Circle Tail
Circle Tail is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 in Pleasant Plain, Ohio, that trains and places service, hearing, and facility dogs free of charge to individuals with disabilities and institutions within 75–90 miles of Greater Cincinnati.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersPleasant Plain, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Circle Tail does
Circle Tail is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by Marlys Staley, a former burn and wound care physical therapist, headquartered on a multi-building campus at 8834 Carey Lane, Pleasant Plain, Ohio, within a 75–90 mile service radius of Greater Cincinnati. The organization trains and places Service Dogs (mobility assistance, seizure response, Type 1 diabetes alert), Hearing Dogs, In-Home Service Dogs, and Facility Dogs for schools, courthouses, and care facilities, using LIMA-certified (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive) positive-reinforcement training methods and a distinctive inmate-training pipeline that has operated at Ohio Reformatory for Women and Dayton Correctional Institute since September 1998. Assistance and hearing dogs are provided at no cost to recipients — a service the organization values at approximately $30,000 per fully trained and partnered dog — while revenue is generated from individual donations, foundation and corporate grants (including Doris Day Animal Foundation), tiered sponsorships ($500–$20,000), an Annual Golf Classic fundraiser, fees for pet obedience and Pet First Aid classes (Basic $99, Pet First Aid $45), and $1,500 adoption fees for In-Home Service Dogs and career-changed dogs. Operations are lean (1–10 employees) and heavily reliant on a volunteer/foster network, with governance provided by a Board of Directors drawing leadership from local biotech, accounting, legal (Procter & Gamble), and banking institutions.
Circle Tail firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Circle Tail
- Legal name
- Circle Tail, Inc.
- Website
- https://circletail.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Circle Tail is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 in Pleasant Plain, Ohio, that trains and places service, hearing, and facility dogs free of charge to individuals with disabilities and institutions within 75–90 miles of Greater Cincinnati.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Circle Tail industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Service Dog Training and Placement
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Animal Boarding (Kennels, Catteries) (AFAEALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Overnight Kennel Boarding (Dogs) (HSANADAA)
Keywords
Where Circle Tail is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pleasant Plain
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Circle Tail business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: Individual donors contribute one-time or monthly (Circle of Giving) gifts to support dog training and care operations. Corporate sponsorships at multiple levels from $500 to $10,000+ provide naming rights, visits, and marketing exposure.
- Grant Funding: Grants from organizations including Doris Day Animal Foundation and government sources support operations. The organization is an official DDAF grantee.
- Training Classes: Fees charged for pet dog obedience classes (Basic $99, Intermediate, Advanced) and Pet First Aid courses ($45), held at the Circle Tail Training Center.
- In-Home Service Dog Adoption: In-Home Service Dogs and Hearing Dogs are provided for a $1500 adoption fee, which covers training and placement costs.
- Career-Changed Dog Adoption: Dogs released from service/hearing dog programs due to temperament or medical reasons are adopted out for varying fees based on age and training level.
- Annual Golf Classic Event: Annual fundraising golf tournament with sponsorship packages ranging from $300 (Beverage Break) to $10,000 (Presenting Sponsor), plus individual golfer fees.
- Sponsorship Programs: Puppy and service dog sponsorship opportunities from $500 (Go Home Kit Sponsor) to $20,000 (Assistance Dog Team Sponsor), offering quarterly updates, visits, and naming rights.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One-time | 7 Week Basic Obedience Class |
| Unit Pricing | One-time | Pet First Aid Classes |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | In-Home Service/Hearing Dogs |
| Other | Other | Service/Assistance Dogs |
| Other | One-time | Application Fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Puppy Sponsorship - Go Home Kit |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Puppy Naming Sponsorship |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | My First Year Sponsorship |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | From Puppy to Partnership |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Name A Litter Sponsorship |
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time | Assistance Dog Team Sponsor |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Circle Tail product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Circle Tail is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains and places assistance dogs—including mobility assistance, seizure response, diabetes alert, and hearing dogs—free of charge to qualifying individuals with disabilities. It also trains facility dogs for schools, courthouses, and care facilities, and offers paid pet obedience and Pet First Aid classes at its Ohio training center.
Product overview
Circle Tail is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1997 that operates as a single unified service offering centered on training and placing highly skilled assistance and facility dogs. The organization's core portfolio consists of Assistance Dogs (Service Dogs for mobility, seizure response, and diabetes alert, plus Hearing Dogs), Facility Dogs for institutional settings, and In-Home Service Dogs. Supporting services include pet dog training classes, a prison inmate training program, career-changed dog adoption, a volunteer foster program, and various sponsorship tiers. All assistance and hearing dogs are provided at no cost to the individual, while in-home dogs, pet training, and career-changed adoptions involve fees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Service Dogs (Mobility, Seizure Response, Diabetes Alert)
- Hearing Dogs
- Facility Dogs
- In-Home Service Dogs
- Pet Dog Training Classes
- Pet First Aid Classes
- Career-Changed Dog Adoption
Quantifiable outcome
- Dogs trained and partnered at no cost to individuals
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Circle Tail
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Circle Tail technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Circle Tail partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Keep Going 25 FoundationflagshipPartnership to place facility dog Sidon at Archbishop Moeller High School. Foundation was established to honor Michael Currin '20 and funds programs developing inner strength and resiliency in students. The foundation recognized Michael's special bond with his golden retriever Clive.
