About Joys of Living Assistance Dogs

Service dog nonprofit in Salem

Joys of Living Assistance Dogs (JLAD) is a Salem 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to raising and training assistance dogs and placing them in positions of service. Its dogs are purpose-bred for temperament and health, and a wide community of breeders, trainers and volunteer socializers raises them. Through a prison partnership, adults in custody work as dedicated JLAD trainers. JLAD lists 22 years serving the community, 354 service dogs placed, 90+ cues learned by a service dog and 12 years of ADI accreditation.

Programs

JLAD-trained dogs include civilian service dogs, veteran and first responder service dogs for mobility and PTSD, and facility dogs. An owner-trained track helps people train their own service or facility dog. JLAD partners with Alliance of Therapy Dogs for its therapy certification program, and career change dogs are available for adoption.

What owners say

A veteran paired with his dog Hero wrote: "He changed my life."

What to ask

Ask about the application process, wait times and the requirements for the owner-trained program.