Giving the gift of independence for more than 30 years
What We Do
We train and place service dogs with disabled clients who have various disabilities including, but not limited to:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Limited Mobility
Not only do the dogs assist our clients with their disability, the dogs also serve as an ice-breaker in public situations. Most important, though, they provide their partner with constant companionship.
CST's Service dogs are individually trained to perform tasks such as:
Walking with and beside a wheelchair or walker
Retrieving dropped items
Turning lights on and off
opening and closing doors
Walking with and beside a wheelchair or walker
Retrieving dropped items
Turning lights on and off
opening and closing doors
Pressing elevator buttons
Pulling off socks and sweaters
Barking to alert for help in emergencies
Pressing elevator buttons
Pulling off socks and sweaters
Barking to alert for help in emergencies
Our Method
All dogs accepted into the training program must pass health and temperament tests. These dogs are either specifically bred for service work and donated by private breeders, or are rescued from various shelters and rescues.
CST is a service dog organization that adheres to the highest standards of training, behavior, temperament, and health for our service dogs. All of our trainers are committed to humane treatment of our dogs at every level of training.
The dogs are raised for the first 14-16 months of their lives by volunteer Puppy Raisers who provide the foundation of the puppies training and socialization. After the Raiser turns in the dog, it then goes on to one of our Prison Dog Programs. For the next four to six months, the dogs are paired with an Inmate Trainer who works with them daily to successfully complete the rigorous training program. Upon completion of training, CST service dogs have learned a combination of 70 unique commands!
Our qualification standards for each dog are very high. The service dogs that complete our program and are placed with a disabled client are truly the elite of their field.
“My CST service dog has not only changed my life but has given me new hope for the future”