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Dogs for Better Lives

Raise money for Dogs for Better Lives

Dogs for Better Lives is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1977 by the late Roy G. Kabat. Roy worked with exotic and domestic animals for movies and television and had a small traveling circus. After retiring to the Applegate Valley in southern Oregon, he was contacted by the American Humane Association and their headquarters in Denver, Colorado.

A Deaf woman in Minnesota had owned a dog that trained itself to let her know when sounds were occurring in her home. As she lost more of her hearing, her dog alerted her to more and more sounds. After her beloved dog died, the woman realized how much she had come to depend on the dog and began a search for someone to train a new dog for her.

The American Humane Association initiated experimental work trying to train dogs to help people who were Deaf, and they contacted Roy for advice. After spending two weeks in Denver, Roy returned to Oregon and began Dogs for the Deaf.

Our first location was outside Jacksonville, Oregon, then moved in 1989 to our current 40-acre site at the base of Lower Table Rock in Central Point, Oregon.

In 2017, Dogs for the Deaf was renamed Dogs for Better Lives and celebrated the organization’s 40th anniversary, recognizing the more than 1,300 dog placements that have occurred during that span of operation.

Do you know someone whose life has been impacted by hearing loss, autism, anxiety, or grief?

Dogs for Better Lives professionally trains Hearing Assistance, Autism Assistance and Facility Dogs to help people facing these challenges. We recently opened our northeast campus in Falmouth and we’re very excited to have runners in the 50th Falmouth Road Race!

The average cost to train a service dog is $51,000 but we place our dogs at zero cost to our clients. Every dollar you raise for Dogs for Better Lives will go programmatic expenses.

Teams

Click on a team below to make a donation.

Individuals

Click on an individual below to make a donation.

Recent donors

Recent donors
Date Name Amount
Aug 16 Anonymous $10,000.00
Aug 16 Devlin Driscoll Go Gary Go Undisclosed amount
Aug 15 Ochuko Good luck Josie and well done $27.48
Aug 14 Soly & Jose Way to go Emily & Decker! Love the challenge (running, board member) and the commitment to this cause!!! $107.35
Aug 14 Tom M Good luck JJ! $162.00
Aug 13 Jen, Ben, Henry & Lucy Amazing job, Kelley! $54.10
Aug 13 The Ellis Family So proud of you!! Go Kell!! $54.10
Aug 12 Kelley & JD $54.10
Aug 12 HWC $70.08
Aug 12 Anonymous Undisclosed amount