Introducing Centre Stage Service Dogs Inc.: a 501(c)3 for medical alert and response service dogs
Black lab wearing a purple vest that says service dog on a cement bridge with white rails stands next to a women with brown wavy hair wearing white jeans, white sandles, and a cream shirt with flowers holds the leather leash of the dog. There are blurred trees in the distance.
Introducing Centre Stage Service Dogs, Inc.: a 501(c)3 for medical alert and response service dogs
There’s something so incredible about the moment when a dog truly changes someone’s life. Not just in the big, visible ways, but in the small, everyday moments:
The alert before a medical episode. The response during a vulnerable moment. The confidence to leave the house alone. The ability to feel safe, supported, and independent.
These moments are why Centre Stage Service Dogs, Inc. was created.
How this 501(c)3 Came to Be
After years of volunteer raising service dogs, and then moving into professionally working with service dogs and their handlers, it became clear to me that there are so many people who would benefit from a service dog, but aren’t in the position to raise and train one themselves.
And yet, so many of these individuals who could truly benefit from a service dog face the same challenges again and again:
Limited access to qualified programs
Lack of programs that specialize in their needs
Challenges in transparency of training, placement, and continued support
Difficulty in how to fundraise for the cost of a dog. Without organizations and fundraising, a service dog is estimated to cost 60-80k from breeding to placement!
Centre Stage Service Dogs, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) that was created to help bridge these gaps for medical alert dogs, with both ends of the leash in mind for long-lasting service dog relationships.
What We Do
Centre Stage Service Dogs focuses on medical alert and response dogs, at this time we are accepting applicants for diabetic alert dogs for type one diabetics. Here’s a little bit about how our process works:
Purpose-Bred & Carefully Selected Dogs
We work with breeders who devote their careers to ethical breeding focused on health, temperament, and continuous improvement of their lines. Puppies are chosen based on health testing, breeding pairs, early socialization protocols, and puppy testing to give them the best chance of success.
Thoughtful, Real-Life Training
Our puppies live with a trainer, in their home, from 8 weeks old until placement! Each dog grows up learning appropriate house manners, what routine works best for them and their future handler, as well as service dog specific training of public access and task training. For our medical alert dogs, this gives them the benefit of starting scent training as puppies and making the best match possible for them.
Individualized Placement
No two handlers or dogs are the same. Each placement is tailored to the person, their needs, and their lifestyle. At around a year, a matching camp occurs to match the dog to their handler, allowing for specialized training for the remainder of their time with us. Placements are complete with in home transfer training, so you can learn how to work with and live with your dog in your home environment. Our commitment doesn’t end at placement, we continue to support teams as they grow together through their entire working career.
Doing Things the Ethical Way
Ethical service dog training means:
Saying no to dogs that aren’t suited for the work or don’t enjoy it
Prioritizing welfare over speed of training
Building skills that last beyond a checklist
Ensuring the match is right for both the dog and the person
This work takes time, structure, and intention, which is a large part of the mission of Centre Stage Service Dogs. Our board of directors includes service dog trainers, an upcoming licensed mental health professional, veterinarian, and legal specialist to help guide our decisions as a team.
Looking Ahead
We are currently in the early stages of building this program, with our first puppy expected to begin their journey next month! At this time, we are fundraising to bring our first diabetic alert dogs home for training. From puppy raising and foundational training to advanced task work and placement, every step is designed with long-term success in mind.
We are at the very beginning, and we can’t wait to see how it grows!
How You Can Be Part of It
Launching a nonprofit has been daunting and exciting! It means building something bigger than one person, with many unknowns along the way. Our journey relies on the support and charitable donations from the public. There are many ways to get involved:
Follow along as we document the journey
Share our mission with others
Support through donations or fundraising to help those who need our dogs
Stay connected for future volunteer and program opportunities
Your support helps move this mission forward. Whether it helps support the selection of a puppy, their care, training, or placement costs, we appreciate your support in helping our mission!
Want to support our mission? Check out our website here to learn more or donate: https://www.centrestageservicedogs.com/support