Annual Report 2019 The Impact of 2019 First and foremost, we hope you and your loved We value your incredible dedication to our ones are safe and healthy. mission, and we are eager to move into the Even in these difficult times, Canine next stage to better serve our current and Companions® remains focused on delivering our future teams. As the difficult start to 2020 has mission. The impact of our mission in 2019 was underscored, our community is strong, resilient powerful, and we are extremely proud of all we and dedicated — and we are so grateful for each have achieved as an organization: 396 working and every one of you. dogs were placed; 1,309 in-person follow-up visits Heading into our 45th year, we will continue with our graduates were completed; 766 puppies to implement our strategic plan to foster were born; and 1,585 puppies were raised! We further growth and success. While much was engaged with 4,724 volunteers and received over accomplished in 2019, we have our hearts and $40 million in revenue. This important work was minds set on even more for 2020. We will not accomplished thanks to the passion and efforts of waver in these challenging times. We will adapt, you, our incredible donors and volunteers. innovate and collaborate to keep our mission We continue to support even more people moving. We look forward to working with you! with disabilities while continuing our innovative Warm regards, work. With your support, we launched the Canine Companions Advocacy Initiative,™ broke ground on our state-of-the-art campus in the North Central Region, and opened the doors of the Paige Mazzoni, John McKinney, new training building for veterans with post- “Service Dog Nico has totally changed Chief Executive Officer National Board Chair traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and clients with Contents my life. His professional training allows sensory sensitivities in our Northwest Region. me to do things that were previously Working with our National Board of Directors, we 1 The Impact of 2019 unsafe because of my disability. Nico's developed and introduced an ambitious five-year strategic plan. It’s truly been an incredible 2 Greater Independence, support allows me to grocery shop, to One Assistance Dog at privilege to be a part of the growth and a Time clean the house and to be successful at excitement of the past year! work. I was surprised to discover that Yet there is much to do to continue 5 Finding Purpose in Puppy to better serve people with disabilities. Raising having Nico also helped me connect As we embark on a new year, we with people, get more exercise, and 9 A Better Place with Benicia have plans to expand our capabilities improve my health and quality of life. and reach — all with the goal of 11 Giving Back to Canine bringing greater independence to Companions He is my best friend and constant more people. We will begin the companion, and I am forever indebted 13 The Science Behind work to build a new and improved the Human-Canine Bond to Canine Companions for providing Canine Health Center, a place that such an extraordinary gift, a second will ensure the health and wellness 14 Financials chance for independence.” of our puppies and future assistance 18 Honor Roll of Donors dogs. We will implement a pilot therapy —India Harville, shown above with Nico dog certification program, support our 30 Volunteer Puppy Raisers active graduate teams and place even more & Breeder Caretakers expertly trained assistance dogs with people with disabilities. ii CANINE COMPANIONS 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | CCI.ORG CANINE COMPANIONS 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | CCI.ORG 1 Exceptional Instructors, Instructors by Region Greater Independence, Exceptional Dogs We have 53 professional instructors and Every year, Canine Companions apprentices across the country training our exceptional dogs and supporting our teams. One Assistance Dog at a Time instructors train hundreds of dogs in over 40 commands to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. Our team goes above and beyond While our graduates’ disabilities are diverse, they all share a common so graduates feel confident working goal — greater independence. Canine Companions assistance dogs with their dogs while receiving perform tasks ranging from alerting to important sounds to picking the follow-up services they need up dropped items. For the past 44 years, these, along with many to succeed. Every year, we meet other specialized tasks, have changed the lives of thousands of with graduates to provide support people with disabilities. and ensure their independence is sustained. Most common client disabilities served since 1975 Northwest 14 Southeast 10 North Central 8 Southwest 8 Cerebral Palsy 17% Northeast 7 South Central 6 Neuromuscular/Muscular Disability 17% Deaf/Hard of Hearing 13% Paralysis 12% “Nicola has “Being able to give Autism Spectrum Disorder 9% given me a command Developmental or Cognitive Disability 7% a sense of to pick up Neurological Disorder 6% security and something PTSD 4% independence I’ve dropped that I’ve never has been Other 15% felt before. I no extremely longer need to be beneficial. afraid of being left alone Valor is Working teams in 2019 because she’ll be there. I no longer need to be amazing. 