Freedom Service Dogs of America (FSD) is a nonprofit organization that unleashes the potential of dogs by transforming them into custom-trained, life-changing assistance dogs for people in need. Our clients include children, veterans and active-duty military, and other adults. Their disabilities include autism, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and post-traumatic stress.
Since being founded in 1987, FSD has paired hundreds of client-dog teams-using dogs primarily sourced from shelters and rescues-at no cost to the client. FSD provides a lifetime of support for its client-dog teams, including ongoing training, post-placement follow-up, annual recertification, and advocacy efforts.
Freedom Service Dogs of America (FSD) is a nonprofit organization that unleashes the potential of dogs by transforming them into custom-trained, life-changing assistance dogs for people in need. Our clients include children, veterans and active-duty military, and other adults. Their disabilities include autism, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and post-traumatic stress.
Since being founded in 1987, FSD has paired hundreds of client-dog teams-using dogs primarily sourced from shelters and rescues-at no cost to the client. FSD provides a lifetime of support for its client-dog teams, including ongoing training, post-placement follow-up, annual recertification, and advocacy efforts.
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Charting Impact
What is your organization aiming to accomplish?
Freedom Service Dogs'major goal is to increase the independence and freedom of people who are living with a disability. Whether we are serving wounded veterans, children or adults, we want to double number of client-dog teams we serve. Because of the influx of returning Iraq/Afghanistan military personnel with disabilities, our waiting list has grown such that it make take some of our clients two to three years to receive a service dog. FSD has just launched a capital campaign so that we will have more space for more kennels, more dogs and thus be able to provide assistance to more people on our waiting list.
What are your strategies for making this happen?
Strategy 1: Secure a facility that adequately meets the needs of our dogs in training. The new facility offers upgraded kennel space, play yards and outdoor kennels to increase the training experience for our rescued dogs. Strategy 2: Adequately increase the number of trainers and apprentice trainers to double the number of dogs in training. Strategy 3: Increase the number of volunteers from 250 to 600.
What are your organization's capabilities for doing this?
We recently purchased a 22,000 sq ft facility on a 2. 5 acre lot that offers upgraded kennel and training space for our dogs. In addition, the facility is ADA compliant, allowing us to better serve our human clients. We recently hired new apprentice trainers and dedicated resources to fund trainers and care takers. We have a talented, strategic volunteer manager who has been given the resources to recruit, train and retain our impressive volunteer corps.
How will your organization know if you are making progress?
We measure ourselves against standards set by Assistance Dogs International. We continually strive to exceed the minimum number of hours required for training. Monthly, each department head reports on and discusses key metrics that drive our business. For instance, the number of dogs rescued vs. number of dogs who complete the program, number of applicants on the waiting list and how long it takes for them to get their service dog. We only measure the items that make us more effective.
What have and haven't you accomplished so far?
We have been able to raise enough money to buy the facility in Arapahoe County, Colorado. We are still securing the funds to outfit the building with adequate training space, grooming and exam rooms, outdoor kennels and play yards, etc. We are still raising $2M to make that happen. We have been able to increase the number of dogs we graduate. In 2010, we graduated 27 client-dog teams and in 2014, we were able to graduate 37 client-dog teams. Our goal is to get to 70 by the end of 2019.
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This impact information is current as of March 2019, when it was provided to us by GuideStar.
At this time, Impact information published on this organization's page has no effect on its rating per our methodology.
Program names and associated costs are listed for the top programs as reported on the charity's most recently filed Form 990. The top programs displayed will include the largest three programs, or those programs covering at least 60% of the charity's total expenses, whichever comes first.
Program Name
Amount Spent
% of Program Expenses
Client-Dog Teams Program
$1,429,467
61.2%
Public Education and Outreach
$904,928
38.8%
Ratings History Freedom Service Dogs of America has received 2 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator.
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations).
