Japan Service Dog Association

What Japan Service Dog Association does

Japan Service Dog Association (JSDA / 社会福祉法人 日本介助犬協会) is a Social Welfare Corporation founded in 1995 and incorporated in April 2004, headquartered in Yokohama with its operational base at the Assistance Dog Comprehensive Training Center 'Cynthia's Hill' in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture — Japan's only dedicated comprehensive service dog training facility. The organization breeds, trains, certifies, and lends service dogs to people with physical disabilities affecting their hands and feet, performing custom-trained tasks such as opening doors, retrieving objects, and pulling wheelchairs. Its proprietary methodology combines dog trainers with rehabilitation professionals (doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists) to ensure appropriate user-dog matching, and uses a bilingual command system employing English verbs and Japanese nouns to maximize canine comprehension.

Beyond core service dog provision, JSDA operates a registered trademark program called Dog Intervention® (DI犬®) that deploys facility and therapy dogs to hospitals and clinics for animal-assisted activities and therapy, and runs the With You Project matching dogs to households with disabled members. The association has placed over 50 service dog pairs nationwide, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, and certifies 1-3 new pairs annually. Supplementary programs include career-change rehoming of dogs unsuitable for assistance work, a 6-month trainee program for aspiring trainers, public facility tours, school lectures, and an original manga series ('Assistance Dog Leica!') for awareness education.

The business model is donation-driven, with approximately 90% of service dog breeding costs (¥2.5M per dog) funded by contributions. Revenue streams include individual memberships (Monthly at ¥1,000+, Puppy at ¥3,000/year, Cynthia at ¥10,000/year), corporate/organizational memberships (from ¥50,000/year, 100+ members), one-time donations via multiple payment processors (Amazon Pay, Rakuten Pay, PayPay, SoftBank carrier billing), charity goods e-commerce, bequest/legacy donations, retail collection boxes, and donation-attached vending machines. Service dogs are provided to recipients at no cost, with users bearing only ongoing food and veterinary expenses. The organization holds ADI accreditation (January 2023) and operates under Japan's Physical Disability Assistance Dog Act.

Name

Japan Service Dog Association

Legal name

社会福祉法人 日本ディズ服务有限公司

Website

https://s-dog.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Japan Service Dog Association is a Social Welfare Corporation that breeds, trains, and lends custom service dogs to people with physical disabilities in Japan, operating the country's only comprehensive training facility and funding operations primarily through donations and memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Assistance Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Assistance dog training
• Service dog placement
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Disability support services
• Nonprofit welfare programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Memberships: Monthly (マンスリー), annual (パピー), and special (シンシア) membership programs where individuals contribute regularly. One-time donations are also accepted. Donations are eligible for tax deduction benefits in Japan.
2. Corporate Memberships and Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational members pay annual fees (starting at 50,000 yen per year per unit). Benefits include nameplate display at the training center, website recognition, and invitations to recognition ceremonies.
3. Donations (Primary Revenue): Approximately 90% of service dog breeding costs are funded by public donations. Donation methods include credit card, bank transfer, JP Post office payment slips, Amazon Pay, Rakuten Pay, PayPay, SoftBank airtime aggregation, and automatic transfer.
4. Charity Goods Sales: Sale of charity merchandise (clothing, bags, towels, stationery, dog supplies) through the association's online shop to support service dog breeding activities.
5. Bequest/Estate Donations: Accepts legacy donations through wills and inheritance arrangements. Partners with READYFOR bequest support service for consultation. Estate donations are eligible for inheritance tax exemptions.
6. Donation Box and Vending Machine Partnerships: Placement of donation boxes at partner businesses and installation of special vending machines where a portion of sales is donated to the association.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Japan Service Dog Association breeds, trains, certifies, and lends assistance (service) dogs to individuals with physical disabilities nationwide in Japan at no cost to recipients. It also operates the Dog Intervention® (DI犬®) animal-assisted therapy program deploying facility dogs to hospitals and clinics, plus the With You Project matching dogs with households containing people with disabilities.

