Welcome to Our Family
We enable disabled veterans to live a more productive life through the use of service animals.
Our Story
Empowering veterans to be a part of society.
Gerad & Debbie Claseman founded Dogs4Vets in 2005. The idea was to help a few veterans every year with service dog (SD) training at no cost to them due to the high cost of typical training, as well as the 3 to 7 year wait for a fully trained SD. Due to the overwhelming demand for SD services, we found that we needed to expand the program and the way to do this was to create a 501 c 3 mission. Within the 12 years of operation, Dogs4Vets has experienced many changes due to growth and experience as well as perfecting the uniqueness of the program. This has positioned Dogs4Vets to become one of the largest programs of its kind in the nation. Dogs4Vets’ training center is located in Gilbert, AZ, but finds that veterans will relocate from across the country to attend the program. Dogs4Vets is comprised of educated, compassionate trainers that want to give back to our military men and women. Most of our trainers are disabled veterans or family members of disabled veterans.
Our Program
Why our training works
Dogs4Vets helps disabled veterans train their own dog to be their service dog. Dogs4Vets sponsors disabled veterans that qualify with lifetime, no cost service dog training and certification. The veteran’s program is tailor-made for their specific needs. Unlike some programs that teach the dog mundane tasks like leaning, our service dogs are trained to interact with the veteran and notice changes in body language, stress hormone chemicals and voice. We stress the use of positive training methods.
Our Trainers
Who makes our program successful
Most of our trainers are certified animal behaviorist and have spent a minimum of two years getting hands-on experience in our program. These dedicated individuals also specialize in mobility assistance, seizure alert, diabetes alert, Traumatic Brain Injury, MST, Parkinson’s and all forms of PTSD, and Psychological disorders, such as night terrors, depression, anxiety. We can also accommodate some hearing and vision loss needs.
Our Facility
Where you feel at home
Our training center is a “safe haven” for disabled veterans to come and train their own dogs to be service dogs. Our facility simulates an actual home and allows us to train their dogs in a real-world environment. Opening and closing doors, turning on and off lights, and alerting the veteran to the ringing of the telephone or a door bell, are all exercises that we accomplish in our facility.