Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society

Opening doors, helping someone dress, navigating traffic - it's all in a day's work for our dogs. Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society (DWW) has been providing highly trained assistance dogs to Albertans since 1996. DWW raises and trains assistance dogs to serve Albertans with disabilities.

Our mission is to foster integration and independence for individual Albertans with disabilities by providing them with highly trained assistance dogs and aftercare. Our assistance dogs help people in the following ways.

1. Austism Service Dogs provide safety, companionship and a calming influence for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
2. Service Dogs assist people with mobility and agility challenges by retrieving dropped items, opening doors and many other tasks.
3. Facility Dogs work with teachers, social workers and victim services staff to assist children with special needs and families affected by tragedy or crime.
4. Companion Dogs benefit people who need well-trained service dogs in their homes to assist with physical needs and social interactions.

Our volunteer community is the backbone of our success. Our 15 staff in Edmonton and Calgary work with over 200 volunteers to breed, whelp, raise and train Labrador Retrievers. From birth to the age of approximately 2 and a half years old, volunteers are part of our assistance dogs' daily lives.

As part of the socialization process, our dogs are raised in volunteer foster homes throughout their training. Volunteers also contribute to their daily care and training at our main office in Edmonton. People give their time to DWW in many other ways as well. This includes helping with public education, fundraising and special events.

DWW is a leader in the international community of assistance dog training schools. Our school is accredited by Assistance Dogs International and the International Guide Dog Federation. We are also a member of the Canadian Association of Guide and Assistance Dogs Schools.