19 AND COUNTING PUPPY RAISER MIKE HARTSKY TELLS THE STORY OF CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE

Canine Companions for Independence was founded in Santa Rosa, California in July 1975 by Bonnie Bergin as the first program of its kind.[3] While teaching in Asia, she had seen burros being used by disabled people and thought that dogs could serve a similar role in the US.[4] Since then, it has grown to a national organization with six regions.

The organization pairs people with disabilities with highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support at no cost to the recipient.[1] All expenses of the dogs breeding, raising, and training, are paid for by private donations from separate foundations, corporations, or individuals, as well as fundraising projects. It is estimated that each assistance dog and a lifetime of follow up support costs $50,000. The Lions Club Project for Canine Companions for Independence (LPCCI), which was founded in 1983 as a significant provider of financial and volunteer support to Canine Companions, has donated a total of $2 million.[5][failed verification] In 2015, Canine Companions partnered with Henry Schein Animal Health, a provider of animal health products to veterinarians, which provides puppy raisers with free health care products