Quick Look at CHAMP

Quick Facts

• Incorporated in January 1998
• 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status (EIN: 43-1803006)
• CHAMP Board meets 6 times per year. Long-range plans include controlled growth, our own training facility and stable funding.
• 9 full and part-time staff members
• 130+ volunteers help CHAMP with everything from raising puppies, training service-dogs, handling therapy dogs, to sewing service dog and therapy dog capes, and assisting with special events.
• CHAMP is located in a small office / training center in Maryland Heights, MO. We do not house dogs at this facility - all of our dogs-in-training live with their caregivers in the greater St. Louis community, or their trainers at our prison program.
• 86 service and facility dog placements as of April 2022.

The Community CHAMP Serves

Our area of service is St. Louis, Missouri and surrounding communities, and Columbia, Missouri.

CHAMP Service Dog graduates have disabilities other than visual or hearing impairments, including but not limited to

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Cerebral Palsy
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

CHAMP Facility Dog graduates work in healthcare, courthouses, and child advocacy centers

CHAMP Programs

CHAMP Assistance Dog Program

• Public Access Service Dogs
• Home Service Dogs
• Home Companion Dogs
• Facility Dogs

We average around 12-15 dogs and puppies in training plus a few others under observation.All dogs live with their caregivers during all stages of training. CHAMP is among the few service dog organizations that does not house dogs in a kennel facility. Dogs entering the training program come from many sources, including the rescue/shelter community, pet homes, and breeders. All dogs entering our training program must pass temperament and health clearances.

CHAMP Prison Program

• The CHAMP Prison Program operates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Greenville, IL
• Service dog program started at the prison in October 2020
• CHAMP staff visit weekly to lead training classes
• Puppies and dogs rotate in and out of the prison every 1-2 months.
• CHAMP is responsible for most dog-related costs associated with the program, including dogs, equipment, food, training supplies, and vet care.

Learn more about the CHAMP Prison Program

CHAMP Therapy Dog Program

• Therapy Dog Program
• Over 100 therapy dog teams visit in over 80 facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, reading programs, and rehabilitation centers, plus special events such as university finals week de-stress programs. Most in-person facility visits in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled, or conducted as social-distanced window visits.

CHAMP Education Program

• Education Program
• 80 presentations to 4,683 children and adults in 57 different venues, including public and private schools, and social and civic organizations in 2019. We hosted uncounted virtual presentations during 2020 and 2021 and have recently restarted in-person presentations.

Professional Organizations

• CHAMP has been a member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI) since our beginning in 1998, and a fully accredited member since 2007. CHAMP was the first to achieve this level of certification in the state of Missouri.
• International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP)

Funding Sources

• Individual donations

• Corporations, foundations, and small businesses

• Social organizations and civic groups

• School fundraisers

• Government employees

• Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)

• Missouri State Employees Charitable Campaign (MSECC)

• CHAMP fundraisers

• Gifts-in-Kind, mainly veterinarians, puppy caregivers, puppy donations, and our With List donors.

  CHAMP service dogs are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of our caring community. CHAMP does not receive state, federal, or United Way funding. We are not affiliated with and do not receive funding from any national service-dog-provider organization.