SERVICE DOGS FOR MOBILITY
Mobility Service Dogs- West Coast Project DBA MobilityDog advances FUNctional independence for the disabled community through service dogs, empowerment, and education.
We raise and train service dogs, support handlers through education and advocacy while providing weekly virtual meetings for our community of trainers, puppy raisers, and handlers.
In addition to our Service Dog Program, we offer education and empowerment programs for schools and businesses. These programs are designed to educate the public on the role of a service dog, interacting with a service dog team, and address public access issues.
MobilityDog is the ability in disability!
Founder’s Service Dog Phoebe. Scroll down for her story!
Meet Sir Baldwin, MSD-WCP’s first Mobility Service Dog in Training.
MobilityDog’s goal is to fill a desperate need: many people living with disabilities and progressive diseases aren’t able to receive a mobility service dog because there aren’t enough of these trained dogs and they are too expensive.
Nearly 1 in 5 people have a disability in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau Report released in 2012. About 56.7 million people — 19 percent of the population — had a disability, according to a broad definition of disability, with more than half of them reporting the disability was severe, according to a comprehensive report on this population. Roughly 30.6 million of these had difficulty walking or climbing stairs, or used a wheelchair, cane, crutches or walker.
“70% of people who need service dogs can't afford them.” (http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/09/70_percent_of_people_who_need.html) Training for a service dog is often in the range of $25,000-$50,000 and can take up to two years. MobilityDog’s goal is to provide a Service Dog to all those who qualify.
MobilityDog Founder’s Story
Many of you don't know the story of my sister, Janie Lynn Clark Heinrich. In 2010. she was involved in a freak accident at the grocery store that forever changed her life. A spinal cord injury. She spent several years in a wheelchair but refused to stay in that chair! Working with her Poodle, Physical Therapists, and Service Dog Trainer, Janie and Phoebe became a service dog dream team, getting Janie out of the chair and back on her feet. In 2017, when Phoebe was ready to retire, Janie needed a new dog but met countless roadblocks. So, what did my sister do? She founded mobilitydog.org in 2018, a non-profit dedicated to raising service dogs, raising awareness for people with disabilities, and educating at schools and businesses. On the 3rd anniversary of Mobility Service Dogs - West Coast Project, with Beckett at her side, they have 18 Service Dog Teams working towards functional independence!
My sister’s, Janie, vision is to raise both dogs and awareness for all mobility disabled humans for young, aging populations and other underserved populations. She knows what she’s talking about. Janie lives a full life, deeply grateful for her Service Dog, Beckett, who is an extension of her and helps her create functional independence. With SD Beckett at her side, there is nothing that this Service Dog Team cannot accomplish together. - Written by Janie’s sister, Karen Sue Clark Ellstrom, September 2020.
It is a very disconcerting time for all of us. Now, more than ever, we need your support as we assist people with disabilities towards FUNctional independence. As we learn to navigate the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful for your continued support. Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted directly, and we appreciate all the healthcare workers, officials, and scientists who are on the frontlines to fight this virus. May you each find the silver lining as we navigate. Keep believing in the possibilities of a better world. Anything, we are here to listen, support, and be part of a solution. Safe journeys. Peace.