And they lived happily ever after…
Founder Nancy Teague lives this every day, as do all who have joined the Putnam Service Dogs cause. We champion our dogs during their lifetime, train our dogs compassionately with expert trainers, and support our service dog teams.
What led Nancy Teague to found Putnam Service Dogs? She saw the incredible magic when a service dog pup is matched with its recipient and the team is formed. The lives of 2 challenged beings – a rescue dog, and person with physical disabilities, are now transformed. They’ll live happily ever after. She’d found her life’s passion.
Putnam Service Dogs adopts carefully chosen dogs from rescue groups – dogs in cages, without homes, to train as our service dogs. Our service dogs, and follow-up training, are free to their recipients.
We’re guided in all our decisions and actions by our Mission Statement: And they lived happily ever after…Our service dogs change lives. We champion the nurturing bond between dogs and humans.
We adopted our first dogs in 2017, and placed our first two service dogs in 2020. We train our dogs an average of 2+ years before they’re placed as a service dog. It’s a rare dog that’s capable of becoming a service dog. The success of a dog, and length and intensity of training is similar to producing an Olympic Athlete. Daunting, but so incredibly rewarding!
Our type of service dog is highly sought after. Without you; our volunteers & donors, we can’t meet the demand. Our wait list is 2-4 years. Your donating and volunteering makes a direct, significant impact!
Please join our cause. Volunteer, Donate, Spread the word about us. Thank you!
Our Residential Training Center
We proudly opened our new Residential Training Center November 3, 2023. Our center is innovative – no offices on site or a huge multi-million dollar complex. It’s a small, intimate residential home setting that houses 4 dogs at a time. Our Training Center supplements the efforts of our hard working volunteer puppy raisers. As we continue to grow, we’ll add more small, residential training centers. That’s our model. We champion our dogs. No mass kenneling of them.
Our carefully trained live-in caretakers assist our trainers to socialize and hone the obedience and service dog tasks of our dogs at the center. When our dogs are placed with their recipient they won’t counter-surf, jump on doors or people, etc. because they’ve been kenneled the last 6 months of their training.
Happy dogs learn better and our dogs thrive at our center. There’s a large fenced backyard for the dogs to be trained in, and to run and play together.
Our Training Center increases our output which is greatly needed. The demand for our types of service dogs is huge. We’re doing our best. Your support is crucial to our providing free service dogs.
Our dogs change lives and create happiness for people living very challenging lives. Thank you!
Our Mission Statement
And they lived happily ever after... Our service dogs change lives.
We champion the nurturing bond between dogs and people.