The Foundation for Service Dog Support will have extra funding this fall to continue providing service dogs for injured and disabled public safety officials and military personnel.
The Peoria-based foundation was announced Monday as the winner of a $25,000 grant from the Albertsons Community Partners Challenge after receiving more than 50,000 votes.
The Community Partners Challenge invited charities and nonprofit organizations to submit grant requests. The organizations with the highest number of votes in various categories of service were awarded amounts ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.
Dr. CJ Betancourt, the executive director of the foundation, said receiving the grant was an affirmation of tremendous community support.
“Everybody who voted, everybody who does this is a part of our team,” she said.
Betancourt, who has a service dog named Emma, said the money would help the foundation continue serving a unique group of veterans.
“For me to go back and continue to work with this population and have this connection is an honor,” Betancourt said.
Journalism senior Alli Cannon said the foundation knew they had received the most votes two weeks ago but waited for the official announcement to celebrate.
“We had hope but we didn’t want to be disappointed and expect anything,” Cannon said.
Cannon, who has been training her first service dog, a Boxer mix named Nala, said the money will allow the foundation to give away four dogs for free to the next group of recipients.
“The fact that (Nala) can go free of charge after she has done so much for me is a really big accomplishment,” Cannon said.
Biology sophomore Becky Brooks said the grant would help sustain the foundation in countless ways.
“Not only is the money going to help pay for the dogs but it’s going to keep our program running for the next few years,” she said.
Brooks trained a Labrador Shar Pei mix named Bailey, her second service dog. She joked that most people voted for the dogs, not the cause.
“It came down to people wanting Bailey and Nala to win,” Brooks said.
Betancourt said most of the grant money will be directed toward increasing awareness for the foundation and incorporating youth from around the Valley to help train the next round of dogs.
“I’m training my replacement,” Betancourt said. “We’re starting when the kids are young.”
Betancourt said the foundation will receive a check from Albertsons later this month in a special ceremony.
The foundation was one of 60 charities in six states to receive a grant. It was one of only two organizations to receive a $25,000 grant from the available funds of $300,000.
Cannon said the grant would help the Foundation do what it does best: Help recipients improve their quality of life.
“In the end, it’s about giving our service dogs to deserving individuals,” she said.
Reach the reporter at brennan.j.smith@asu.edu
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