145 worried when I’m walking on campus and need He’s the best In 2019, 396 working dogs were 150 help to carry my books because she’ll be there.” thing that’s ever placed thanks to the support happened to me.” of donors. Children, adults 120 110 —Sylvia Colt-Lacoya and Service Dog Nicola and veterans with a range of —Paul Monfre and Service Dog Valor disabilities are entering 2020 90 with newfound independence 66 thanks to their Canine 60 Companions assistance dogs. 38 Canine Companions teams in 2019 28 30 9 New New Total active *Dogs from Canine Companions that are 0 310 adult 86 placements 2,553 teams working transferred to another organization or Service Skilled Facility Hearing Working PTSD teams with children together agency that utilizes them in a working dog teams companion dog teams dog teams agency service capacity. teams placements* dog teams 2 CANINE COMPANIONS 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | CCI.ORG CANINE COMPANIONS 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | CCI.ORG 3 Finding Purpose in Puppy Raising “I was assaulted when I was younger which led me When she was released from Folsom Women’s to isolate and turn to drugs. I no longer believed I Facility, Erin had the opportunity to continue was worth anything. Canine Companions helped raising Ticha. Erin credits her freedom to Canine spark a fire within me to realize that I am worth Companions’ puppy raising program. “If I hadn’t more,” shares volunteer puppy raiser Erin Boetzer. been a part of that program, I wouldn’t have Erin was an inmate at the Folsom Women’s gotten out of prison,” she explains. “To get Facility on and off for nine years. In the final years unconditional love from a dog, and to have kind, of her incarceration, Erin found puppy raising and it completely turned her life around. “To get unconditional love In 2015, Erin was one of six inmates accepted into the Canine Companions prison puppy raising from a dog, and to have kind, program. The day she met the prison program nonjudgmental people respect my facilitators Carly and Cris, it was the first time in opinions and listen to my input, it nearly a decade Erin noticed she was being treated made me feel worthy, and it made like a human being, and not “just an inmate.” Most importantly, she didn’t feel judged. me feel like a person.” After exhibiting her leadership skills, Erin was invited to teach new inmate handlers about puppy nonjudgmental people respect my opinions and raising in the prison. Erin realized she was doing listen to my input, it made me feel worthy, and it something that was making a positive impact made me feel like a person.” in the lives of others. After the first puppy Erin Erin just finished raising her seventh Canine raised graduated, she was absolutely certain of her Companions puppy Max and is now raising puppy purpose. Ender. Max, and soon Ender, attended college In her last year at the facility, Erin began co- with Erin who is studying business and marketing raising puppy Ticha with Sacramento area puppy at California State University, Monterey Bay and raiser Laura Allen. Erin explains, “Once I began co- graduating this fall. raising with someone on the outside, I really began to feel like I was a part of the Canine Companions family.” Our community of volunteers changing lives in 2019 4,724 1,585 776 44 $20M Volunteers Puppy raisers Puppies Volunteer Estimated value matriculated chapters of puppy raiser hours 4 CANINE COMPANIONS 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | CCI.ORG CANINE COMPANIONS 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | CCI.ORG 5 Advocating for Independence Serving Our Veterans CORE VALUE: Integrity CORE VALUE: Innovation Advocating for our graduates’ rights to public access As Canine Companions continues to grow, we have prioritized and independence is an important part of supporting creating facilities to meet the needs of our participants. Following our clients and community. In 2019, we launched the significant growth at our Northwest Region, a special building Canine Companions Advocacy Initiative, providing input on the Jean and Charles Schulz Campus was designed to and expertise on legislation that affects our clients, and accommodate the sensory needs of veterans with PTSD and educating corporations, hospitals, conference attendees clients with other sensory sensitivities. The innovative design and more. provides a more comfortable Team Training experience for our clients and additional training space.