Service Dogs,
Changing Lives.

Support NSD today and make a forever impact on those in need of a life-changing partnership.

man embracing dog

Our Programs

Discover Life-Changing Partnerships

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Service Dogs For Autism

Our NSD Labrador and Golden Retrievers assist Autistic children and their families by increasing safety levels, improving socialization, and suppressing behavioural outbursts.

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Service Dogs For PTSD

Our NSD dogs help Veterans and First Responders with PTSD by promoting integration and activity, suppressing hypervigilance, and providing reality affirmation and redirection.

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Canine Assisted Intervention

Our CAI Dogs are matched with various treatment professionals to work as partners in therapy, addressing health and wellness in communities across Ontario.

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Skilled Companion Dogs

Our Skilled Companion Dogs are placed with children with various disabilities. Their training emulates our service dog programs, helping children overcome daily challenges at home.

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Very Important Pets

Our VIPs are adopted when the decision to transition a dog into a pet is made. As they are not made for the working life, NSD looks for internal placements or waiting list for these Very Important Pets.

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Our Milestones

622

Dogs Placed

39,384

Lives Empowered

335,468

Annual Volunteer Hours

Our Process

The Journey to Partnership

Step 1: Breeding Program

Access to healthy, temperamentally-sound puppies that will have a long working career as service dogs starts with breeding. This program is the heart of our dog development. NSD standards ensure we accept the best breeders who are held to high health and temperament requirements.

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Step 2: Volunteer Raisers

Our puppies are confidently sent from NSD’s Breeding Program to our amazing Volunteer Raiser Programs. Here, our Puppy Raisers and Adult Raisers provide them with care, training, house manners, socialization, and exposure to new people, places, and experiences.

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Step 3: Behavioural Assessments

Evaluating an NSD puppy’s reactions to its environment is important for creating a plan for its future. At this stage, the dogs are assessed for their responses to interactions with people and various stimuli such as physical contact, noises, and objects.

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Step 4: Customized Skills Training

Dogs who are deemed suitable are admitted to a full-time training program with NSD trainers, Monday through Friday. Here, they are trained and evaluated to see what program they are best suited for: Autism, PTSD, CAI, Skilled Companion, or VIP.

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Step 5: Placement

The tireless efforts of our staff, and volunteers allow our dogs in training to succeed, with social workers and mental health professionals present to ensure our process stays people-centric. After about 2 years of training and assessment, our NSD graduates are successfully partnered with a client.

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puppy in training vest

Dogs in Training

Meet Neolife

NeoLife means “New Life”. This Labrador Retriever was named by her currently puppy raiser, who she is now with. She is being taught essential cues and house manners that will enable her to adapt to any social situation with ease and confidence.

All of the training and care provided to each dog would not be possible without the support of generous volunteers and donors.

Meet Our Service Dogs

Get Involved

Help Our Service Dogs Change Lives

Donate

At NSD, we do not receive any government funding to support our mission. Instead, we rely entirely on the generous support of individual donors, community partners, corporate sponsors, service clubs, and through annual fundraising events.

Help us empower people to achieve their full potential. Show your support and donate today.

Donate

Volunteer

NSD would not exist without the tireless efforts of our dedicated volunteers. Their commitment to our mission and the individuals we serve is truly inspiring, and we are honoured to have them as part of our family.

If you are interested in joining our outstanding team of volunteers, we encourage you to submit an application.

Volunteer
Royal Canadian Legion
Lynx and Lawrence

SUCCESS STORIES

I Feel A True Happiness That I Never Believed I Would Ever Feel Again

To say that NSD Lynx has been a life saver seems like a tremendous understatement; my life and my whole family’s life has changed so much.

I have a new, manageable life with my wife and my son that I never dreamed would be possible, let alone dared to imagine, before receiving this wonderful gift. Today with the help of NSD Lynx, my family and I “LIVE” with PTSD, we no longer “SUFFER” from it.

Lawrence

PTSD Service Dogs
Clover and Kyle

SUCCESS STORIES

So Many New Firsts Experienced, I Can Hardly Keep Track!

NSD Clover has changed our life and the entire way Kyle functions in only 7 short months. The happiness, self confidence, courage, social, language and communication strides she has helped Kyle make are truly immeasurable. He has EXPLODED in his development as of late.

We are forever grateful for the compassion, empathy and guardianship NSD Clover loves and shares with Kyle. She is truly magic in a dog! We could not imagine living life without her. She is truly a beloved member of our family.

The Jenkinson Family

Autism Service Dogs
Uno and boy reading

SUCCESS STORIES

He Has Had An Impact From Day One

NSD Uno is brilliant! He has settled in wonderfully to his job with me, and is also happily adjusted to our home life. He’s out working daily with a variety of students. If I could tell you how positive an effect Uno is having, it would take up a lifetime.

Including CAI Dogs in therapy provides patients with the ability to open up and speak out and participate in ways they were not able to when the dog was not present.

Liisa, SEED Education Strategies & Solutions

CAI Facility Dogs
young boy hugging dog

SUCCESS STORIES

A Dog With A Heart That Connects Beyond Words

Sammy is an amazing beautiful dog with a heart that connects beyond words. Last night was the easiest night I have ever had to put my boys to sleep. Usually, it can take up to 2 hours before they can settle enough to sleep (it has taken me 3 hours when they were younger!), and that is already after being in their bedroom!

Yesterday they were under their blankets, and Sammy was right between them, giving love! With joy in all our hearts, we started saying goodnight, then goodnight moon (from the book), “goodnight Sammy,” then sleep and quiet snoring!

Ose

Skilled Companion Dogs

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