Our Organization

Changing Lives Since 2000

At Service Dogs of Virginia, we train and place highly skilled service dogs to help people with disabilities live more independent, confident lives. Since 2000, we’ve proudly placed over 125 life-changing partnerships.

The Impact of Your Support

Training one service dog costs over $40,000 and takes countless hours of dedication. We don’t charge clients for this—because everyone deserves access to support, regardless of income.

Our Promise

  • Accredited by Assistance Dogs International, meeting the highest standards of quality and care.

  • A trusted 501(c)(3) nonprofit — your support goes directly to our life-saving programs.

  • Committed to serving children, adults, veterans, and families with personalized matches.

What We Do

  • Train service dogs for mobility, medical alerts, autism, and PTSD.

  • Provide facility dogs to schools and organizations for therapy and education.

  • Support clients with ongoing training and community resources.

Join Us in Making a Difference

Your support helps us raise, train, and place more dogs — creating independence and hope for those who need it most. 

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Most of the dogs we train and place are purebred Labrador Retrievers—both black and yellow. We run our own breeding program and, thanks to our Assistance Dogs International accreditation, we also collaborate with a International Breeding Cooperative to ensure healthy, well-bred dogs.

Occasionally we accept dogs donated by private individuals, but this is carefully decided by our Executive Director. Sometimes, we work with other breeds or partner with other assistance dog organizations when special needs arise.

Please note: We do not train pets or privately owned dogs to become service dogs, nor do we offer private training classes at Service Dogs of Virginia.

How we acquire Dogs

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