Team Dogs: Leveraging High-Profile Partnerships to Advance Your Mission
Partnership is at the heart of the assistance dog industry. Whether it’s the life-changing bond between a person and their assistance dog or the relationships organizations build with volunteers, companies, and community partners, meaningful connections are what make our work possible.
As assistance dog organizations continue to grow and evolve, many are finding innovative ways to leverage partnerships within communities to expand their reach and strengthen support for their mission. One emerging example is the rise of “team dog” programs, which foster collaborations between assistance dog organizations and professional sports teams.
How Team Dogs Benefit Organizations
Across the world, sports are an integral part of culture, bringing communities together and capturing the attention of large audiences. With loyal fan bases, strong community ties, and extensive media coverage, sports teams are uniquely positioned to help assistance dog organizations introduce their mission to thousands.
Recognizing these opportunities, organizations like America VetDogs, Canine Companions, COPE Service Dogs, Dogs Inc., Freedom Service Dogs of America, and Support Dogs UK, have partnered with sports teams across multiple leagues to promote their work through designated “team dogs.” These carefully selected assistance dogs in training are strategically implemented into team activities, such as game appearances, community events, sponsor activities, media opportunities, social media content, and fan engagement initiatives.
Serving as an ambassador for the team they represent and the assistance dog organization behind them, team dogs help raise awareness about what it takes to become a life-changing assistance dog and shine a light on the individual whose life will ultimately be changed by their service. By inviting fans to follow the team dog’s journey from puppyhood through placement with a person living with disabilities, audiences can invest in a compelling real-life story through the sports season and beyond.
In addition to generating excitement amongst fans, as well as mission awareness, team dogs allow organizations to leverage established fan bases and trusted community brands to build support and amplify their mission while helping their favorite teams advance their own community outreach and social impact efforts. Additionally, partnerships with influential teams can introduce organizations to new supporters, educate the public about assistance dogs, create fundraising opportunities, build community trust, and foster relationships that continue long after a team dog’s public role has ended.
Organizations like Canine Companions, which has developed robust team dog programs with multiple professional sports teams and leagues in the United States, have experienced many of these benefits firsthand. Jeanine Konopelski, Chief Marketing Officer with Canine Companions, shared, “These programs have benefitted Canine Companions by bringing brand awareness, as well as bringing in donations. The outreach and education aspect has also helped expand our work. Teams have shared their platform with us so fans can watch these dogs grow and really see what it takes to become a service dog. I think that’s a great piece of awareness for ADI organizations so people can really see the difference between assistance dogs and non-assistance dogs.”
By fostering mutually beneficial partnerships with professional sports teams, assistance dog organizations can inspire support for their mission and leverage visibility in ways that may not otherwise be possible. As more organizations explore innovative opportunities to expand community outreach, team dog programs offer a compelling example of what can be achieved when two organizations come together around a shared purpose. Built on mutual trust, collaboration, effective communication, and a commitment to making a difference, these partnerships can create lasting benefits for sports teams, organizations, and the people whose lives are transformed by assistance dogs.
Stay tuned for part two in November, in which we’ll discuss the do’s and don’ts when building your own team dog program!
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Kendle Frank is the Content Coordinator at Freedom Service Dogs of America, as well as the handler of the Colorado Avalanche Team Dog. She boasts years of experience working with animals professionally, and started her journey in the world of assistance dogs as a puppy raiser and guardian home in 2020. Kendle is dedicated to using her passion for dogs and storytelling to enhance the health, happiness, and wellbeing of companion animals and the humans who love them.
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