Product overview

Japan Service Dog Association (Japan Service Dog Association / 日本 служ援助犬協会) operates as a social welfare corporation specializing in breeding, training, and placing assistance dogs with people with physical disabilities, alongside a charity goods e-commerce operation. The core program encompasses a three-part training curriculum (basic obedience, assistance task training, and public access training) delivered at the Cynthia no Oka Comprehensive Training Center, paired with follow-up support for certified handler-dog pairs. Complementary programs include Dog Intervention® (animal-assisted therapy using facility dogs in hospitals and clinics), the With You Project (extended-trial dog matching for households with disabilities), and a Career Change Dog program rehoming dogs unsuitable for assistance work. Fundraising-integrated merchandise is sold through TheShop e-commerce platform, while supporters can join through multiple membership tiers (Monthly, Puppy, Cynthia for individuals; Corporate for organizations), participate via volunteer roles (puppy homes, PR dog caretakers, breeding caretakers), or contribute through donation channels including collection boxes, charity vending machines, bequest programs, and online payment integrations (Amazon Pay, Rakuten Pay, PayPay, SoftBank). The association also produces educational manga content and runs a 6-month trainee program for future assistance dog trainers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assistance Dog Training Program (訓練プログラム) Three-part assistance dog training covering basic obedience commands (using English verbs and Japanese nouns for clarity), assistance task training (retrieving items, opening doors, pulling wheelchairs), and public access training in transit and crowded environments, delivered at the Cynthia's Hill training center.
• Assistance Dog Placement (free of charge to eligible users) Custom matching, joint training, and lifelong placement of certified assistance dogs to people with physical disabilities. Provided at no cost to recipients; users bear only ongoing food and veterinary costs.
• Dog Intervention® (犬による介入 / DI犬®)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 service dog pairs certified and placed nationwide from Hokkaido to Okinawa
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Assistance Dogs International (ADI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Approved as an accredited member of Assistance Dogs International in January 2023 following an on-site inspection by ADI officials in November 2022. ADI is an international consortium of approximately 150 non-profit assistance dog organizations from about 30 countries. This accreditation is the primary international quality standard for the association's operations.
• Central Japan International Airport (Centrair / セントレア)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner facility for conducting public training demonstrations. Allows the association to train service dogs in real airport environments and raises public awareness of assistance dogs through airport visitor exposure.
• IKEA Nagakute (イケア長久手)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegular venue for public training demonstrations. The partnership supports awareness building and provides a realistic training environment for service dogs in a commercial setting.
• READYMADE (レディーフォー) - Bequest Donation SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with READYFOR Corporation to provide free consultation services for legacy and inheritance donations to the association. READYFOR has supported approximately 20,000 social activities and assists donors with bequest planning through their dedicated support window (0120-948-313).
• Toyota Museum (トヨタ博物館)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner venue for public training demonstrations, allowing service dogs to be trained in a museum environment while raising awareness among museum visitors.
• Special Nonprofit Corporation Donation-Type Vending Machine Promotion Association (特非 寄付型自動販売機普及協会)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation joined as a supported organization to facilitate installation of donation-type vending machines, where a portion of sales is donated to support service dog breeding.
• St. Marianna University Hospital (聖マリアンナ医科大学病院)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLoan of DI犬® (working dogs) for animal-assisted therapy at the hospital. The association provides facility dogs and trains hospital staff as handlers. Three generations of working dog teams have been deployed: MIKA (2015-2019), MORRIS (2019-2023), and HAKU (current, with 2 nurse handlers).
• NPORization Children Support Center Tsunagg (NPOR法人子ども支援センターつなっぐ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for the accompaniment dog (付添犬) program. Tsunagg provides support for abused and sexually abused children, and the association provides accompaniment dogs and handlers to help children communicate with judicial and medical professionals about their experiences.
