About Us

Spirited Canines was created by at-risk youth when they saw clear gaps in the market. Obtaining a qualified service dog for mental health or invisible disabilities is a challenging process which often fails to address the needs of the service dog user. .

 

Our innovative program focuses on an integrative approach where the whole lifestyle of the service dog user is taken into account. Using a pro-social model, we support the ongoing, changing needs of our teams and advocate for empowerment. We encourage our teams to explore new activities, give back to the community, and promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle for the dogs and people. 

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Spirited Canines believes that having a service dog - though an important job - should still be a fun and rewarding process. Summer beach days, agility, making friends, and forest hikes are not just things our teams should do as a side-note of the service dog life. Rather, we believe that these moments are empowering and contribute a great deal to freedom, independence, and integrating at-risk youth into their communities.

 

Fun is not something we do 'despite' our dogs being service dogs. Fun is how we train these canine heroes, and it is a major part of what they give back to our clients. Our dogs perform life-saving tasks, but they also encourage our clients to embrace adventure, step outside their comfort zones, and to live life with freedom to explore!