What is Leash of Hope?
Our program has been uniquely designed to be easily integrated into a participant’s daily life while customizing their dog’s skills to their needs. Though the process takes 2 years in total from start to finish, it allows us to develop a lifelong bond and skill set. Please feel free to be in touch for further details on our program.
Leash of Hope Assistance Dogs is a registered charity organization founded in 2014 which trains rescue dogs for the purpose of assisting those with different disabilities. These dogs are taught in a way that best suits the dog’s natural abilities which then dictates the type of work the dog will go into. The overarching aim of these wonderful dogs and indeed, Leash of Hope is to provide independence beyond the disability.
The organization was founded by Danielle Main and Tessa Schmidt, both who had the need for service dogs of their own. Danielle is legally blind and Tessa, who lives with spastic cerebral palsy, both have benefited greatly with increased independence and confidence with their own service dogs. Leash of Hope was a way that they could train rescue dogs and change the lives of others with disabilities.
Families who are facing up to a decade wait for a regular service dog, are often able to get a dog within 3 to 24 months with Leash of Hope. Assisting people with disabilities such as blindness, cerebral palsy, autism, PTSD and other conditions, Leash of Hope is giving as many as possible independence and confidence with a service dog.
Assistance dogs not only offer physical aid, but also they provide a sense of security, calming effects, and physical exercise that can make positive impact on the lives of our clients. These dogs are trained to work or perform tasks that lessen the client’s disability. Leash of Hope is unique and special because it will also serve as a place of healing allowing our clients an opportunity to ‘find a new mission and better quality of life’ as do the rescued shelter puppies we train for a purpose.
This unique approach offers hope at both ends of the leash.
