Saint Francis Service Dogs
Saint Francis Service Dogs is a Roanoke, Virginia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that breeds, trains, and places service and facility dogs at no cost to children and adults with disabilities, operating Virginia's largest such program through a two-year training pipeline and ADI-accredited since 2007.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersRoanoke, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Saint Francis Service Dogs does
Saint Francis Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, that breeds, trains, and places service and facility dogs for children and adults with disabilities. Founded in 1996 by Carol Willoughby and Sherri Spell, it places its first fully trained service dog in 1998 and is self-described as the largest service dog organization in Virginia. The organization operates a five-stage pipeline: a selective Breeding Program, a volunteer-led Puppy Training Program (including a Prison Pup Training Program at Bland Correctional Center started in 2008), an Advanced Training Program, and a Partner Training Program, culminating in placement of a trained dog with an individual or organization after a roughly two-year cycle. It is also ADI-accredited since 2007 (first in Virginia), placing facility dogs with healthcare and educational institutions such as Carilion Children's and Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center, and runs a Career Change Dog adoption program for dogs that do not complete service training.
The business model is donation-funded: service dogs are provided at no cost to qualified partners, with the full training cost (described as "tens of thousands of dollars" over two years per dog) absorbed by the organization. Revenue streams include individual donations, foundation and corporate grants, the recurring Big Dogs membership ($5,000/year), the Kroger Community Rewards and AmazonSmile passive donation programs, the Luke Woody Memorial Garden plaque program, and $2,000 career-change adoption fees. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: applications are accepted through the website, prospects undergo screening and matching, and the organization runs annual touchpoints including Graduation ceremonies (e.g., Class of 2025, October 5, 2025) and the Barks 'n Rec spring fundraiser. The organization is supported by more than 1,000 volunteers annually and a small professional staff of approximately 18 people across training, operations, breeding, philanthropy, marketing, and administration, governed by a Board of Directors.
Saint Francis Service Dogs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Saint Francis Service Dogs
- Legal name
- Saint Francis Service Dogs
- Website
- https://saintfrancisdogs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Saint Francis Service Dogs is a Roanoke, Virginia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that breeds, trains, and places service and facility dogs at no cost to children and adults with disabilities, operating Virginia's largest such program through a two-year training pipeline and ADI-accredited since 2007.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Saint Francis Service Dogs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability Assistance Services
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- 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), Veterinary-Affiliated/Medical Boarding (HSANADAG)
Keywords
Where Saint Francis Service Dogs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Roanoke
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Saint Francis Service Dogs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Donors contribute through various programs including one-time gifts, monthly recurring contributions (Friends Club), and major gift programs.
- Big Dogs Giving Program: Annual commitment program requiring $5,000 per year, supporting the Breeding Program, Puppy Program, and Prison Pup Program. Members receive benefits including special listing, invitations to events, behind-the-scenes updates, and facility tours.
- Career Change Dog Adoption: Dogs that do not complete service dog training are placed as pets through a career change program. Adoptive homes pay a $2,000 adoption fee after screening, matching, placement, and a 30-day probation period.
- Memorial Garden Plaques: The Luke Woody Memorial Garden allows supporters to purchase commemorative plaques to honor loved ones or pets. Proceeds benefit the organization's mission.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Service Dogs provided at no cost to qualified individuals with disabilities |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Saint Francis Service Dogs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Saint Francis Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises, trains, and places service dogs with individuals with disabilities and facility dogs with healthcare and educational organizations. Each dog is produced through a two-year integrated pipeline that includes a breeding program, volunteer puppy raising, a prison pup training program at Bland Correctional Center, advanced training, and partner training. Service and facility dogs are provided at no cost to qualified recipients; dogs that do not complete service training are placed as pets through a Career Change program for a $2,000 adoption fee.
Product overview
Saint Francis Service Dogs offers a comprehensive service dog program consisting of two core products: Service Dogs for individuals with disabilities and Facility Dogs for organizations. The organization operates an integrated pipeline of five interconnected programs—Breeding Program, Puppy Training Program, Prison Pup Training Program, Advanced Training Program, and Partner Training Program—that work together to raise, train, match, and place service dogs over a two-year process at no cost to recipients. Dogs that do not complete service training enter the Career Change Dogs program for pet adoption placement. The full program cycle takes two years and significant resources to produce each partnership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Service Dogs Professionally trained service dogs placed at no cost with individuals with disabilities to assist with activities of daily living, provide mobility and physical assistance, and offer emotional support for conditions including autism, cerebral palsy, joint and muscular diseases, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, paralysis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Facility Dogs Specially trained dogs placed with organizations such as hospitals, schools, and care centers to provide therapeutic support and assistance to multiple individuals within those settings.
- Career Change Dogs Program placing dogs that do not complete service dog training into carefully screened adoptive homes as pets for a $2,000 adoption fee after screening, matching, placement, and a 30-day probation period. Placement is limited to Virginia or within a three-hour driving radius of the Roanoke training facility.
Quantifiable outcome
- Service dogs trained to assist with specific disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, paralysis, and rheumatoid arthritis
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Saint Francis Service Dogs
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Saint Francis Service Dogs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Saint Francis Service Dogs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.
