MEDICAL MUTTS SERVICE DOGS INC
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Mission Statement
Medical Mutts is a nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) dedicated to training rescue dogs as service dogs and promoting collaboration between dogs and people through science, education, and ethical training. Our mission is to bring positive and lasting changes in the lives of both people with disabilities and dogs that have been abandoned. Our work is driven by the notion that in providing reliable and efficient Medical Alert Dogs obtained from shelters, we can also promote the kind and ethical care of animals. Medical Mutts supports and contributes to scientific advances in the field of service dog training. We firmly believe that training working dogs requires standardized and measurable methods and that such methods will be the most sustainable and effective if they enhance the well-being and confidence of the dogs in training. We have a mission to be leaders in the medical detection field. To do this, we have established a culture that supports the continuous education of the members of our team, so they can provide exceptional care and service to the dogs and people they help. We exist to create partnerships where people and dogs meet their common needs of mutual care, respect, and love.
About This Cause
Medical Mutts specializes in training dogs from rescues and shelters as service dogs to help primarily with diabetes, seizures, and psychiatric conditions. Those disabilities have in common the release of a specific and distinct scent that dogs can detect and be taught to alert to when a person has a crisis. Scent training for both seizures and psychiatric conditions sets Medical Mutts apart from other organizations, whose training relies mostly on the natural abilities of the dogs rather than on systematic training. Our methods allow for a larger number of dogs to be trained for such conditions, as their abilities to alert can be developed, even when not naturally present. Started as a for-profit company, since 2013, Medical Mutts has placed over 70 service dogs, and 25 owner dogs as service dogs their our board and train program and taught over 50 owners how to train their pet dog to help them with their disability through private and group coaching services. Jennifer Cattet Ph.D., the founder of Medical Mutts, has developed a comprehensive service dog training program that their trainers and clients follow. Their science-based approach and Jennifer’s involvement in research in the US and overseas, has promoted Medical Mutts to become one of the leaders in the field of medical detection dogs. There are close to 1.25 million people diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the US (American Diabetes Association), about 3.4 million children and adults live with debilitating seizures (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and 24.4 million people suffer from PTSD at any given time (Sidran Institute). The annual cost to society is estimated to be over 42 billion dollars due to repeated healthcare needs and complications. Between 30-50 service dog organizations across the country are currently providing dogs for diabetes, seizures, and/or psychiatric conditions. Most of these organizations have the ability to train only 5-15 dogs a year. A handful of very large organizations train up to 100 dogs a year. It is impossible to obtain accurate numbers of placed diabetes alert dogs, but we estimate that between 600-1000 dogs may be placed each year. That is if we also include private trainers that are not registered anywhere. The numbers are staggering and at this time, with a growing demand for dogs, the need is simply impossible to cover. In the first 5 years of its existence as a for-profit company, Medical Mutts has been testing the concept of training rescue dogs as service dogs. Over 3.3 million dogs are surrendered and approximately 670,000 dogs are euthanized every year (ASPCA). Rather than breeding dogs, it seemed obvious that we could find plenty of dogs in local rescues and shelters instead and help them find a great home. Over the years, Medical Mutts has thus pulled close to 300 dogs from local rescues and shelters. Most of them have been placed as pet dogs since few dogs present the temperament required for service dog work, but all have received medical attention and training that contributed to a better future. The dogs that have been successfully placed as service dogs are now advocates for other rescue dogs through their daily interactions with the public. Since 2013, Medical Mutts has navigated the challenges of working with rescues and shelters. In the process, they have established themselves as an example and premier service dog training provider in Indiana and across the US. SInce 2019, Medical Mutts Service Dogs Inc. has been a 501c3 non-profit organization and currently has a waiting list of 34 signed clients in need of a service dog. With volunteers and donations, Medical Mutts will be able to provide 25-40 quality service dogs a year, coach 50-100 dog owners, and ultimately make a fundamental difference in the lives of many more rescue dogs and people with disabilities in the US.