06/04/2026
Acadia donated to NEADS World Class Service Dogs who provide well trained service dogs for deaf, disabled and veterans. Raising a dog to completion is approximately a 2 year endeavor and touches the lives of so many people, from the staff and volunteers that work at the facility, to inmates in correctional facilities that care for and train the pups during the week, to the full-time and part-time raisers that help to reinforce that training in real-world environments. All of this time and dedication by so many helps to deliver the “rock solid” dogs NEADS is known for. During this lengthy training process the staff is evaluating the dogs for their strengths and they take great pride in matching the right dog to the recipient. These dogs change lives, giving back independence, confidence, and lifting spirits wherever they go. This is NEADS 50th year and over that time they have trained more than 1,900 service dog teams, at this point they have over 100 dogs currently in training. They are ever changing and adapting. Some of the updates over the years have been a new client house for the person/dog teams to come and stay for the 2 week training and bonding. They are currently building an onsite vet clinic and early learning center for the pups, this should be ready in the fall. Over the years they have developed a breeding program partnering with other service dog organizations.
