ABOUT FREEDOM SERVICE DOGS
At Freedom Service Dogs, we believe dogs can make a profound difference in the everyday lives of people challenged by disabilities.
Daily tasks and routines that many take for granted can be challenging and complex for a veteran or first responder with PTSD or a traumatic brain injury, an individual with limited mobility, or a young person with autism. Picking up a dropped phone, moving around in a busy public space, or withstanding a stressful environment can feel overwhelming if you don’t have the necessary resources to navigate the situation. At FSD, we purpose-breed and custom train dogs that empower individuals with disabilities to live lives filled with possibility.
Possibility demands innovation and ongoing client support to ensure long-term successful partnerships. Possibility mandates dedication and commitment to our mission. It requires us to continually ask “what’s possible” for those living with a disability. We know that when people feel able and empowered, they feel confidence and self worth. And when they feel confident, they believe their life has greater meaning. Whether you call it hope, optimism, inspiration, or something else altogether, at Freedom Service Dogs we call it our passion. It’s what drives us every day to breed, raise, train, match, place, and support the highest caliber assistance dogs possible.
As an accredited Assistance Dog International (ADI) organization, we adhere to the highest standards of training, client service, and dog health, safety and wellbeing. So, when we partner a pooch with a person for service or place a dog as a skilled companion into a position best suited to their personality and temperament, we rest assured that humans and dogs alike benefit from our thoughtful care and expertise.
MISSION
We transform lives by partnering people with custom-trained assistance dogs.
VISION
We envision a world where individuals have the freedom to live their lives to the fullest with a custom-trained assistance dog by their side.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
We believe in harnessing the power of diversity to create a culture of belonging where all individuals are celebrated and valued for their unique ideas, perspectives, and strengths as a means to achieving personal excellence and organizational success.
how we rate as a charity
Freedom Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) charity that is rated as a four-star nonprofit organization by Charity Navigator. This highest rating indicates that FSD exceeds or meets best practices and industry standards across almost all areas, including Impact & Results, Accountability & Finance, Leadership & Adaptability, and Culture & Community. We also were chosen for Charity Navigator’s curated list of highly rated nonprofits helping veterans and military service members.
Freedom Service Dogs has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar/Candid. The Platinum Participant level requires that we share our financial data and report on our goals, strategies, capabilities, and programs.
HISTORY
Freedom Service Dogs of America (FSD) was founded in 1987 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization by Michael and PJ Roche. Michael, who was paralyzed from the chest down after a vehicle accident, and PJ, a dog trainer, worked tirelessly to transform FSD from a two-person organization based out of their Denver home to one of the leading service dog organizations in the country at a time when the assistance dog industry was in its early stages.
The Roches retired from Freedom Service Dogs in 2001, and sadly, both Michael and PJ have since passed away. Their legacy lives on, however, as FSD continues to provide custom-trained service dogs to people with physical disabilities resulting from spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and other conditions. Over the years, we have expanded our programs to serve veterans and active-duty military with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, and combat-related injuries, as well as children, teens, and young adults with autism and other neurocognitive disabilities. FSD also trains professional therapy dogs that are partnered with mental health and crisis-support professionals.
After leaving the Roches’ home and moving to several different locations in metro Denver, FSD launched a capital campaign in 2010 to raise funds for a new facility. In 2015, FSD purchased our current building in Englewood, Colorado, and launched a new capital campaign to fund renovations of the new facility and future operations. The renovations began in early 2016 with the goal of creating a state-of-the art training space, kennels, and play yards for FSD dogs. In October 2016, FSD moved into its new home, beginning a new era in FSD history.
In 2020, FSD launched an in-house dog breeding program, which necessitated a redesign of our space to include whelping and neonatal kennels. By breeding our own service dog candidates, we expect to be able to produce more reliable service dogs, thus reducing the time clients are on our waiting list and ultimately being able to better serve those in need. As of October 2022, 188 puppies born at FSD have joined our training program.
Since 1987, FSD has graduated hundreds of teams and provided lifetime support services to all active teams, all at no charge to our clients.
