Join the event here or on YouTube at 11:00 a.m. PT !

Make sure you set your alarm so you don't miss out on DogFest Northwest. The fun begins virtually tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Get ready for some Halloween-themed fun, tricks and treats for your furry friends, inspiring stories from some of our clients and more.

Share how your dog brings you joy with this downloadable sign and share it on the Facebook event page. Keep up the fundraising to help us place more service dogs with adults in children with disabilities free of charge.

Canine Companions transforms the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs. Our dogs perform practical tasks that enhance independence and reduce reliance on others. They aren't just the eyes and ears, hands and legs of their human partners, they're also goodwill ambassadors and often, our best friends. A student achieves their dreams of attending college. A veteran gets a good night sleep. A patient can endure an additional procedure. Lives are transformed after being matched and working with a Canine Companions service dog.

According to the U.S. Census, nearly 1 in 4 people in the U.S. have a disability. While it costs approximately $50,000 to raise and train every Canine Companions service dog and provide ongoing support to the human-canine team, each dog is provided to the recipient completely FREE of charge. Canine Companions has placed over 7,000 service dogs, but more than 400 people with disabilities are still waiting for a match.  

Our service dogs open up new opportunities and spread incredible joy. By raising funds through DogFest, you support our mission and the people we serve. Thank you.

Canine Companions in the Northwest Region

• ​696 active graduates 
• 233 active puppy raisers 

Faith with Service Dog Claude 

About 5 years ago, 19-year-old Faith of Sacramento was diagnosed with amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS) a medical condition that causes her nerves to fire randomly, causing pain throughout her body.

Last year amidst the pandemic, Faith was matched with Service Dog Claude free of charge. Claude is expertly trained in over 40 commands to help enhance Faith’s independence, and having him makes it possible for Faith to do more with less fatigue. With a wagging tail, Claude happily picks up dropped items like Faith’s cellphone and keys for her, opens and closes doors and drawers, turns on and off lights and more.

The physical benefits of having a service dog have been more than Faith could have imagined. “Not only has Claude been a light in my life emotionally, but also physically.” Faith shares, “He’s just happy to go out and play or go on a walk. Having Claude has pushed my physical limits and helps strengthen me. Because of the exercise I get with him, I’ll be able to stay out of a wheelchair longer.”

Luke with Service Dog Rummy

26-year-old Luke of Truckee, CA has always been an athlete. Ten years ago, Luke was in a snowboarding accident that caused a spinal cord injury, leaving him unable to walk. Now he uses a wheelchair for mobility and continues to participate in the snow sports he loves, albeit a bit differently.

In 2019, Luke was matched with Service Dog Rummy free of charge. Since then, Luke has been able to keep up his active lifestyle thanks to the life-changing assistance Rummy provides. Luke shares, “Rummy helps me daily with picking things up, pulling me in my wheelchair, turning on and off lights, and so much more. His ability to pull me is nothing short of amazing and it helps save my shoulders from overuse, allowing me to keep up with my active lifestyle.”

Megan with Service Dog Pumpkin

Megan lives in Portland, OR with her husband and two stepchildren. Trauma Megan experienced during her time in the National Guard left her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and she applied for a dog through a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study. 

As part of the study, Megan was matched free of charge with Canine Companions Service Dog Pumpkin, who is trained in over 40 commands to help mitigate her PTSD symptoms. Pumpkin interrupts Megan’s dissociating behaviors to help keep her present and grounded, performs “front” and “back” commands, providing more physical space for her in public and more commands designed to mitigate her symptoms of PTSD. Pumpkin even intuitively lays on her bathroom floor whenever she showers so Megan feels safe in a place that is extremely triggering for her. Megan shares, “I went from not being able to leave my house three to four days out of the week. Then Pumpkin comes along, and I think maybe the world isn’t so scary.”