Working Class Dogs
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, July 4, 1776.
I’d like to thank you for visiting our site and for taking the time to learn about Working Class Dogs. We are a nonprofit 501-C-3 organization located in McHenry County, Illinois. Our goal is to unite dogs with children with disabilities to enhance their development, independence and self-sufficiency.
For thousands of men, women and children over the last 30 years, service dogs have provided independence never before achievable without the aid of a human attendant. But now people with disabilities are setting their sails and charting their own courses. Instead of being taken care of, they are creating independence and self-sufficiency. Service dogs have been of substantial assistance to that end. These dogs have been trained to safely guide a handler with a visual impairment, alert hearing impaired partners to environmental noises, retrieve dropped or needed items, turn lights on and off, open and close doors and drawers, activate automatic door switches, and even pull a wheelchair for someone with limited mobility!
The trail has been blazed. It is the mission of Working Class Dogs to widen it further by in training dogs to address the specific needs of children with Autism and developmental disabilities. |
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To help you better understand our program we’d like to introduce you to Mac. Mac is a beautiful Labrador retriever. Once Mac is about two years old, he will have learned 50 plus commands and be mature to be assigned to a child in need of his companionship and special skills. The assistance of a well-trained service dog can significantly improve the quality of life for a child with these types of disabilities. In addition to his tangible skills, Mac will become the constant, loving companion for a child who may be otherwise socially limited. |
According to U.S. Census reports, there are more than 52 million Americans with varying disabilities nationwide. Seven million are residents of Illinois. In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Autism affects an average of 1 in 250 births; or that as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of Autism. However, there are only a small handful of service dog programs training dogs for children and even fewer training dogs to specifically address the needs of those affected by Autism or developmental disabilities.
Moreover, of the few service dog programs nationwide, none are located in Illinois. Illinois residents must travel out of state to obtain a dog, where they must reside for two to four weeks to undergo training to learn how to work with their dog. Out of state travel is inconvenient and cost prohibitive for most individuals.
Finally, the average program waiting list for a service dog is between three and five years. This is simply too long to delay independence.
Working Class Dogs was founded in May 2002 to address this overwhelming need. We are dedicated to facilitating increased community acceptance and participation of children with disabilities in all aspects of life. By doing so, we strengthen society and enhance our community, thus assuring the diversity of all its members. |
