Freedom Dogs

Freedom Dogs was founded in 2006 to help Military personnel suffering from PTSD and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) by providing highly trained service dogs to reduce the impact of these disabling conditions on the health, mood, social interaction and employment of returning Marines.  Our training center is located in Oceanside, CA and our mission is, "Speeding the recovery and enhancing the lives of wounded military heroes through the use of specialty-trained service dogs."  We are "embedded" in the Wounded Warrior Battalion-West on Camp Pendleton whose medical professionals refer service members to our programs with the goal of helping them transition into civilian life, or back to active duty.

Our programs are unique in that we offer both Partners for Life specialty-trained service dogs in permanent placement as well as temporary partner dogs through our Partners Program for use by service members who are working to overcome difficulties experienced because of their injuries, but who do not wish to take on the responsibilities of caring full-time for a service dog.  Freedom Dogs is accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI).

All Freedom Dogs' programs and services are provided free-of-charge to our military heroes, and we rely on the generosity of people in the community to support our work.  The organization has one full-time office manager and is otherwise a completely volunteer organization.  Its annual operating budget is $300,000 and funds are raised from individual donors, civic organizations, grants, and funds raised at our annual golf tournament.  In addition to providing continued training and upkeep for dogs in the Partners Program, Freedom Dogs also provides the majority of financial support needed for its Partners for Life service dogs in permanent placement.  

To learn more about Freedom Dogs, please visit our website at www.freedomdogs.org, email us at info@freedomdogs.org, or call us at 760.696.3076.  We welcome your inquiries and sincerely appreciate your support.