By raising and socializing puppies to become assistance dogs and by helping to create a disability conscious community, students will provide aid to people with disabilities while learning the value of service to society.
Puppies with Purpose is an organization in Columbia, Missouri, that allows University of Missouri students to raise puppies to become service dogs. We work in conjunction with our parent organization, Canine Helpers Allow More Possibilities (CHAMP) Assistance Dogs, Inc. After our student volunteers work to socialize puppies and prepare them for the rigorous process of becoming service dogs, CHAMP trains them to aid people with a variety of cognitive and physical disabilities (though Puppies with Purpose and CHAMP do not provide service dogs for those needing help with visual or hearing impairments, or seizure or diabetic alerts).
One of our primary missions is to assist in alleviating the drastic shortage of service dogs throughout the country. Disabled persons who would benefit from a service dog must wait for what may be years to obtain one – additionally, service dogs may cost as much as $23,000. The beauty of sending our puppies to CHAMP is that the organization is one of the few that does not charge the clients for their service dogs. CHAMP will place service dogs with children with disabilities, and through an extensive process, works to find perfect matches for the animals they train.
It is also the mission of Puppies with Purpose to help to create a disability conscious community through our educational programs. Through presentations and demonstrations we educate students and the public about service dog etiquette and the important jobs these dogs perform daily.
