training them to become Hero Dogs;
to support volunteer puppy raisers or foster homes in the care and training of their Hero Dog candidates through puppy training and pre-placement training classes at no cost to the volunteer;
to provide life-long support to our clients and their Hero Dogs through the availability of group classes and one-on-one training sessions at no cost to the client;
to ensure that any Hero Dog candidate who, after specific evaluation and training, is deemed unsuitable for service dog work, or that any returned or retired Hero Dog is adopted to a good home;
to work toward the availability of service dogs as a benefit to all disabled U.S. veterans, regardless of the circumstances of their illness or injury, and
to raise public awareness through informational and educational activities on the purpose and function of service dogs, the benefits they accrue to service dog partners, the needs of disabled U.S. veterans which can be met with a service dog, and the rights and responsibilities of service dog partners under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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Our Principles

We believe:

that our clients are persons who are accustomed to a physically active and demanding lifestyle;
that for the good of others, they have through their selfless actions sacrificed some of their former capabilities;
that we have an obligation to try to restore some of their former independence and ability, and that a service dog can be one path to this goal;
that the dog is an equal partner in the relationship between service dog and handler, and that the dog’s needs for care, companionship, safety, mental stimulation, and physical exercise are as important as the client’s needs;
that, because of their military experience and training in working in a close-knit unit, our clients are uniquely qualified to meet needs of their Hero Dogs;
that all dogs and people are best trained and educated through methods of positive reinforcement in an atmosphere of mutual trust;
that a service dog is neither a mindless tool nor a machine, that the very behaviors which make a dog suitable to serve humankind in this way also leave the dog vulnerable to errors, and that the dog must be appreciated and valued as a unique individual of another species;
that the strength and success of our organization is directly proportional to the generosity and commitment of our employees and volunteers, that no service, no matter how small, shall be taken for granted, and that regularly communicating our appreciation to our employees and volunteers shall not be overlooked, and
that any corporation has an obligation to the community in which it operates, and that as we will expect the community to open their doors to our clients and their Hero Dogs and to support us through donations, volunteer service, and puppy raising, we will meet our obligation to the community by offering our expertise to help them to raise well-mannered companion dogs.

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Financials/EIN: 27-0887317

Hero Dogs, Inc. is recognized as a tax exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Hero Dogs are deductible under section 170 of the Code. You can view our:
Hero Dogs, Inc. does not currently have any paid staff. We are managed and supported by our volunteer Board of Directors as well as many dedicated volunteers. Our target date for the first Hero Dog teams in training is early 2012. We estimate that we will need to raise approximately $300,000 in cash contributions and in-kind donations over the first three years to support these goals.

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