Service Dogs
Maine Resources
K9s on the Front Line - Located in Southern Maine, K9s on The Front Line is a non-profit organization that provides fully trained service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Their comprehensive program includes a minimum of 240 training hours and 60 public access hours over 5-6 months, and all services are offered at no cost to veterans. The program is designed to help veterans regain independence and improve their quality of life through the support of a service dog. For veterans that do not need a fully trained service dog, but would benefit from a companion pet, K9s on the Front Line can help meet that need as well. Interested veterans can apply on the organization’s website.
Maine Paws for Veterans - Based out of Brunswick, ME, Maine Paws for Veterans provides service dogs to Maine veterans at no cost to the recipient. Maine Paws for Veterans takes homeless dogs from shelters and matches them with veterans who have PTSD.
Mission Working Dogs - A non-profit organization based out of Oxford, ME which trains service dogs for people with disabilities. Mission Working Dogs trains dogs for PTSD and mobility related tasks. MWD has two programs; one program allows you to bring your own dog to train, while the second program provides you with a dog from Mission Working Dogs breeders.
National Resources
Canine Companions | Northern New England Chapter - The Northern New England chapter of Canine Companions is located in southern New Hampshire. Canine Companions trains dogs for a wide variety of disabilities and purposes, such as: visual & hearing impairments, mobility assistance, and PTSD support for military veterans.
Little Angels Service Dogs - Little Angel Service Dogs has locations in New Hampshire, California, and Texas. Their New Hampshire location trains dogs for people living throughout New England. LASD trains autism, mobility, & hearing assistance dogs. They also train psychiatric service dogs, seizure alert dogs, and diabetic alert dogs.
NEADS - Trains “World Class Service Dogs” for military veterans, adults/children with physical disabilities, assistance dogs (such as classroom, courthouse, or counseling), dogs for children with autism, and hearing dogs. You can apply for a dog, or get involved by donating or raising a puppy by clicking the link.
Service Dog Project (SDP) - The Service Dog Project is a non-profit organization that breeds, raises, and trains Great Dane service dogs to assist individuals with balance and mobility issues. These dogs, trained on the SDP farm in Ipswich, Massachusetts, are provided at no cost to recipients, helping them lead more independent lives.