Duo Dogs
Duo Dogs is a St. Louis-based nonprofit that trains and places assistance, facility, and therapy dogs with individuals and institutions across six use cases including mobility, veteran, courtroom, healthcare, and student reading programs. It is ADI-accredited and ADA-compliant, funded through donations, corporate matching, planned giving, and annual fundraising events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Duo Dogs does
Duo Dogs, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1981. The organization trains and places assistance, facility, and therapy dogs to serve individuals with physical, emotional, and social needs across six beneficiary segments: mobility assistance, deaf and hard of hearing, veterans, courtroom support, healthcare facilities, and students (via the Paws for Reading reading assistance program). Its core service portfolio comprises Assistance Dogs, Facility Dogs, Duo Touch Therapy Dogs, Obedience Training, and Paws for Reading, all delivered through a single St. Louis training facility with direct placement to recipients and institutions. Duo Dogs is accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), operates in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and holds BBB accreditation.
Duo Dogs generates revenue almost entirely through donations and charitable contributions rather than paid services. Revenue streams include individual gifts, corporate matching programs, planned giving, and an annual event calendar anchored by the Blue Tie Gala (presented by Purina), the Duo Dash 5K Run + 1-Mile Dog Walk, Trivia Night, and the Fetching Affair Gala. The organization also runs the Brick Campaign, which sells commemorative personalized bricks installed at its facility. Pricing for assistance dog placement is not publicly disclosed. Operations are supported by a community volunteer base aged 18 and older across puppy care, office support, special events, and touch program activities.
The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by two Chief Development Officers, Sean McCaffrey and Sara Newton. Strategic partnerships include Purina (presenting sponsor of the Blue Tie Gala) and United Way Greater St. Louis. Marketing and donor engagement operate through the organization website, blog, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Flickr), the Duo Dogcast podcast, and email and print newsletters. The technology stack is limited to dog training and assistance dog placement services; there is no proprietary software platform, app, or AI/ML capability disclosed.
Duo Dogs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Duo Dogs
- Legal name
- Duo Dogs, Inc.
- Website
- https://duodogs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Duo Dogs is a St. Louis-based nonprofit that trains and places assistance, facility, and therapy dogs with individuals and institutions across six use cases including mobility, veteran, courtroom, healthcare, and student reading programs. It is ADI-accredited and ADA-compliant, funded through donations, corporate matching, planned giving, and annual fundraising events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Duo Dogs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Assistance Dog Services
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Training-Integrated Dog Daycare (Day Training) (HSANAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)
Keywords
Where Duo Dogs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Duo Dogs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, Duo Dogs relies heavily on individual donations, corporate matching programs, and planned giving to fund operations and dog training programs.
- Brick Campaign: Commemorative personalized bricks sold and installed at the facility to generate revenue and create lasting tributes for donors.
- Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from fundraising events including the Blue Tie Gala, Duo Dash 5K, and Trivia Night.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Duo Dogs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Duo Dogs is a national nonprofit organization that trains and places Assistance Dogs for individuals with physical challenges, Facility Dogs for institutional emotional support, and Duo Touch Therapy Dogs for therapeutic visits and reading programs. It also delivers Obedience Training and the Paws for Reading literacy program. The organization funds its operations through donations, volunteer programs, planned giving, and signature fundraising events.
Product overview
Duo Dogs is a nonprofit organization that trains and connects dogs with people to cultivate positive change in individuals, families, and communities. The organization offers a portfolio of five distinct service offerings: Assistance Dogs for individuals with physical challenges, Facility Dogs for institutional settings, Duo Touch Therapy Dogs for emotional support and reading assistance, Obedience Training for behavioral development, and Paws for Reading to support student literacy. All services are delivered through a direct service model with accredited training programs, not a software platform architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Duo Touch Therapy Dogs: Therapy dogs that bring encouragement to people facing health issues or other challenges, reading assistance to area students, and educational programming to schools and businesses.
- Assistance Dogs
- Facility Dogs
- Paws for Reading
- Duo Dogcast
Products and services
- Assistance Dogs Specially trained dogs that assist individuals with physical challenges by performing tasks such as mobility assistance, retrieving objects, and providing stability support to enhance independence and daily living.
- Facility Dogs Trained dogs placed in healthcare facilities, courtrooms, and other institutional settings to provide emotional support, comfort, and assistance to multiple individuals in those environments.
- Duo Touch Therapy Dogs Therapy dogs that visit hospitals, healthcare facilities, and schools to provide encouragement, emotional support, reading assistance to students, and educational programming to schools and businesses.
