WELLINGTON COUNTY – Autism Dog Services (ADS) is the recipient of awarded grants from the Sifton Family Foundation, The Patterson Foundation and The George Lunan Foundation to assist in puppy training classes and programs.
“With the Thanksgiving weekend upon us, we are thankful for the support and generous donations,” said ADS fund development manager Adele Alfano.
The key purpose of the training sessions is to train puppies to prepare them for their lives as service dogs.
Along with the training sessions, the foster families take the ADS puppies out in public with their service dog in training jackets to expose them to unfamiliar environments such as shopping malls, movie theaters, parks, playgrounds, buses, trains and grocery stores.
The foster families play an essential role in exposing the puppies to the sights, sounds and smells they will encounter as service dogs.
“This is the perfect season to give thanks to all our generous donors, volunteers and ongoing event supporters. We are a 100% charitable organization and we currently have 43 dogs in our training program that require our continual attention,” ADS executive director Vicky Spadoni said.
The service relies heavily on volunteers, and does not charge for service dogs, valued at $25,000 to $30,000, according to a press release.
Grants will also help with awareness and outreach.