• Kaede-no-oka Children and Women's Clinic (楓の丘こどもと女性のクリニック)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacility dog (ファシリティドッグ) Hach is deployed at this clinic (deployed from 2016 as assistance dog, retired 2019, certified as DI犬® in 2020, graduated 2023). The association staff conduct animal-assisted activity and therapy programs at the clinic.
• Non-no-sumire Clinic (野のすみれクリニック)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe association staff visit the clinic with DI犬® to conduct animal-assisted activity and therapy programs as part of the treatment plans designed by the clinic's physicians.
• Chiba Rehabilitation Center Aiiku-en (千葉リハビリテーションセンター愛育園)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for animal-assisted activities (AAA) conducted at the rehabilitation center for children with disabilities.
• Fighting Eagles Nagoya (ファイティングイーグルス名古屋)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPR dog Erio joined the team's staff for the 2026-27 season. Previously, PR dogs Pito and Kirara joined the team in October 2022 as part of a PR and awareness partnership through sports team association.
• Yomiuri Giants - Kanno Taiyou (読売巨人軍・山﨑伊織投手)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBaseball player collaboration featuring joint merchandise and awareness activities. PR activities conducted during the Giants spring training camp in Naha. Collaborative merchandise was released in March 2026.
• JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperative) Organizations (複数の農業協同組合)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple JA branches across Japan (JA Yokohama, JA Shinhakodate, JA Asahikawa, JA Aichitoyota, JA Toyama, JA Gifu, JA Kyoto, JA Okayama, JA Ehime, JA Fukuoka, and many others) participate as corporate members, install donation boxes, and support various association activities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dogs for Good: UK-based charity that trains assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities and autism, plus community dog intervention programs. Direct peer to JSDA across both service-dog placement and animal-assisted intervention programming, in a non-profit donation-funded structure.
• NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services / Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans): US non-profit that trains service dogs for people with physical disabilities and hearing loss, provides dogs free of charge, and is ADI-accredited. Closely comparable to JSDA on donation-funded free-provision model, ADI membership, and physical-disability focus.
• Support Dogs: UK-based charity training assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities, epilepsy, and autism. Comparable to JSDA in mission, training methodology, ADI accreditation, and donation-funded non-profit structure.
• Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS): Canadian non-profit that trains and places accredited service dogs with people with physical disabilities and hearing loss. Comparable to JSDA in custom matching, ADI-accredited free-provision model, and donor/community-funded operations.
• Mira (Mira Foundation): Canadian non-profit that breeds, trains, and places service dogs for people with disabilities and visually-impaired handlers, with three regional training centers. Comparable to JSDA in training-center model, ADI membership, and free-provision structure.
• 4 Paws for Ability: US-based non-profit that breeds, trains, and places service dogs with people with disabilities (including children with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities). Closely comparable to JSDA in mission, non-profit structure, custom matching, and reliance on donations/volunteers.
• Canine Companions for Independence: One of the largest US non-profit service dog organizations, providing trained service dogs free of charge to people with physical disabilities. Comparable to JSDA in free-provision model, donation funding, multi-year breeding/training pipeline, and ADI accreditation.
• Pet Partners: US non-profit operating the largest animal-assisted therapy registry in the country, deploying therapy animals into hospitals, schools, and care facilities. Most directly comparable to JSDA's Dog Intervention® program (hospital facility dogs, AAA, AAT).

Broad incumbents

• Guide Dogs for the Blind: Larger US non-profit guide dog school that also trains service dogs. Comparable as an established non-profit with a dedicated training campus, donation funding, and ADI membership, but with a broader portfolio focused primarily on guide dog placement rather than JSDA's multi-disciplinary physical-disability focus.
• The Seeing Eye: Oldest guide dog school in the world (US), operates a dedicated training campus and places dogs internationally. Comparable to JSDA as a non-profit with comprehensive training facilities and ADI accreditation, but specializes in guide dogs rather than physical-disability assistance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JSDA_ServiceDog
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2w5dXlD5P1LvcubIH5dMhw
• Facebookfacebook.com/JapanServiceDogAssociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/japanservicedogassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Japan Service Dog Association