NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans

The National Education for Assistance Dog Services, Inc. (NEADS) mission is to train service dogs to assist adults and children who are physically disabled, deaf or autistic in leading more independent lives at work, at home, and at school. We have trained well over 1,500 assistance dog teams from across the United States since our founding in 1976. For each of the last five years NEADS has trained fifty (50) assistance dogs to meet the needs of people with disabilities.

NEADS began as a hearing dog program but now trains dogs for disabled individuals and therapy dogs as well. We operate from our 18 acre campus inPrinceton, Massachusetts which houses our kennel, Laura J. Niles Early Learning Center for puppies, Assistance Dog Training Arena, Education Center,Visitor Welcome Center, and administrative offices. We offer "facility-based education," a training method whereby students develop a strong working relationship with their dog by living and training in a home-like environment on-campus for two weeks, while under the supervision of our expert training staff.

NEADS is led by Chief Executive Officer Gerry DeRoche and employs 4 full-time and 1 contract trainer and 20 full-time staff plus 11 part-time employees. Our board is made up of 13 individuals and provides NEADS with a vast reservoir of expertise and support. Board members attend six (6) full board meetings annually. NEADS runs a very efficient program using many volunteers and innovations like the Prison PUP Program, which is described below.

NEADS has been a leader in creating new programs and piloting new training methods. In 1998 in order to address our growing needs for puppy training and raising we launched our Prison PUP Program which works with correctional institutions around New England to provide inmates with the opportunity to raise and train a NEADS puppy. Now in its 11th year, the program is operational in 13 correctional institutions in 3 New England states. Through this program we not only train our dogs but address the social and rehabilitative needs of adult offenders.

In 2006, NEADS launched Canines for Combat VeteransProgram (CCV) to train assistance dogs to help disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This program is growing with the growing needs of our disabled veterans. As a result we have expanded our services to assist more veterans and are training dogs for veterans Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

One area we are exploring is how assistance dogs can help those with social, emotional and mental health issues. These specially trained therapy dogs are paired with social workers, therapists, and teachers who work with children/adolescents who have physical, emotional or developmental disabilities. They are integrated into the educational curriculum as motivators and serve as an innovative teaching tool. During therapy sessions, the dogs help calm the children/adolescents and help to open dialogue.

NEADS is seeking $10,000 from the Community Wellness Wheel to help us train and place assistance dogs with social workers, therapists, and teachers. Our therapy dogs assist those who suffer from social, emotional and mental health issues to lead a better life. It costs us approximately $20,000 per dog to complete training and placement.

Training costs / Cost
Puppy expenses / $5,690
Veterinary expenses / $1,500
Advanced training expenses / $9,000
One-on-One training with client / $2,610
Total Cost / $20,000

Our wait list for an assistance dog includes social workers/therapists, who work with adolescents suffering from mental health issues. We are prepared to train and place a therapy dog before December 2011.

NEADS has a robust fund raising program. We work with local organizations, area foundations and others to ensure that we have the funds we need to raise, train and place dogs. We will continue to go to these resources to fund our programs. We work hard to secure in-kind donations from local veterinarians and pet supply stores to help reduce our costs.

Our evaluation protocol as well of our measurement of the program’s success is concrete and palpable. When we place a dog that assists a person with social, emotional and mental health issues, we consider this a success. We receive both formal and informal feedback from social workers, therapists, and teachers, allowing us to refine our training methods to meet the needs of the community. Additionally, our training methods are informed by the input of our trainers in the field. Our dogs are continually tested and "proofed" to ensure that they have the personality and the skills to lead the life of an assistance dog.

We thank you for taking the time to review our materials. Please let me know if you have any questions. Your attention and your consideration are very much appreciated.

Very Truly Yours,

Donna Laconti

Director, Development

978-422-9064 extension 21