Canine Companions for Independence is a non-profit organization that provides highly skilled assistance dogs for people with disabilities other than blindness. CCI dogs are trained to respond to more than 60 specialized commands and become the physical extensions of their disabled partners by performing a variety of basic tasks. Whether it's turning on a light switch for a person in a wheelchair or alerting someone who is deaf to the sound of a fire alarm, a Canine Companion helps a person with a disabilty live more independently.
Service dogs assist people with physical disabilties.
A service dog knows 65 commands and is able to turn on and off a light switch, open a refrigerator door, retrieve various objects, and pull a wheelchair, among many other tasks. Signal dogs alert people who are hearing impaired or deaf to important sounds, such as an alarm clock, a telephone, fire alarm, or child's cry. Signal dogs help create a feeling of safety for those whose world is without sound. Social dogs provide the loving, nonjudgmental interaction known as pet-facilitated therapy. Social dogs help break the barriers of isolation for people with development disabilities.