Champ Assistance Dogs

CHAMP empowers individuals, enhances life skills and helps individuals live more independent lives. CHAMP places service dogs with children, veterans and adults. CHAMP Service Dogs are able to assist their partner by performing many different tasks including opening and closing doors, turning lights on and off, carrying belongings in a backpack, removing clothing, providing counterbalance, picking up dropped items, bringing a snack or medication from the refrigerator, augmenting physical therapy, etc.

CHAMP has a program, designed specifically for Vets, called Veteran's Independence Partners. We also place service dogs with children and adults with physical and/or cognitive disabilities. CHAMP stays involved with our clients and their assistance dog for the life of the partnership and beyond. We also have a Client Angel Fund and a Tigger Fund to help with the assistance dog after the placement.

CHAMP Facility Dogs are trained to work with professional care givers in court rooms, child advocacy centers, hospitals. medical facilities, and schools. Facility dogs serve to motivate and enhance the accomplishment of a client's or patient's goals and helps to engage individuals in activities that stimulate healing and recovery. The use of a facility dog in a child advocacy center or courtroom brings about a major change in how we meet the emotional and mental needs of children in the criminal justice system. Facility dogs touch the lives of hundreds of individuals. They provide unconditional love, help to reduce stress, lower heart rate and often help to initiate healing. A facility dog can serve hundreds of children or adults in a year.

CHAMP Assistance Dogs has a partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the women's prison camp in Greenville, IL. Non-violent women offenders help to train our assistance dogs for our clients and facilities. This win-win partnership focuses upon building the women's confidence and problem-solving skills while providing training on teamwork, social skills, and open communication. The CHAMP Prison Program offers vocational training and prepares the women trainers for successful reintegration in the community upon release. The offender-trainers experience unconditional love and affection from the dogs. In return, the women "give back" by providing a valuable service to the community.

In a typical year, CHAMP Therapy Dog teams bring joy and comfort to more than 30,000 children and adults in hospitals, assisted living & homeless centers, the veterans' home and USO. Interactions with a therapy dog team can help relieve stress, lower blood pressure, ease mental distress associated with a close personal loss, or bring a calming presence to patients in a hospital or to students during final exams. This service is provided free to individuals and facilities in our community.

We provide unique and informative education presentations to children and adults in the community yearly. The programs are delivered by engaging speakers at schools, scouts, summer camps, service clubs and organizations. Our presentations are individually designed, teach kindness and respect toward all living beings, and help individuals gain understanding of varying disabilities.

CHAMP Assistance Dog's mission and the foundation of each of its programs focus upon the extraordinary power of the canine/human bond. Dogs are not only our best friends, but they frequently serve as healing companions.