London, ON

Project F.I.T.
Helping youth “at-risk” and individuals with disabilities
Find Independence Together
through partnership with assistance dogs

At the core of our organization is an innovative therapeutic youth intervention program teaching teens deemed to be at high risk for continued behavioral and emotional challenges to train and place assistance dogs with individuals with
disabilities. This program has proven effective in settings such as children’s mental health treatment centres, youth detention facilities, high schools, and special education classrooms.

Countless billions are spent each year directly related to juvenile delinquency.
Indirect long-term costs continue to climb with each struggling teen lacking the skills, opportunity or assistance necessary to change the course of their life. By training assistance dogs, these teens gain many of the skills necessary to become productive and successful adults in our society.

While working with non-judgemental canines, student trainers acquire critical interpersonal skills, learning empathy, effective parenting skills, consistency and emotional regulation.  The power of the human-canine bond is instrumental in allowing these teens to gain social and emotional competence and develop leadership skills which, in turn, enable them to pass the gifts of increased independence, social acceptance and emotional well-being on to the assistance dog recipients.

Lacking a positive sense of purpose and belonging, youth are often driven to engage in negative behaviors. It’s difficult to maintain a tough exterior while experiencing the unconditional loving relationship a Golden Retriever puppy provides.

Once trained by our student trainers, our dogs are placed with individuals with physical disabilities relating to mobility, offering new levels of independence. Often acting as social lubricants, our dogs open more than just doors ... they open doors to opportunity!

Competence
Confidence
Character

Companionship
Independence
Security