Duo Dogs

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.

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

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

• Assistance dog training
• Service animal placement
• Therapy dog services
• Facility dog programs
• Canine literacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

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, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Brick Campaign: Commemorative personalized bricks sold and installed at the facility to generate revenue and create lasting tributes for donors.
3. 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

Core 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.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PurinacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPurina 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. LouiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDuo Dogs is a proud partner of United Way Greater St. Louis, a major regional nonprofit federation.
• Ladue NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLadue News provided coverage and photography for the 2024 Fetching Affair Gala.
• Mirage PhotominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMirage Photo captured photos from the 2024 Fetching Affair Gala for event documentation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/DuoDogsInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/support-dogs-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/duodogsinc/?hl=en

Compliance3 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 Duo Dogs