Virtual Conversation: June 21, 2023

Our Board of Directors recently passed a resolution for us to move forward with an expansion project. Those plans will include a puppy center for whelping purposes and will address other space needs.

In order to grow (or even sustain what we currently do), we need to begin whelping on-site with the help of volunteers. Our whelping volunteers literally bring life to our mission, serving in an intense and crucial way. They turn their homes into “Puppy Central” for weeks at a time, putting a virtual stop to many other aspects of their life. Making the whelping process more of a shared experience can ease that burden.

Since a building project will take three to four years, we have signed a purchase agreement for a kennel facility in New Germany, Minnesota, about 30 miles west of our main facility. We will use this location as a whelping center in the meantime. It was previously a dog training and boarding business and contains state-of-the-art kennel wings, so it is ideal for our needs. We plan to close on the purchase later this summer.

Join us virtually to hear from Executive Director Jeff Johnson and Director of Training Julianne Larsen about these plans. Additionally, Client Services Manager Denise Yokom will present how our “matchmaking process” works in order to make the best possible client and assistance dog teams.

Please register using this link.