Who We Are
Dogs for Better Lives (DBL, formerly known as Dogs for the Deaf) is a 45-year-old 501(c)(3) national nonprofit with campuses in Central Point, Oregon and Falmouth, Massachusetts. DBL rescues or breeds, trains, and places Assistance Dogs free of charge with clients.
Since 1977, we have placed more than 1,600 dogs with people across the United States. Each dog has made a profound impact on the life of the person they were placed with.
We place our Service Dogs with:
- deaf or hard-of-hearing adults
- families with children diagnosed with autism
- licensed professionals and volunteers working with vulnerable communities
We believe that everyone who can benefit from an Assistance Dog should have one. We do this by:
- offering dogs at zero cost to eliminate financial burden on our clients
- placing our dogs in the client’s home instead of requiring clients to travel to our campuses – offering a more personalized placement and training experience.
How We’re Unique
Dogs for Better Lives is one of the few national Assistance Dog organizations that trains shelter dogs to become Assistance Dogs in addition to purpose-bred dogs. We support every dog who comes into our care with a lifetime commitment to them and their client. Every decision is rooted in their wellbeing as we make sure our dogs are fulfilled and doing work they’re suited to do.
Media Contact
Dogs for Better Lives
By the numbers
1700
Dogs placed since 1977
0
Cost to clients
100
Of every dollar goes to programmatic services
54000
Cost to train and place an Assistance Dog
2
Training campuses, in Oregon and Massachusetts
9
Recognized 4-star charity with Charity Navigator
Videos
Videos featuring our three Assistance Dogs programs are below. You can also view our YouTube playlist with a series of videos to help you get to know Dogs for Better Lives.
