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A listing of animal service and therapy organizations in Illinois that include horses known as hippotherapy, therapeutic or equestrian riding, canine/dogs, and monkeys.
Service animals are often used to aid people with physical disabilities in activities at home, work, and play. Animals can also be a therapy tool to help individuals heal their mind and body.Service/Guide animals aid individuals with disabilities with daily tasks. This can help alleviate stress and foster a sense of independence.
Animal assisted therapy aids individuals with disabilities with mental and health therapy. Certified therapy dogs can provide interactive exercises designed to accomplish therapeutic goals. Using horses as part of therapy is called hippotherapy or therapeutic riding. This type of therapy has been shown to improve balance, posture, mobility, function, and emotional well being.
Illinois organizations for service and therapy animals:
Service Dogs - Canine Companions:
Canine Therapy Corps (formerly Chenny Troupe):
3918 W Fullerton Ave,
Chicago, IL 60647
773-404-6467
Certified therapy dogs and volunteer handlers are teamed with medical professionals at hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and halfway houses in the Chicago area to provide animal assisted therapy. Volunteers with or without dogs are welcomed.
Canine Companions for Independence
Chicago Satellite Office
PO Box 41
Woodstock, IL 60098
(847) 816-7360 Voice https://www.cci.org/
Types of dogs trained: Service, Hearing, Social/Therapy
Dogs For Disabilities
Dan & Sue Wasilas
PO Box 537
Batavia, IL 60510
(630) 879-9561 (630) 406-6373 No website
email: info@dogsfordisabilities.com
Types of dogs trained: Service
Areas served: IL & Southern WI
Committed Canine, Inc.
RR1 Box 114
Brownstown, IL 62418
(618) 427-3333 http://committedcanine.org/
email: tammie@committedcanine.org
Types of dogs trained: Service Physical, Service Psychiatric, Professionally Guided-Owner Trained Program, Therapy
Areas served: National
Dynamic Dogs Training & Behavior
Jennifer N. Hack CPDT
Chicago, IL
(312) 339-4562 https://www.dynamicdogtrainingandbehaviour.com/
Types of dogs trained: Psychiatric Support, Therapy
Heartland Service Dogs
Linda Fox
11315 192nd St.
Mokena, IL 60448
(815) 651-4327 http://www.heartlandservicedogs.org/
email: HeartlandSvcDog@yahoo.com
Types of dogs trained: Service, Mobility Assistance, Hearing, PTSD and Diabetic Alert Dogs
Areas served: Illinois and Midwest States
Illini Service Dogs
Trained service dogs for free adoption to people with a physical disability across the United States.
FAQ page for all your questions
1206 S. 4th St
Champaign, IL 61820 https://www.illiniservicedogs.com/
contactus@illinidogs.com
MidAmerica Service Dogs
1-866-4PAWS44
7420 S. County Line Rd., Ste. 8
Burr Ridge, IL. 60527
info@midamericaservicedogs.com https://www.midamericaservicedogs.com/
Provides service dogs to children and adults with mobility disabilities free of charge. They are a non for profit 501 (c) (3) organization serving Chicago metropolitan and suburban areas.
Phone: 1-866-4PAWS-44
Sit Service Dogs
Lex Dietz
519 Kilpatrick Rd.
Ava, IL 62907
(618) 571- 4355 https://www.sitservicedogs.com/
email: ldietz@sitservicedogs.com
Types of dogs trained: Mobility
Areas served: National
Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy in IL
6042 W Oakton Street
Morton Grove, IL 60053
Phone: 773-283-1129
classes for training people and animals to be animal assisted therapy partners.
National Canine sources:
4 Paws for Ability
937-374-0385
253 Dayton Avenue
Xenia, Ohio 45385
Service dogs to assist with mobility, hearing, seizures, autism, companionship and emotional assistance.
Canine Companions for Independence North Central Regional Center
866-224-3647
PO Box 446
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446
Trained assistance dogs for individuals and facility dogs for professionals.
Canine Partners for Life
610-869-4902
334 Faggs Manor Road
Cochranville, PA 19330
Canine Partners for Life provides service and home companion dogs for individuals with mobility impairments, seizure disorders, and other disabilities so they can lead more independent and fulfilling lives. Canine Partners for Life trains each dog for two years and then custom trains each dog for his or her recipient.
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind
800-548-4337
371 East Jericho Turnpike
Smithtown, NY 11787-2976
Guide dog services to people with visual or hearing impairments who seek enhanced mobility and independence.
Paws With A Cause
800-253-7297
4646 S. Division
Wayland, MI 49348
Assistance dogs for people with disabilities.
Pet Partners
425-679-5500
875 124th Avenue NE #101
Bellevue, WA 98005
Dog service resources including assistance for people with disabilities who have service dogs to overcome barriers in their environments and achieve greater independence and realization of goals.
Canine Partners for Life
Canine Partners for Life (CPL) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to training service dogs, home companion dogs, and residential companion dogs to assist individuals who have a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities.
(610) 869‑4902
Willing Partners Canine Education
Linda Krutsinger
607 North 10th Street
Benton, IL 62812
(618) 525.7387
email: juneau@shawneelink.net
Types of dogs trained: Service, Therapy
Areas Served: Southern IL
Snowy Pines White Labs
200 Morris Ave
Batesville, AR 72501
puppies@snowypineswhitelabs.com
870-805-6039
https://www.snowypineswhitelabs.com/our-process/
Horses:
American Hippotherapy Association, Inc.
970-818-1322
PO Box 2014
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Promotes research, education, and communication among therapists and others using horses.
BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding and Educational Center
815-943-8226
7319 Maxon Road
Havard, Illinois 60033
BraveHearts, an indoor riding facility, offers hippotherapy with physical, speech and occupational therapists available onsite.
Equestrian Connection
847-615-8696
600 N. Bradley Road
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Equestrian Connections has helped children and adults with special needs and their family members. Professional licensed therapists, social workers, therapeutic riding instructors, and well trained volunteers. Financial assistance is reviewed case by case
Holistic Riding Equestrian Therapy
630-878-8096
Lemont,IL
"Empowering people with special needs through the spirit of the horse."
PATH International
800-369-7433
PO Box 33150
Denver, CO 80233
Therapeutic horseback riding programs in the US and Canada.
Partners for Progress NFP Therapeutic Riding Center
23525 W. Milton Road
Wauconda, IL 60084
https://partnersforprogressnfp.org/
847-438-5400
Monkeys:
Helping Hands
617-787-4419
541 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02134
Trained capuchin monkeys to help people who have severe mobility impairments. Monkey helpers perform simple, everyday tasks, such as getting something to eat or drink, retrieving dropped or out of reach items, and turning on lights.
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Photo from Unsplash by Fabrizio Verrecchia
This content is for informational purposes only and may not be comprehensive. Information contained does not imply an endorsement from Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and does not replace the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. See https://www.sralab.org/website-disclaimer for further details.
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