Our Mission
Our Goals
Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs - Transforming Lives
Our Mission:
At Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs, we raise, train, and match expertly trained service dogs with veterans battling PTSD, first responders, and individuals with disabilities—free of charge. These remarkable dogs don’t just assist with daily tasks—they restore independence, build confidence, and provide unwavering emotional support. By combining skill and companionship, our service dogs transform lives, offering hope, healing, and a renewed sense of purpose
Comprehensive 2-Year Training
Our service dogs undergo a rigorous 2-year training program with dedicated Puppy Parent Trainers. They master over 90 commands, including:
- Anxiety alerts
- Light control
- Door and drawer operations
- Object retrieval
- General protection
How Our Dogs Make a Difference
- Facilitating re-integration and socialization
- Recognizing signs of anxiety or distress
- Interrupting nightmares for better sleep
- Boosting confidence and abilities
Emotional Benefits of a Service Dog
Our service dogs provide exceptional emotional support:
- Love and companionship
- Comfort through obedience and presence
- Joy and stress relief
- Motivation for outdoor activities and socialization
Experience the Transformation
Discover how Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs can enhance emotional well-being and provide the companionship you need.t no cost
What We Do
Our History
Our History
- Canine Guardians is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, fully volunteer, donation-based organization in the beautiful Napa Valley. We raise and train and provide service dogs to assist and enrich the daily lives of wounded American veterans and veterans with PTSD, 1t Responders, and people with disabilities.
For struggling veterans who are willing to
- Canine Guardians is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, fully volunteer, donation-based organization in the beautiful Napa Valley. We raise and train and provide service dogs to assist and enrich the daily lives of wounded American veterans and veterans with PTSD, 1t Responders, and people with disabilities.
For struggling veterans who are willing to take the first step to regain independence in their life, we are here to help.
Our History
Our History
Our History
- For 10 years, we have been raising and training puppies to be service dogs. We have graduated 7 classes and placed 35+ dogs with PTSD Veterans and other people in need.
- We have 6 puppies in training with Puppy Parents
- We are affiliated with the Tug McGraw Foundation in Yountville, CA and have a dog at the Yountville Veterans' Home
- We have 4
- For 10 years, we have been raising and training puppies to be service dogs. We have graduated 7 classes and placed 35+ dogs with PTSD Veterans and other people in need.
- We have 6 puppies in training with Puppy Parents
- We are affiliated with the Tug McGraw Foundation in Yountville, CA and have a dog at the Yountville Veterans' Home
- We have 4 dogs working at a local high schools and elementary schools.
Our Mission
Our History
Our Mission
- Each of our dogs is specially trained to address the needs of the individual they will be assisting. Canine Guardians' dogs not only help with physical needs but can also help heal emotional wounds, as well. Our dogs comfort and calm, and provide love and understanding to their person.
Donate Today
Help Our Cause
Canine Guardians is actively working toward key financial goals. In addition to raising funds for a permanent facility, we aim to:
• Build a Medical Emergency Fund
• Expand Veteran Outreach
• Increase the number of service dogs we train and place each year
• Bring in expert guest speakers to enhance our training classes
A BIG THANK YOU!
Thank you NV Community Foundation and The Gotelli Family Fund!!
Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs Receives Grant from Community Fund to Support Canine Welfare Initiatives
Napa, CA – April 5, 2025 – Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs, a nonprofit dedicated to raising, training, and placing service dogs with PTSD veterans and their families, is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a generous grant of $10,000 from The David and Jane Gotelli Family Fund through the Napa Valley Community Foundation.
The grant, which was awarded in March to Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs, will provide crucial support to raising and caring for service-dogs-in-training. Our service dogs are the cornerstone of the program, and their well-being is central to our mission
"We are incredibly grateful to The David and Jane Gotelli Family Fund for a generous grant through the Napa Valley Community Foundation,” said Emily Abramson, Board Member for Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs. “These funds will directly support the well-being and welfare of our service-dogs-in-training as they gain skills that will change the lives of their human companions. This grant will make a significant impact on our ability to serve our community, and we are excited to put these funds to work in support of our programs and initiatives."
Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs extends its heartfelt thanks to The David and Jane Gotelli Family Fund for their belief in our mission and commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of service dogs and veterans. Together, we can save lives.
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS!
Without you, we couldn't save lives!
MORE ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYER & MATCHING YOUR DONATION
A LIST OF COMPANIES THAT MATCH -
See if your company matches-
BAY AREA COMPANIES THAT MATCH EMPLOYEE DONATIONS*
To our knowledge, the following local companies offer a matching gift when their employees make a personal donation to a nonprofit organization. This means that your employer may be willing to match all or part of your donation amount with its own donation to Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs.
A “matching gift” is a donation made by a corporation or foundation (on behalf of an Employee) that matches that employee’s contribution to a nonprofit organization. This can double, triple, or even quadruple your contribution! Our partial list of Bay Area corporations and foundations with matching gift programs is below. Contact your Human Resources department for information about your company’s program. If you find that your unlisted employer does offer a matching gift program, please let us know so that we can add them to our list.
Thank you!
*Our list was compiled from other lists found online and may not be comprehensive or up to date, so please check with your employer. Your employer will provide you with all the information needed to process your matching gift.
3Com Corporation
3M Foundation
Abbott Laboratories Fund
AC Vroman Inc. Accenture
ACE INA Foundation Acrometal Companies Inc. Acuson Adaptec, Inc.
ADC Telecommunications Addison Wesley Longman Adobe Systems, Inc.
ADP Foundation
Advanced Fibre Communications Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Advantis
AES Corporation
Aetna Foundation, Inc. AGIA, Inc.
Agilent Technologies
Agribank, FCB
Air Products & Chemicals Inc. Alex Brown & Sons, Inc. Alexander & Baldwin Foundation
Allendale Mutual Insurance Company
Alliance Capital Management Co. Alliant Techsystems Inc.
Allied Signal Inc.
Allstate Giving Campaign
Allstate Insurance Company
Altria
ALZA Corporation American Cynamid American Express
American Honda Motor Co.
American International Group (AIG) American Management Systems, Inc. Ameriprise Financial
Ameritech Corporation
Ameron Inc. Amgen
Anchor Brewing Company
Antioch Companies/Webway AOL Time Warner Foundation AON Foundation
Applera Corporation Applied Materials Aramark Corp.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Archie and Bertha Walker Foundation ARCO Foundation
Argonaut Insurance Group Arkwright Foundation, Inc. Arthur J. Gallagher Foundation Aspect
Communications Corp.
Aspect Global Giving Program
Aspect Telecommunications
AT&T Foundation
ATC
ATK Sporting Equipment
Autodesk, Inc.
Automatic Data Processing Aventis Pharmaceuticals Avery Dennison
Avon
Axa Foundation
Ayco
Barclays
Bemis Company Foundation
Berkeley Systems, Inc. Best Foods BFGoodrich Company
Birkenstock Footprint Sandals
Bixby Land Company Black and Decker Blandin Foundation
Blauvelt Demarest Foundation, Inc.
Bloomingdale's
Blount Foundation
Blue Shield of California BMC Industries Inc. BNSF
Boeing Company
Boeing
Boeing Gift Matching Program
Boole & Babbage, Inc. Booz Allen Hamilton Borden Foundation Boston Consulting Group
BP Amoco Corporation BP Foundation
Braun Intertec Co. Breslauer and Rutman, LLC Brobeck Charitable Foundation Broderbund
Foundation
BT Commercial/Deutsche Bank
BTD Manufacturing, Inc. BTW Consultants, Inc.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co. Business Wire
Butler Manufacturing Company
Bakar, Gerson Foundation Bakers Square Restaurants Bank of America
Bank of California
Bank of the West
Bank One Corporation Bankers Trust Foundation Banta Corporation Barclays Global
Investors
Barnes Group Foundation, Inc. Baxter Allegiance Foundation Bay Networks
Bea Foundation BEA Systems Bearingpoint Bechtel Group
Becton Dickinson & Co.