- Solutions Community CounselingcoreLindsay works at Solutions as a group therapy specialist and case manager. Prim is the first service dog employed at Solutions, bringing smiles to clients and employees and helping clients openly discuss problems.
- Archbishop Moeller High SchoolcoreSidon, a yellow lab facility dog, has been part of Moeller family for two years. Dog provides emotional support to students and faculty, helping students talk about feelings and open up about concerns.
- Ohio Reformatory for WomencorePrison program partnership for inmate canine training. Began September 1998. Inmates train puppies/dogs, promoting inmate life quality while increasing independence for persons with disabilities.
- Dayton Correctional InstitutecorePrison program partnership for inmate canine training. Inmates learn dog training skills while helping transform lives of others with disabilities.
- Mason City SchoolscoreFacility dogs Hibbs at Mason High School and Lucy at Mason Intermediate School support Hope Squad and Brave Ambassador Programs for mental health awareness.
- Clermont Northeastern School DistrictcoreGillis facility dog placed in district as part of Circle Tail's facility dog program.
- Hamilton County ESC Pathways SchoolcoreCygni became permanent facility dog in June 2020, providing cognitive, social, and emotional support to students.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Circle Tail competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Canine Companions for Independence: Largest U.S. non-profit provider of service dogs, operating multiple regional training centers across the country. Comparable because it provides mobility, hearing, and facility dogs free of charge to recipients; differentiated by significantly larger scale, multi-region footprint, and broader donor network.
- Guide Dogs for the Blind: National non-profit that trains and places guide dogs, service dogs, and K-9 service dogs free of charge. Comparable in non-profit service-dog model and no-cost recipient delivery; differentiated by focus on guide work and west-coast campus concentration.
- Pet Partners: National non-profit that trains and registers therapy animals for hospital, school, and facility visits. Comparable in facility-dog placements and human-animal bond mission; differentiated by therapy rather than task-trained service dog focus.
Direct peers
- Paws With A Cause: Michigan-based non-profit that trains service dogs, hearing dogs, and seizure-response dogs, and provides them at no cost. Highly comparable in mission, dog categories (mobility/seizure/hearing), and prison-puppy program; differentiated by larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services): Massachusetts-based non-profit providing service dogs for hearing, mobility, and children with disabilities, plus facility dogs. Closely comparable mission and prison-puppy raising program model; differentiated by longer-standing prison partnerships and northeastern placement region.
- 4 Paws for Ability: Ohio-based non-profit that places multi-purpose service dogs with children and veterans, including seizure and diabetes alert. Highly comparable by category of dogs trained (mobility, seizure, diabetes) and Ohio footprint; differentiated by larger placement volume and family/child focus.
- Service Dogs, Inc. Texas-based non-profit training and placing mobility and hearing assistance dogs. Comparable non-profit service-dog model and free-to-recipient delivery; differentiated by smaller scale and Texas concentration.
- Dogs for the Deaf: Oregon-based non-profit that rescues and trains hearing assistance dogs and autism/psychiatric service dogs. Comparable in hearing-dog focus and non-profit free-delivery model; differentiated by rescue-based sourcing and West Coast placement.
Emerging players
- Hero Dogs Inc. Maryland-based non-profit training mobility, hearing, and psychiatric service dogs for veterans. Comparable service-dog mission and free placement; differentiated by veteran focus and smaller scale.
- Canine Assistance Rehabilitation Education and Services (CARES): Georgia-based non-profit training and placing service dogs, including facility dogs, for individuals and organizations. Comparable in facility-dog placement and free delivery model; differentiated by smaller footprint and Southeast focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Circle Tail social profiles
Digital presenceCircle Tail compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Circle Tail financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Circle Tail leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Circle Tail funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Circle Tail M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Circle Tail
What does Circle Tail do?
Circle Tail is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains and places assistance dogs—including mobility assistance, seizure response, diabetes alert, and hearing dogs—free of charge to qualifying individuals with disabilities. It also trains facility dogs for schools, courthouses, and care facilities, and offers paid pet obedience and Pet First Aid classes at its Ohio training center.
Is Circle Tail a public or private company?
Circle Tail is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Circle Tail founded?
Circle Tail was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Circle Tail based?
Circle Tail is headquartered in Pleasant Plain, United States, in the North America region.
How does Circle Tail make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Donations and Contributions are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding, training Classes, in-Home Service Dog Adoption, career-Changed Dog Adoption, annual Golf Classic Event and sponsorship Programs.
Who are Circle Tail's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Canine Companions for Independence, Guide Dogs for the Blind and Pet Partners. Direct peers are Paws With A Cause, NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services), 4 Paws for Ability, Service Dogs, Inc. and Dogs for the Deaf. Emerging players are Hero Dogs Inc. and Canine Assistance Rehabilitation Education and Services (CARES).
Does Circle Tail have an API?
No public API is recorded for Circle Tail.
What industry is Circle Tail in?
Circle Tail's product category is Service Dog Training and Placement. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEALAA, Animal Boarding (Kennels, Catteries), with a secondary code of HSANADAA, Overnight Kennel Boarding (Dogs). Its NAICS code is 81291 and its SIC code is 200.