DogFest San Diego 2022 Supporting Canine Companions
DogFest San Diego 2022

About DogFest San Diego 2022

Gather your friends, family and dogs for a day of fun!

DogFest is a festival with vendor booths, a beer garden, live music and activities for the whole family. All Canine Companions dogs and pet dogs are welcome. The event is open to the public and FREE!

The human-canine bond is truly unique. On our happiest and hardest of days, our dogs love us endlessly. They are our everyday heroes in so many ways. Whether as assistance dogs, working dogs or pet dogs, there are countless tales of man's best friend doing amazing things. Join the fun at your local DogFest or participate virtually as we celebrate the joy dogs bring to our lives. Registration is free. Fundraising is encouraged. There are sponsorship, volunteer and vendor opportunities too! 

When registering, be sure to indicate you are bringing a dog to get your free DogFest dog bandana. Then fundraise to qualify for some fun DogFest swag!

Be sure to check out our Facebook event page for the latest on DogFest San Diego, participate in dog-friendly activities and let people know why you are participating. You can even download this fun sign and let everyone know how your dog brings you joy.

DogFest supports the mission of Canine Companions to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs free of charge. These service dogs make a profound impact through the jobs they do like opening doors, picking up dropped items, alerting to sounds and much more.


DogFest San Diego Schedule:
10:30am - REGISTRATION OPENS
11:00am - OPENING CEREMONY, BOUNCE HOUSE, AND MARKETPLACE OPENS
11:15am - “BACK WITH A BARK” DOG WALK
11:30am - BALLISTIC RACERS DEMO AND BEER GARDEN OPENS
12:00pm - MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT BEGINS
1:30pm - BALLISTIC RACERS DEMO
3:00pm - BALLISTIC RACERS DEMO AND BEER GARDEN LAST CALL
3:30pm - BEER GARDEN CLOSES
4:00pm - END OF EVENT

Don’t miss out on DogFest. Join the fun!

Canine Companions' Impact Since 1975

More Reasons to Support



Date

Starts at:  September 17, 2022 1:00 PM
Ends at:  September 17, 2022 6:00 PM

Location

Waterfront Park
1600 Pacific Highway
San Diego,CA 92101 USA

Contact

800-572-2275

Gather your friends, family and dogs for a day of fun!

DogFest is Canine Companions' national signature event, supporting the mission of Canine Companions to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs free of charge. These service dogs make a profound impact through the jobs they do like opening doors, picking up dropped items, alerting to sounds and much more. Your participation makes a profound impact.

Our dogs love us endlessly, and the human-canine bond is powerful! Whether as service dogs, working dogs or pet dogs, there are countless tales of our best friends doing amazing things. We invite you to join the fun at your local DogFest or participate virtually as we gather to celebrate the joy dogs bring to our lives. Registration is free. Fundraising is encouraged. 

There are sponsorship [LINK], volunteer [LINK] and vendor [LINK] opportunities, too!

Why We Fundraise

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 San Diego Community

  • ​59 active graduates 
  • 58 active puppy raisers 

Story of Independence: Mateo and Maitai

Nine-year-old Mateo was born with a brain malformation called agenesis of the corpus callosum, congenital kyphosis and scoliosis, and hypertonia. Later he was diagnosed with short stature, global developmental delay, sensory processing disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.

Every time Mateo’s parents saw him interact with a friend’s service dog, he lit up and was so excited. After they learned about the commands that Canine Companions dogs were trained to do and saw firsthand how much Mateo could benefit, they couldn’t wait to apply.

Mateo was matched with Service Dog Maitai in August 2018, and the two have been inseparable ever since! Maitai helps Mateo pick up items, stay still and keep calm during doctors’ appointments, and helps him get his torso brace on each day. She is a positive distraction during his therapies and a social bridge with other children his age.

“Maitai is Mateo’s best friend and gives him unconditional love,” says Mateo’s mom Monika, “and most importantly she understands him and knows what he needs when others don’t.”

Tasks or outings that used to be difficult for Mateo now come easy with Maitai by his side. She encourages him to participate in morning and bedtime routines, like brushing his teeth and eating.

Monika says Maitai’s most important quality is the sense of calmness she provides. Maitai is amazing at helping Mateo regulate his emotions and calm him down when he has a hard time calming down on his own. She will nudge and lick him until he calms and can always manage to get a smile and laugh out of Mateo. She has taught Mateo that everything will be okay, she will always be by his side to help.

Sponsor Spotlight

The Disabled American Veterans (D.A.V.) Industries, Inc. is proud to be a Man's Best Friend sponsor for DogFest San Diego. They are a leading non-profit that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families. Every year, D.A.V. Industries, Inc. assists more than 1 million veterans in life-changing ways – by providing resources, creating employment opportunities, mobilizing volunteers and advocating for veterans. 

For the local San Diego D.A.V. Industries, Inc. office, that includes partnering with Canine Companions and the work we do to provide veterans with disabilities greater self-esteem and independence by way of highly trained service dogs.  



Thanks to Our Generous Sponsors