Bell Atlantic Foundation
Bell-Carter Olive Company
C.B. Fleet
C.M. Capital Foundation Cadence Design System, Inc. California Community Foundation
California Endowment
California HealthCare Foundation California Institute of Technology California Wellness
Foundation Calpine Corporation
CAN Foundation
Candle Foundation Capital Group Companies Carnegie Foundation
Case Corporation Cashin Company Castlerock Technology Caterpillar Foundation
CBS Foundation, Inc. Celera
Celestica Corporation CertainTeed Co. Charitable Gift Fund
Champion International Corporation
Charles Schwab & Company Inc. ChartHouse International Charitable Gift Fund
Chase Manhattan Foundation
Chevron
Chicago Title and Trust Company Foundation
Chubb & Son, Inc. Ciena Corporation CIGNA Foundation Cingular Wireless Circuit
City Foundation Cisco Systems, Inc. Citigroup Foundation
2
Clariant Corporation Clorox Company CMP Media, Inc.
CMS Hartzell Inc.
CNA Insurance Company Foundation
CNA Surety Co.
Coca-Cola Foundation Colgate-Palmolive Company Color Print
Commerical
Community First National Bank Community Foundation Community Partners
Compaq (HP)
Compton Foundation
Computer Associates International. Inc. Computer City Supercenters
Computer Network Technology
Connecticut Mutual
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Consolidated Natural Gas Company Foundation
Cooper Tire& Rubber Company
Corbis
Computer Associates
Corning Inc. Foundation
Countrywide Financial International, Inc. Cowell Foundation
Cray Research Foundation
Crump Insurance Services, Inc. Cultural Homestay International Cytec & Affiliates
Danforth Foundation
Dataquest Inc
David & Lucille Packard Foundation
Del Monte Foods
Deloite & Touche
Delta Airlines Foundation Deluxe Corporation Foundation Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation
DFS Group Limited
Diageo North America
DisplaySales DocuSign Dodge & Cox
Dougherty Financial Group, LLC
Dougherty Summit Securities, LLC Dow AgroSciences LLC
Dow Corning Corporation
DST Systems, Inc.
Duty Free Shoppers Group Ltd.
East Bay Community Foundation
Eaton Corporation eBay, Inc.
Ecolab Foundation
Edelman Edison EFunds
Electronic Arts, Inc.
Elf Atochem North American
dEli Lilly & Company Foundation
ELuxury — LVMH — SDG Emerson Electric Company Energy for Ors
Equifax
Equitable Foundation
Ericsson
Ernst & Young Esurance, Inc. Everen Foundation
Exxon Mobil Foundation
Fair, Isaac and Company Inc. Family Financial Education
Federated Department Stores (Macy's) Fel-Pro
Fidelity Investments First Data Corporation First Quadrant
Fisherman Family Foundation Fleet Boston Financial Foundation Flora Family Foundation
FM Global Foundation
FMC
Fort James Foundation Fortis Companies Frankel Allen
Franklin Templeton Investments Freddie Mac Foundation Freedom Forum
Fremont Group
Fujitsu America Inc
Gallo Gannett Foundation
Gap Foundation Gartner Group, Inc. Genentech, Inc.
General Agents Acceptance Co.
General Electric
General Mills Foundation Georgia-Pacific Corporation Gillette Company
3
GlaxoSmithKline
Global Community Partnerships
GMAC Commercial Mortage Corporation
Goldman, Sachs & Company Goodrich Corporation Google
Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation
Grainger Greater Bay Bancorp
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
GS&Co
GTE Foundation
Guidant Foundation, Inc.
H & R Block
Haas, Jr. Fund, Evelyn and Walter Halleland, Lewis, Nilan, Sipkins, & Johnson Hambrecht & Quist Group
Harcourt General Inc.
Harder & Company Harris Bank Foundation Harris Corp
Harsco Corporation Fund
Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance
Henry A. Bromelkamp & Co.
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Heublein Foundation, Inc. Hewlett Packard
Hewlett, William and Flora Foundation
Hickory Tech Corporation Foundation
Hitachi Foundation
HJ Heinz Company Foundation
Hoffman-LaRoche Home Depot Honeywell Foundation Horizon Media Inc.
Houghton Mifflin Company
Household International
HSBC Philanthropic Programs
Hughes Aircraft Co.
Hyperion Solutions Corporation
IAC
IBJ Foundation, Inc. IBM Corporation
IDS Financial Services
IKON Office Solutions Foundation Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Independent Charities
ING Foundation
Ingram
Inktek Plastics, Inc
Integrated Circuit Systems
Intel
International Data Group InterPacific Group, Inc. Intuit
Involve
Irvine Foundation Irwin Home Equity ITG, Inc.
Itochu International
ITT Industries Inc.
ITW - Illinois Tool Works
J & H Marsh & McLennan
J. Paul Getty Trust
J. Walter Thompson Co. James Irvine Foundation Javelin Solutions
JDS Uniphase Corporation
Jewish Community Foundation
John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Johnson& Higgins
Johnson& Johnson Family of Companies
Johnson Controls Foundation Johnstech International Corporation Joseph E. Seagram & Sons,
Inc. Jostens Inc.
JPMorgan Chase Jump Associates, LLC Juniper Networks Company
K/P Corporation
Kaiser Family Foundation, The Henry J. Kaiser Permanente
Kaplan, Inc. Matching Gifts Program
Kellogg Foundation, W. K. Kemper Group Corporation Kennedy Jenks Consultants King
Controls
Kmart Co.
Knight Foundation, John S. & James L. Kochis Fitz
Komag, Inc.
KPMG, LLP
Kraft Foods, Inc.
Lam Research Corporation
Land O' Lakes Foundation
Larkin, Hoffman, Daly & Lindgren, Ltd. Lasecke Weil Wealth Advisory Group, LLC
4
Legacy Marketing Group
Lend Lease Real Estate Investments
Leo Burnett Company Fdn. Levi Strauss Foundation Lexis-Nexis
Lexmark International
Libbey, Inc. Lithotype Company
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Logistix
Los Angeles Times
Lotus Development Corporation
Lucent Technologies
LVMH Selective Distribution Group
Macromedia
Macy's
Mal Warwick & Associates, Inc. Manulife Financial
Marin Community Foundation
Maritz, Inc. Marquette Bank Marsh & McLennan
Massachusetts Financial Services Company
MasterCard International, Inc. Matson Navigation Company Mattel Children's Foundation
Maurices Inc.
Maxim Integrated Products May Foundation Company McAfee, Inc.
McCune Foundation McDonald’s McDonnell Douglas MCG/Healthcare
McGraw-Hill Companies Foundation, Inc.
McKesson Foundation McKnight Foundation McMaster Carr McNeely Foundation
MEDTOX Laboratories Inc.
Medtronic
Mellon Bank Corporation Mellon Financial Corporation MENSCO
Mentor Graphics
Mercantile Safe Deposit & Trust Merck Company Foundation Meredith Corporation
Merrill Lynch & Company Foundation, Inc.
Metris Companies Foundation
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. MFS Investment Management Michaud, Cooley & Erickson
Micron Technology
Microsoft
Millipore Foundation
MindShare
Mineral Acquisition Partners, Inc. Mitsubishi Bank
MMI Companies, Inc. Mobil Foundation Inc. Mobil Oil Co.
MONY Life Insurance Company
Mony's
Moody’s Corporation Foundation
Morgan Chase
Morgan Stanley
Morrison & Foerster Foundation Morton International, Inc. Motorola Foundation
MRW & Associates, Inc. MTS Systems Co. Murphy Oil USA Inc. Mutual of New York
Nabisco Foods Group Nalco Chemical Company National Computer Systems National
Instruments Corporation National Medical Enterprises
National Semiconductor Corporation
National Starch & Chemical Foundation, Inc. NCR Foundation
Network Associates
New Century Financial Co. New Energy, Inc.
