Citadel Canine Society:  is one of Canada’s two largest PTSD-OSI medical service dog providers.  To date we have over 200 teams either trained and/or paired, or in basic training.   We are also Canada’s longest-running, mission-specific PTSD-OSI medical service dog organization, and we are proudly marking our 10th Anniversary during 2022.  

 

What is the Citadel Canine Mission?  Our core mission is very specific: we arrange for the training and subsequent delivery of PTSD and OSI (Operational Stress Injury) service dogs for new military veterans, and first responders:  Police, Fire, EMT, Nursing, Corrections and 9-1-1 personnel.  These wonderful dogs are provided at no cost to the recipients.  The current mix of military veterans to first responders within our program is approximately 50 - 50.

 

Are you a charity?    Yes.  Citadel Therapy Canine Society is incorporated in British Columbia as a non-profit Society.  We are also registered as a charitable organization by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA registration number 81339 5480 RR 0001) and are therefore allowed to issue tax deduction receipts for all donations.

 

Do you have any employees?   No.  Citadel Canine is managed entirely by volunteers.  We do not have any salaried employees, or contract workers.  We do pay several post-secondary students for part time clerical support, and we pay for the costs to train and deliver service dogs to recipients.  This includes payments to qualified dog trainers.  These trainers provide their services at greatly reduced charge-out rates, and in some cases at no charge.

 

Where do our donation dollars go?  Because Citadel Canine does not have any regular employee expenses, the majority of our funding is directed towards the costs associated with training and delivering PTSD and OSI service dogs.  These costs include adoption or rescue fees, veterinary charges, boarding expenses, dog gear (vests, crates, etc.), and training expenses, including travel costs to move dogs in training, and then connect them with candidates.

 

How can I make a donation?  Donations can be made utilizing the Canada Helps link on our website, or donations can be made directly by mailing a cheque payable to:  Citadel Canine Society, at:  202 - 2476 York Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6K 1E2

 

Do you receive government funding?   At the present time, no regular funding is received from government agencies, most notably Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).   All funding to support the Citadel Canine mission comes from individuals, corporations, and veterans’ support groups. 

 

Why don’t government agencies fund your program?  At the present time, VAC continues to study the impact of service dogs on new veterans dealing with PTSD issues.  In addition, and VAC is absolutely correct in this regard, there are no agreed upon national Certification testing standards for PTSD service dogs.  A process to create standards to certify service dogs is now underway, under the umbrella of the Human Resource Standards Organization (HRSO).  

 

Do you operate in our area?   At the present time (March, 2023) Citadel Canine has a network of qualified dog trainers actively training in BC (5), Alberta (1), Saskatchewan (2), Manitoba (1), Ontario (5), and Nova Scotia (4).

 

Does Citadel only employ rescue dogs?    At the beginning of our mission, we focused on employing dogs rescued from shelters, as we got a “two’fer” in terms of doing good work.  However, as the success of our mission has grown, and the word about it has spread, we have been approached by highly regarded dog breeders.  As a result we have now had these animals join our program as well.  But we have not, nor will we ever, forget the countless wonderful dogs sitting in animal rescue shelters that are desperately awaiting new homes ….they will always be included at the very top of our “search list”.

 

How do I apply to receive a service dog in training?  Citadel Canine welcomes inquiries from veterans, and first responders (Police, Fire, EMT, Nursing, Corrections, and 9-1-1), via our website.  We prefer that applicants are referred to us by OSISS, VAC, or DND therapeutic case managers.  All potential candidates must complete and pass all mandatory requirements of acceptance into our program.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Due to a tremendous surge in interest for service dogs within the new veterans and first responder communities, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Citadel Canine is very busy with pending files.  If you are looking for a service dog, please hold off on making any new inquiries until we are able to once again accept new applications. However, if you have a dog that you would like to have assessed for admission into our service dog program, pls reach out to us via our website, or send an e-mail to:  “info@citadelcanine.com”

 

Our Current “Mission Reach”:  At the present time, Citadel Canine Society has active PTSD-OSI training underway on Vancouver Island, in the BC Lower Mainland, and in the Okanagan Valley.  Training activity is now underway in Calgary and Saskatoon.  In Ontario training activity is currently occurring in North Bay, Toronto, Smiths Falls, and Ottawa.  Training is also underway in the Greenwood area of Nova Scotia.

 

Revised:  March 31, 2023

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“Helping our Heroes – One Dog at a Time”

 

Citadel Canine Society   202 – 2476 York Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6K 1E2    “citadelcanine.com”