- Obedience Training Professional dog training services offered to help dogs develop obedience skills, proper behavior, and responsiveness to commands.
- Paws for Reading A reading assistance program where therapy dogs help students improve their reading skills by providing a relaxed and supportive environment for children to practice reading aloud.
Companies that use Duo Dogs
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Duo Dogs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Duo Dogs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PurinacorePurina presents the annual Blue Tie Gala, which is described as the organization's largest and most inspiring event of the year. The elegant evening celebrates the extraordinary bonds between people and dogs.
- United Way Greater St. LouiscoreDuo Dogs is a proud partner of United Way Greater St. Louis, a major regional nonprofit federation.
- Ladue NewsminorLadue News provided coverage and photography for the 2024 Fetching Affair Gala.
- Mirage PhotominorMirage Photo captured photos from the 2024 Fetching Affair Gala for event documentation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Duo Dogs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- America's VetDogs: National nonprofit that trains and places service dogs for veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders with disabilities. Comparable to Duo Dogs' veteran assistance segment and broader assistance dog mission.
- Susquehanna Service Dogs: ADI-accredited nonprofit that raises, trains, and places service dogs and facility dogs. Highly comparable as a regionally based, multi-program service dog organization operating in a similar donation-funded model.
- Canine Companions for Independence: National nonprofit that trains and places service dogs for individuals with physical disabilities, veterans, and children. Directly comparable to Duo Dogs as an ADI-accredited assistance dog organization with a multi-program portfolio and a similar training-and-placement model.
- ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities): Nonprofit that trains service dogs for mobility assistance, seizure response, and autism support. Directly comparable to Duo Dogs' Assistance Dogs program and donation-funded nonprofit structure.
- Pet Partners: National nonprofit that registers and trains therapy animals for visits to hospitals, schools, and other facilities. Comparable to Duo Dogs' Duo Touch Therapy Dogs and Paws for Reading programs in therapy animal deployment.
- NEADS World Class Service Dogs: Nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans, people with disabilities, and children, plus offers therapy dog and education programs. Closely comparable to Duo Dogs in mission, ADI-style accreditation, and program breadth.
- Can Do Canines: Nonprofit that trains assistance dogs for mobility, hearing, diabetes, and seizure alert, plus skilled companion dogs. Comparable in mission, training-and-placement model, and ADI-aligned accreditation.
- K9s For Warriors: Nonprofit providing service dogs to veterans with PTSD and physical injuries. Directly comparable to Duo Dogs' veteran assistance use case, though specialized to a single beneficiary segment.
- Guide Dogs for the Blind: Large nonprofit that trains guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired. Comparable in mission and nonprofit training-and-placement model, though more specialized to guide dog work versus Duo Dogs' broader assistance dog portfolio.
Others
- Purina (Nestlé Purina PetCare): Corporate sponsor and presenting partner of Duo Dogs' Blue Tie Gala. Included as a key ecosystem participant given its role in funding, brand association, and pet nutrition supply dynamics affecting the dog training organization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Duo Dogs social profiles
Digital presenceDuo Dogs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Duo Dogs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Duo Dogs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Duo Dogs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Duo 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 Duo Dogs
What does Duo Dogs do?
Duo Dogs is a national nonprofit organization that trains and places Assistance Dogs for individuals with physical challenges, Facility Dogs for institutional emotional support, and Duo Touch Therapy Dogs for therapeutic visits and reading programs. It also delivers Obedience Training and the Paws for Reading literacy program. The organization funds its operations through donations, volunteer programs, planned giving, and signature fundraising events.
When was Duo Dogs founded?
Duo Dogs was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Duo Dogs based?
Duo Dogs is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Duo Dogs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are brick Campaign and event Fundraising.
Who are Duo Dogs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are America's VetDogs, Susquehanna Service Dogs, Canine Companions for Independence, ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities), Pet Partners, NEADS World Class Service Dogs, Can Do Canines, K9s For Warriors and Guide Dogs for the Blind. Purina (Nestlé Purina PetCare) is listed as an others.
Does Duo Dogs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Duo Dogs.
What industry is Duo Dogs in?
Duo Dogs's product category is Assistance Dog Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSANAFAE, Training-Integrated Dog Daycare (Day Training), with a secondary code of BPAGAIAA, Animal Shelters & Adoption Services. Its NAICS code is 812910 and its SIC code is 8300.