New York Life Insurance
Newsweek
Nike
Nikon Precision
Nissan North America, Inc. Nokia
Norcal Mutual Insurance Nordstrom Corporation Nortel
Northern Trust Company
Northrop Grumman Foundation Norton Company Foundation Norvartis US Foundation
Norvellus Systems
Novell
5
NRG-Natural Resource Group
Nursing Strikes
NVIDIA Corporation
O’Donnell Associates North, Inc. Object Technology, Inc.
Office Depot
Olin Corp. Charitable Trust
Olive Garden
Omron Foundation, Inc. Ondeo Nalco
Oracle Corporation
Osmonics Inc.
OTA Limited Partnership
Outreach
Owens Corning
Pacific Bell
Pacific Enterprises–Sempra Energy
Pacific Mutual Life Pacific Telesis Patagonia
Payden & Rygel
PBG Matching Gifts
PCW Communications, Inc. Peninsula Community Foundation PepsiCo Foundation Inc.
Pequot Capital Management
Pfizer Inc. PG&E
Phoenix Home Life
Pimco Foundation
Pioneer Hi Bred International
Piper Jaffray Pitney Bowes, Inc. Pizza Hut
PNC Bank Foundation Power Integrations, Inc PPG Industries Foundation PQ Corporation
Pricewaterhouse Coopers Provident Companies, Inc. Providian Financial Prudential Foundation
Public Strategies Group
Quad Graphics
Quaker Oats Foundation
Qualcomm Inc. Quantum Corporation Quentin Hancock Fund
Quest Diagnostics
R.R. Donnelley & Sons
Radio Shack Random House Raychem Corporation RBC Dain
Rauscher Foundation Reader's Digest Foundation REALTORS
Remmele Engineering Inc. Residential Funding Co. Resource Companies Retek, Inc.
Reuters
RJR Nabisco, Inc.
Robert Sharp Pacific Overtures
Roche Diagnostics Rockefeller Foundation Rockwell International Rosendin Electric
Royal & SunAlliance DPIC
Rustic Canyon Group
SAFECO Insurance Companies
Salesforce
Sallie Mae
Salomon Smith Barney Charitable Trust
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Foundation
San Mateo County Association
SanDisk
SAP
Sara Lee Foundation Sauer-Sundstrand SBC Communications SBC Foundation
Schering-Plough
Schwab Corporate Foundation
SCICOM Data Services
Scitor Corp.
Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. Seagate Technology, Inc. Securities Service Division
Sempra Energy
Sentry Insurance Foundation
Sephora
SH Cowell Foundation Shaklee Corporation Sheldahl
Shell Oil Company
6
Shoretel
Siemens Corp.
Sierra Pacific Resources
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Valley Community Foundation Simpson Manufacturing Company, Inc. Smart Modular
Technologies
Smith Barney Citigroup SmithKline Beecham Foundation Sonoma County Community Foundation Sony
Electronics, Inc.
Sony Pictures
Sony USA Foundation, Inc.
Sophie & Arthur Brody Foundation
Sourn California Gas Spencer Foundation Sprint Foundation SPX Corporation Square D
Foundation
St. Paul Companies, Inc.
Standard Brands Paints Stanley Works Starbucks
State Farm Insurance Co.
State Street Bank & Trust Company Stirtz, Bernards & Company, PA Stream International
Stuart Foundation
Sulzer
Spine-Tech
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems Foundation Susquehanna Partners, G. P. Swordspoint Foundation, Inc.
Sylvan Learning Center Symantec Corporation Synopsys Technology
SYSCO Corp.
T.Rowe Price Group Tandy Corporation Tektronix Foundation Teledyne Technologies, Inc.
Telesis Foundation
Temple-Inland Foundation
Tenet Healthcare Tennant Foundation Tenneco Inc.
Texas Instruments
Textron Inc.
Thomas J. Lipton Foundation
Thomson Media
Thrivent Financial for Lurans
Tiffany & Co. Time Warner Inc.
Times Mirror Foundation Tompkins Corporation Toro Foundation
Toyota Motor Sales USA Transamerica Corporation Traveler's Foundation Tricon Foundation
TRW Foundation
Turner Construction Co. Tyco Thermal Controls
U. S. West Foundation UBS Realty Investors LLC UBS/PaineWebber
UFE Inc.
Unihealth Foundation Unilever United States, Inc. Union Bank of California Union Pacific Railroad
Union Texas Petroleum Uniphase Corporation Unisource Worldwide, Inc. United Airlines
United Business Media
United Defense
United Technologies Corporation Universal Hospital Services Universal Studios
Unocal Foundation
UPS Foundation
US Fidelity & Guaranty Corp. USA Interactive
USF & G
Valdero Corporation
Vanguard Charitable Endowment
Vanguard Group
Varian Medical
Veritas Software Corporation
Verizon
VISA International
VMware Inc.
Vulcan Materials Company
Wells Fargo & Company
West Group
Western Asset
7
8
Western Payments Alliance
Westinghouse Electric Corporation
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Williams Corporation
Willis Lease Finance Group WMX Technologies, Inc. Woodburn Group, Inc. Words At Work, Inc.
Working Assets Funding Service
World Reach, Inc.
W. P. Carey Company, Inc. W. W. Grainger, Inc. Wachovia
Warner Bros.
Washington Post
Waste Management Inc. Waters Corporation
Weil Capital Management, LLC Weisman Enterprises Inc. Wellpoint Foundation
.
Xcel Energy
Xerox Foundation Xilinx Corporation XiNET
Yahoo!
Young & Rubicam Inc. Yum
Zelle, Hoffmann, Voelbel & Gette LLP Zero-Max, Inc.
Ziff-Davis Inc
About our dogs
A Canine Guardian Dog
- In order to be a service dog with public access, the dog must receive specialized training and meet maximum standards of behavior. Our service dogs are specially trained and fully socialized and capable of handling PTSD veterans' disabilities.
- But outside of training, these unique animals are still friendly and lovable. Our dogs offer support, love and unconditional understanding. They help establish schedules and routines through their feeding and walking requirements and they offer distraction through playtime. These animals serve as friends and confidants. They’re not just dogs; they’re part of a team.
- We believe our dogs are special and can truly help empower you to live a more healthy, more normal life.
Make a Donation
We Appreciate Your Support
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals as a nonprofit and improve conditions for PTSD Veterans and people with disabilities. Your generous donation will fund our mission to provide service dogs.
Click on the dog image to Pay by PayPal Or Mail a Check
PO Box 5313 Napa CA 94581
Site Content
Why Donating is Good For You...
Can a simple donation really make a difference in a person’s life! You bet! Ask any of our grateful service dog recipients (See Testimonials), they will tell you it has been a LIFE CHANGER!
Here are 9 reasons why donating is good-
1. Experience More Pleasure
Donating money simply makes you feel better, which is something we can all benefit from.
2. Help Others in Need
When you donate your money, you help others who need it.
3. Get a Tax Deduction
If you give to an IRS-approved charity, you can write off donations on your tax return. Donating your cash is a great way to reduce the amount of money you send off to Uncle Sam, and for a good cause, to boot.
4. Bring More Meaning to Your Life
Any donation makes an impact! and can infuse your everyday life with more meaning. If you've been stuck in a rut, whether personally or professionally, sometimes the simple act of donating cash can do the trick and reinvigorate your life.
5. Promote Generosity in Your Children
When your kids see you donating money, they're much more likely to adopt a giving mindset as they grow up.
6. Motivate Friends and Family
By giving, you can stroke passions in the folks around you, which is a very positive and tangible effect of your own giving.
7. Realize that Every Little Bit Helps
Dollars add up and they all make a difference!
8. Improve Personal Money Management
If you set a scheduled $100 donation each month , that can motivate you to be more attentive to your own finances. AND, see next section below to see if your company will match your donation!
9. Give, If You Can't Volunteer
This might not necessarily be a positive effect of charitable giving, but if you're too busy to volunteer or can’t imagine being a puppy parent, then giving money is the perfect workaround. Writing out a check is a simple way to show you're willing to help others in any way you can.