Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs

What Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs does

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Carol Borden and headquartered in Williston, Florida. Its core function is to rescue, raise, and individually train medical service dogs and donate them at no cost to qualified recipients. The primary beneficiary segments are military veterans with PTSD or traumatic brain injury, first responders with occupational trauma, and civilians with permanent disabilities such as seizure disorders, mobility impairments, and diabetes. As of January 2026 the organization had completed 435 pairings across 33 states and logged 75,782 volunteer hours. Recipients travel to the Florida campus for a 10-day team training and pairing experience, and the organization commits to lifetime follow-up support including refresher training and adaptation to evolving medical needs.

The underlying methodology combines purpose-bred and rescue dog sourcing with a multi-year training curriculum covering diabetic alert, seizure response, PTSD interruption, mobility support, night terror interruption, and medication reminders, paired with a compatibility assessment that weighs medical needs, lifestyle, environment, and family dynamics. In 2020 the organization expanded its operational infrastructure by launching the on-site Borden Veterinary Hospital and the Institute for Higher Learning, which runs a 2.5-year college-accredited, VA-approved Master Service Dog Trainer Apprenticeship Program. Distribution and intake run through a website application portal, with a second Pennsylvania campus under development and a national virtual Mutt Strut fundraising event scaled in 2025.

The business model is donation-based. Service dogs are provided at no cost; revenue is generated through individual donations, a recurring monthly giving club (Paw Prints Club), a tiered corporate sponsorship program ranging from $10,000 (Recipient Sponsorship) to $80,000 (Apprenticeship Sponsorship), branded merchandise sales, and signature fundraising events. Corporate sponsors include Northrop Grumman, PNC Bank, Highmark Health, UPMC, Hanger Foundation, and Viconic Defense. The organization holds Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, Charity Navigator's top rating, and the 2019 American Humane Hero Dog of the Year award. There are no equity funding rounds; the entity is privately governed by its founder with combined COO/CFO Mary Jo Brandt in place since 2013.

Name

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs

Legal name

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc.

Website

https://medicalservicedogs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that rescues, trains, and donates medical service dogs at no cost to veterans with PTSD or TBI, first responders, and civilians with permanent disabilities across 33 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Service Dog Training and Placement

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Medical service dogs
• Service dog training
• Veteran disability support
• PTSD service dogs
• Nonprofit assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Williston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation grants. Service dogs are provided at no cost to qualified recipients. Includes general donations, monthly giving (Paw Prints Club), and one-time campaign contributions.
2. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, books, and novelty items. Proceeds support training, caring for, and housing service dogs.
3. Sponsorship Programs: Multiple sponsorship tiers including apprenticeship sponsorship ($80,000), full team sponsorship ($37,000), service dog sponsorship ($27,000), rescue dog sponsorship ($27,000), recipient sponsorship ($10,000), and veterinary care sponsorship ($20,000+).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs rescues, raises, trains, and donates individually trained medical service dogs at no cost to qualified veterans, first responders, and civilians with permanent disabilities. Core program elements include multi-year canine training in specialized medical tasks (diabetic alert, seizure response, PTSD interruption, mobility support, night terror interruption, medication reminders), a thoughtful human-dog matching process, 10-day on-campus team training and pairing, and lifetime follow-up support after placement. The organization also operates an on-site veterinary hospital and a college-accredited Master Service Dog Trainer Apprenticeship Program.

Product overview

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a single, integrated service dog program combining purpose-bred and rescue dogs with comprehensive training. The core offering is medical service dogs provided at no cost to qualified recipients, supported by an on-site veterinary hospital and a Master Service Dog Trainer Apprenticeship Program. The organization offers a structured sponsorship program (including Full Team, Service Dog, Apprenticeship, Recipient, and Veterinary Care sponsorships) and a monthly giving club (Paw Prints Club). A merchandise shop sells branded apparel and accessories to support the mission. Key program elements include multi-year training, team training, and lifetime follow-up support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Service Dogs Fully trained medical service dogs provided at no cost to qualified veterans, first responders, and civilians with permanent disabilities, covering conditions including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, mobility issues, and diabetes.
• Service Dog Training Program Comprehensive multi-year training program including puppy development, socialization, advanced medical task training (diabetic alert, seizure response, PTSD interruption, mobility support), public access preparation, and team training for recipient-dog pairing at the Florida campus.
• Lifetime Follow-Up Support Ongoing post-placement support including follow-up evaluations, refresher training, and continued guidance for evolving medical needs throughout the working life of each service dog team.
• Borden Veterinary Hospital In-house veterinary facility providing improved care and lower costs for service dogs in training and post-placement, supporting the organization's comprehensive approach to canine wellness.
• Master Service Dog Trainer Apprenticeship Program College-accredited and VA-approved 2.5-year apprenticeship program teaching dog training and service dog training, established under the Institute for Higher Learning subsidiary.
• Guardian Angels Merchandise Shop Online merchandise store selling branded apparel, accessories, and specialty items including t-shirts ($20-$30), hoodies ($40), hats, decals, challenge coins, calendars, and dog-related products. Proceeds support service dog training and care.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero suicides among working service dog teams
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• UPMCminorOthersHealthcare partner providing support for service dog recipients
• Highmark HealthminorOthersHealth organization partner supporting mission
• VFW Post 764minorOthersVeterans of Foreign Wars post supporting organization
• Colorado Technical UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution where COO Mary Jo Brandt earned her MBA and is pursuing doctoral studies; provides Patriot Scholarships

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Patriot Paws Service Dogs: Non-profit that trains and provides service dogs at no cost to disabled American veterans. Comparable mission, training model, and donation-dependent revenue structure.
• NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services): Non-profit service dog organization training dogs for veterans, children, and adults with disabilities. Comparable service model and charity-based funding structure.
• K9s For Warriors: Largest non-profit provider of service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, TBI, and MST. Direct competitor for veteran-focused service dog placements and donor dollars.
• Canine Assistants: Non-profit service dog organization providing seizure response and mobility assistance dogs to recipients nationwide. Overlapping training methodology and no-cost placement model.
• Freedom Service Dogs: Non-profit that rescues dogs and trains them as service dogs for veterans and others with disabilities. Highly comparable rescue-to-service pipeline and veteran focus.
• Canine Companions for Independence: One of the largest non-profit service dog organizations in the U.S., providing trained service dogs to veterans and people with disabilities at no cost. Directly comparable in mission, funding model, and training methodology.
• Paws for Purple Hearts: Non-profit providing service dogs to veterans with PTSD and TBI, with integrated canine-assisted therapeutic programs. Directly comparable veteran-focused service dog mission.
• America's VetDogs: 501(c)(3) that trains and places service dogs with veterans, active-duty military, and first responders with disabilities. Highly comparable mission and recipient profile.

Broad incumbents

• Southeastern Guide Dogs: Established non-profit guide and service dog school with broader scope (guide, service, and skilled companion dogs). Comparable training infrastructure and nonprofit funding model.

Others

• Assistance Dogs International: Industry coalition accrediting assistance dog organizations globally. Relevant as an accreditation body and standards-setter that Guardian Angels is being positioned alongside via the Congress-mandated initiative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mediservicedogs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/GuardianAngelsMedicalServiceDogs
• Facebookfacebook.com/GuardianAngelsMedicalServiceDogs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guardian-angels-medical-service-dogs-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/guardian_angels_msdogs
• TikToktiktok.com/@guardianangelsmsd?

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs