From Pup to Hero!
This is Kiwi. She’s about to start a great journey that could lead to a future as a life-changing Assistance Dog.
Kiwi will spend the next 2 years learning over 50 skills that will one day help her support her human partner. From Puppy Kindy to the home of a caring volunteer and then into Advanced Training, Kiwi will learn to become a lifeline for someone with disability, providing not just physical support but emotional support too.
Every future Assistance Dog starts with small, practical moments: a collar fitted for the first time, a learner jacket gently slipped over soft puppy fur, a lead to begin adventures and a toy met with puppy joy!
Her Training Starter Pack — with a first learner jacket, collar, lead, blanket, enrichment toy — are all essential to start her training journey, supporting her critical early learning and development as she grows.
These may look like simple items, but for a puppy like Kiwi, they are the foundation for something much greater. With time, training, and the generosity of our supporters, a puppy like Kiwi can become a lifeline – a calm, capable partner for someone with disability. She can learn to open doors, retrieve dropped objects, provide deep pressure comfort in times of distress and offer the steady companionship that provides confidence, connection and hope.
Please consider supporting Kiwi and her litter mates to become future Assistance Dog heroes.