- KrogermoderateKroger Community Rewards program allows shoppers to support Saint Francis by linking their Kroger Plus Card. Donates to the organization with every eligible purchase made by enrolled supporters.
- Bland Correctional CentercorePuppies are raised by select inmates at Bland Correctional Center through the Prison Pup Program. This prepares the dogs for a life of service while bringing purpose, responsibility, and hope to the handlers, proving that growth and second chances can come on both ends of the leash.
- Assistance Dogs InternationalcoreADI is a coalition of not-for-profit organizations that train and place assistance dogs. Saint Francis was the first organization in Virginia to be accredited by ADI in 2007. Accreditation involves rigorous peer-review including paperwork submission, on-site survey by trained assessor, interviews with staff, clients, volunteers, and board members, facility inspection, and review of paperwork to ensure all ADI standards are met. Programs must be re-accredited every five years.
- AmazonSmileminorAmazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Saint Francis Service Dogs when customers register and select the organization as their charity.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Saint Francis Service Dogs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NEADS World Class Service Dogs: Massachusetts nonprofit training service dogs for hearing, mobility, and PTSD support. Uses volunteer puppy raisers and prison-based programs; comparable to Saint Francis in operating model, ADI accreditation status, and free placement to recipients.
- 4 Paws for Ability: Ohio-based nonprofit that raises, trains, and places service dogs for children and adults with disabilities, including autism, mobility, and hearing. Uses a similar multi-stage training pipeline with volunteer puppy raisers and provides dogs at no cost, comparable in scope and beneficiary profile.
- Canine Companions for Independence: Largest US service dog nonprofit, providing service dogs free of charge to individuals with disabilities. Operates the same nonprofit, no-cost-to-recipient model with multi-year training programs and ADI accreditation, directly comparable in mission and structure to Saint Francis.
- Service Dog Project: Nonprofit that trains and places mobility service dogs (primarily Great Danes) at no cost to recipients. Comparable in service-dog focus, no-cost placement model, and volunteer-driven training pipeline.
- Canine Partners of the Rockies: Colorado-based nonprofit that trains and places service dogs for individuals with mobility impairments. Comparable regional nonprofit operating a similar volunteer puppy-raising and service-dog placement model.
- paws4people (paws4vets): North Carolina-based nonprofit placing service dogs for individuals with physical disabilities, neurological/psychiatric conditions, and veterans. Operates prison puppy programs similar to Saint Francis's Bland Correctional Center partnership and follows the same no-cost-to-recipient model.
- ECAD (Educated Canines for Assistance and Disability): Connecticut-based nonprofit training service dogs for mobility assistance and veterans with PTSD. Operates a similar multi-program structure with prison puppy partnerships, directly comparable to Saint Francis's pipeline.
Regional players
- Dogs for Good: UK-based charity training assistance dogs for disabled individuals and working in therapeutic settings. Operates a structurally similar model to Saint Francis (breeding, puppy raising, advanced training, no-cost placement) but serves the UK market.
Broad incumbents
- Pet Partners: National nonprofit focused on therapy animal visits rather than full task-trained service dogs. Comparable in nonprofit animal-assisted intervention mission, but its animal-handler teams serve broader therapeutic rather than disability-assistance use cases.
- Guide Dogs for the Blind: Large, well-established nonprofit training guide dogs primarily for the visually impaired. Overlaps with Saint Francis in ADI accreditation, volunteer-driven model, and no-cost placement, but specializes in guide (vs. broader service) dogs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Saint Francis Service Dogs social profiles
Digital presenceSaint Francis Service Dogs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Saint Francis Service Dogs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saint Francis Service Dogs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles33 records
Saint Francis Service Dogs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saint Francis Service Dogs 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 Saint Francis Service Dogs
What does Saint Francis Service Dogs do?
Saint Francis Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises, trains, and places service dogs with individuals with disabilities and facility dogs with healthcare and educational organizations. Each dog is produced through a two-year integrated pipeline that includes a breeding program, volunteer puppy raising, a prison pup training program at Bland Correctional Center, advanced training, and partner training. Service and facility dogs are provided at no cost to qualified recipients; dogs that do not complete service training are placed as pets through a Career Change program for a $2,000 adoption fee.
Is Saint Francis Service Dogs a public or private company?
Saint Francis Service Dogs is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Saint Francis Service Dogs founded?
Saint Francis Service Dogs was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Saint Francis Service Dogs based?
Saint Francis Service Dogs is headquartered in Roanoke, United States, in the North America region.
How does Saint Francis Service Dogs make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are big Dogs Giving Program, career Change Dog Adoption and memorial Garden Plaques.
Who are Saint Francis Service Dogs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NEADS World Class Service Dogs, 4 Paws for Ability, Canine Companions for Independence, Service Dog Project, Canine Partners of the Rockies, paws4people (paws4vets) and ECAD (Educated Canines for Assistance and Disability). Dogs for Good is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Pet Partners and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Does Saint Francis Service Dogs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Saint Francis Service Dogs.
What industry is Saint Francis Service Dogs in?
Saint Francis Service Dogs's product category is Disability Assistance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAMAAAI, Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAIAD, Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid. Its NAICS code is 812910 and its SIC code is 8300.