Atlas Assistance Dogs

Michele and her service dog, Abby

Mission

Atlas Assistance Dogs supports people with disabilities to train their own service dogs, educates ethical trainers, strengthens the human-canine bond, and promotes a more inclusive society. We envision a world where anyone who could benefit from a service dog can have one and where individuals with disabilities and their dogs thrive.

Description

The Need

One in four U.S. adults has a disability, yet fewer than 1% have access to a service dog. High costs, long waitlists, and limited access to ethical, positive training create overwhelming barriers. Beyond training, service dog handlers often face challenges in public life that make independence even more difficult. Atlas Assistance Dogs is breaking down these barriers--because everyone who can benefit from a service dog deserves the chance to have one.

Our Work 

Amy and her service dog, CalSupporting People with Disabilities: Through our Client Certification Program, Atlas supports individuals to train their own service dogs using positive, science-based methods—fostering greater independence, confidence, and connection.

Training Ethical Service Dog Professionals: Our Trainer Academy addresses the shortage of qualified trainers by preparing professionals to work with service dog teams using only humane, force-free techniques.

Providing Accessible, Ongoing Education: Atlas provides trusted, up-to-date resources—from blogs and webinars to in-depth courses—that empower handlers, pet owners, and trainers to build strong, ethical partnerships with their dogs.

Changing Perceptions, Promoting Inclusion: We educate the public about the vital role of service dogs and advocate for more inclusive communities through outreach, collaboration, and awareness campaigns.

Tina's StoryTina and her service dog, Chino

Tina lives with a chronic condition and a mobility disability. Her daily life has long been shaped not only by physical challenges, but by the mental weight that comes with disability, the isolation, and the feeling that the people around her don't fully understand what she navigates every day.

Tina believed a service dog could help, but she struggled to find a program that matched her values: positive reinforcement training, a team that respected her as a partner, and the chance to train her own dog rather than be handed one.

That's when Atlas stepped in. Working closely with Tina, we helped her train her Frenchton, Chino, who was already her beloved companion at home, to become a working service dog. Today, Chino retrieves items Tina drops, brings her crutches, fetches an ice pack from the freezer, and offers gentle pressure therapy when Tina needs a moment. Chino quickly became more than just a service dog—she became Tina's steady, everyday teammate.

The results have been nothing short of transformative. Tina has more independence, more confidence moving through public spaces, and a partner right there with her on the hard days and the easy ones. Chino's small size also gives strangers a reason to stop and connect, which has given Tina natural openings to ask for help when she needs it. But it doesn't stop there—Tina is now an advocate for the owner-trainer model and for the real difference ethical, positive reinforcement training can make in a person's life.

You Make This Life-Changing Work Possible—Give Today!

Give today and support more people with disabilities in training their own service dogs, building lasting partnerships, and creating more inclusive communities. Every gift brings us closer to a world where service dogs are accessible to all who could benefit from them!