Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities

What Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities does

Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities (ECAD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1995 in Torrington, Connecticut, that trains and places service dogs with people with disabilities to promote independence and mobility. The organization operates five interconnected programs: Open Doors (mobility assistance), Project HEAL® (psychiatric service dogs for veterans with PTSD and TBI), Canine Magic (service dogs for children with autism), Facility Dogs (dogs placed in healthcare and educational institutions), and an internal Breeding & Nurturing program that purpose-bred and hand-raises dogs from birth.

ECAD's core production process trains each dog for 1,500+ hours—six times the 250-hour industry minimum—followed by a five-step client pipeline culminating in a 13-day Team Training at the Torrington campus. The organization has placed over 350 Assistance Dogs across 60+ disability types nationwide since founding and is the only Assistance Dogs International (ADI)-accredited member in Connecticut. All placed dogs receive lifetime support and annual Public Access recertification.

ECAD's revenue model is donation- and fundraising-driven rather than transaction-based. Each service dog represents a $100,000+ investment, but clients do not pay the full cost; instead, they participate in a "pay-it-forward" fundraising model contributing a portion of the cost, with the balance covered by individual donations, grants, and volunteer labor. Diversified revenue streams include puppy naming auctions, a Pawp affiliate referral partnership ($25 per signup), Amazon Wishlist donations, and a Charity Navigator 4-star financial efficiency rating ($0.88 of every dollar to programming). The organization is governed by an independent board and was founded by Lu and Dale Picard, who remain actively involved in operations.

Name

Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities

Legal name

Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities

Website

https://ecad1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECAD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 in Torrington, Connecticut, that trains and places service dogs with people with disabilities. It has placed 350+ dogs across 60+ disability types nationwide using a 1,500-hour training protocol, and is the only ADI-accredited program in Connecticut.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Service Dog Training and Placement

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Service & Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Accommodations Management (EDALAGAK)

Keywords

• Service dog training
• Disability assistance
• Mobility service dogs
• Psychiatric service dogs
• Autism service dogs

Headquarters

HQ city

Torrington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, ECAD relies on donations from individuals, grants, and volunteers to fund operations. $0.88 of every dollar goes directly to programming costs.
2. Client Fundraising Participation: Each client participates in fundraising efforts, contributing a portion of the overall $100,000+ cost of their service dog. This 'pay-it-forward' model helps make service dogs accessible.
3. Partnership Revenue (Pawp): ECAD receives $25 for each person who becomes a Pawp member through their referral link.
4. Puppy Naming Auction: Tax-deductible donations through puppy naming auctions help puppies begin their education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ECAD purpose-breds, hand-raises, and trains service dogs for 1,500+ hours each before placing them with individuals with disabilities and professional handlers. The organization runs five programs: Open Doors (mobility Service Dogs), Project HEAL® (psychiatric Service Dogs for veterans with PTSD/TBI), Canine Magic (Service Dogs for children with autism), Facility Dogs (institutional placements), and an internal Breeding & Nurturing program. ECAD provides lifetime support, including annual Public Access recertification.

Product overview

ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a single, unified service offering: training and placing specially educated assistance dogs with people with disabilities. The organization offers five interconnected programs: Open Doors (general mobility Service Dogs), Project HEAL® (psychiatric Service Dogs for veterans), Canine Magic (Service Dogs for children with autism), Facility Dogs (dogs for professional healthcare/educational settings), and an internal Breeding & Nurturing program. The organization trains dogs for 1,500+ hours (six times the 250-hour industry minimum) and provides ongoing support including annual Public Access recertification for graduates. ECAD is accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and is the only ADI-accredited member in Connecticut, having placed over 350 Assistance Dogs nationwide since 1995.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Doors Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 350 Assistance Dogs placed nationwide since 1995
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Assistance Dogs International (ADI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECAD is accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), which shares ECAD's high standards in caring for patients and dogs. ECAD is one of 81 ADI-accredited programs in the U.S. and is the only ADI-accredited member in the state of Connecticut.
• Charity NavigatorcoreOthersECAD maintains a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator.
• GuideStarminorOthersECAD is listed on GuideStar with EIN 06-1436718, providing transparency in nonprofit information.
• Pace UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with ECAD, Pace University's College of Health Professions has created an innovative and unique curriculum that is the first and only in the country to educate future healthcare professionals about individuals with visible and invisible disabilities and assistance animals.
• Dayspring PensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDayspring Pens, located in Virginia Beach, specializes in crafting luxury gift pens and partners with ECAD through donations of engraved pens featuring the ECAD logo.
• PawpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerECAD partnered with Pawp, a service providing 24/7 virtual vet support. Pawp donates $25 to ECAD for every person who becomes a Pawp member using code ECADFAMILY.
• Service (Documentary)minorOthersService is a documentary highlighting the special challenges facing disabled female veterans as they transition from active duty to civilian life.
• Pet PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPet Partners is the leader in promoting and demonstrating that positive human-animal interactions improve the physical, emotional and psychological lives of those served.
• Real Warriors CampaignminorOthersThe Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury launched a public awareness campaign focusing on combating stigma associated with seeking care for psychological health concerns.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services): Massachusetts-based nonprofit that trains and places service dogs for people with disabilities and children with autism, including veterans. Operates with a similar single-region, ADI-accredited model and overlapping client segments.
• America's VetDogs: Affiliated with Guide Dogs for the Blind, trains and places service dogs for veterans with disabilities including PTSD and TBI. Direct overlap with ECAD's Project HEAL® program for veterans.
• Canine Companions for Independence: Largest U.S. nonprofit provider of service dogs for people with disabilities, placing mobility, hearing, and skilled companion dogs. Directly comparable mission, multi-site training campuses, and ADI-accredited status make it the closest peer to ECAD.
• Canine Partners of the Rockies: Colorado nonprofit placing service dogs with people with mobility and other disabilities. Closely comparable ADI-accredited nonprofit service dog placement model, though operating in a different U.S. region.
• paws4people: Nonprofit providing custom-trained service dogs for individuals with physical, neurological, psychiatric, and developmental disabilities, plus Facility Dogs. Closely aligned program mix to ECAD's Open Doors, Canine Magic, and Facility Dogs offerings.
• Service Dogs Inc. Texas-based ADI-accredited nonprofit that custom-trains service dogs for mobility assistance. Comparable nonprofit, disability-focused, ADI-accredited service dog placement model.
• K9s For Warriors: Nonprofit that provides service dogs to military veterans with PTSD, TBI, and MST. Highly comparable veteran-focused service dog mission, although primarily rescue-sourced rather than purpose-bred like ECAD.

Broad incumbents

• Guide Dogs for the Blind: Large established nonprofit with multiple campuses providing guide dogs and broader service dog programs. Comparable in mission and ADI accreditation, but broader in scope with significantly greater scale.

Others

• Pet Partners: National nonprofit leader in animal-assisted interventions including therapy animal visits. While not a service-dog-placement peer, it is an established ECAD partner and operates in the adjacent therapy-animal space ECAD's Facility Dogs serve.

Emerging players

• Domesti-Pups: Smaller nonprofit that trains and places service dogs primarily for individuals with autism and mobility needs. Comparable program focus but at smaller scale and with different geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ECADServiceDogs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ECADServiceDog
• Facebookfacebook.com/ECADServiceDogs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecad-educated-canine-assisting-with-disabilities
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ECADServiceDogs

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities