APPA Gives Back with Joybound People & Pets Shelter to Service Program
Quick Stats About Joybound People & Pet Alliance:
Joybound helps
individuals in need of psychiatric service dogs through assessment, placement, and training of psychiatric service dogs.
860 hours
of service dog training completed in 2023.
167 animals
adopted by veterans in 2023.
About Joybound
Joybound People & Pet Alliance, formally the Animal Rescue Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Walnut Creek, California, with programs designed to enrich and celebrate the special bond between people and pets. Joybound’s Shelter to Service Program transforms rescue animals into trained psychiatric service dogs for individuals with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, anxiety, severe depression, and more. The program evaluates and matches shelter animals with someone in need of a psychiatric service dog. Aspiring service dogs and their handlers complete a free, professional training program to teach these dogs the public access skills and tasks necessary to become service dogs, along with customized tasks based on the handler’s needs.
How APPA Gives Back with Joybound People & Pets
APPA provides ongoing support to Joybound’s Shelter to Service program, helping to connect service dog candidates with individuals with invisible disabilities and providing free placement and professional training at little to no cost. In 2021, APPA also fulfilled a $1 million donation to build the organization's new training facility designed to support the program’s needs.