NEADS Inc.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
NEADS offers the widest array of Service Dog programs in the industry, while still holding true to our core mission of producing Service Dogs for individuals with disabilities.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Service Dogs for Veterans and Trauma Assistance Dogs
In May of 2006, NEADS was invited to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC to give a presentation about the many skills and tasks that our dogs could offer to combat veterans. NEADS was the first Service Dog organization to be invited to Walter Reed for this purpose. In addition to hospital staff and administrators, many servicemen and women who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan (and were at Walter Reed being treated for injuries) were in attendance at the meeting. Our presentation drew a great deal of interest and enthusiasm.
NEADS immediately recognized that the growing population of combat veterans required a program that was specially designed to meet their needs, and NEADS formed the Service Dogs for Veterans (SDV) program. Our Service Dogs for Veterans Programs match highly skilled Service Dogs with United States veterans from any conflict who have a permanent physical disability, are deaf or who have profound hearing loss, or have MS or other progressive conditions.
The Trauma Assistance Dog program (TAD) is designed for veterans with diagnosed combat-related post-traumatic stress.
Thanks to generous donors and federal and state funding, there is no fundraising requirement for veterans who are eligible for our program.
Service Dogs for those who are Deaf or have a Hearing Loss
Service Dogs for Hearing are specially trained canine assistants who help people who are deaf or have hearing loss. These dogs can alert their partners to sounds around the home such as a door knock, smoke detector, alarm clock, tea kettle or telephone ringing. In public, hearing dogs can be helpful in alerting their partner to a cell phone ringing, keys dropping or traffic approaching. Dogs are taught to recognize their handler's name to alert the person when he or she is being spoken to. While responding to these trained sounds is the primary role of a hearing dog, many people can also benefit from this type of dog's natural sound awareness. Hearing dogs are especially sensitive to noises and will notice sudden things that happen around them, even in public. A deaf partner can learn a lot about his or her environment just by watching his or her dog's visual cues. For example, a dog may notice when someone approaches from behind and tries to get the attention of his or her handler. Many times people in public do not realize that a person is deaf, and mistake an individual's lack of response for rudeness. The presence of a hearing dog, along with the notifying "hearing dog" patch on the dog's vest, is often the first indicator to the public that the deaf individual may need to be spoken to face to face or in another manner.
Service Dogs for People with a Physical Disability
Service Dogs assist people with a physical disability by performing tasks their partner cannot do or has trouble doing. These tasks include picking up dropped items, retrieving objects from tables or counters, turning light switches on and off, pushing automatic door buttons, tugging doors and cabinets open, standing and bracing for stability during a transfer, barking on command for help, and getting a cordless phone in an emergency. Service Dogs accompany their partner wherever they go, including the workplace, school, shopping and traveling. These dogs provide a degree of independence that many people with a disability have never had before. Not having to depend on another person is a priceless gift.
Assistance Dogs for Ministry, Classroom, Courthouse, Hospitals, and Counseling
In addition to providing Service Dogs directly for people with a disability, NEADS also trains Assistance Dogs for partnership with teachers, therapists, those who perform religious ministry and those who work in courthouse and hospital settings. These canine assistants are matched with teachers or therapists that work with students who have mental or physical disabilities and ministers who seek to engage with their general community.
The Pawsitively Strong Fund
In collaboration with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Victim Assistance Program and the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, NEADS has committed to providing highly skilled Assistance Dogs to survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings who have sustained a permanent physical disability. NEADS knows how much an Assistance Dog will help those who were permanently disabled from the blasts. As a Massachusetts nonprofit organization, NEADS understands the desire of Massachusetts residents to take care of their own in a way that is personal, efffective and meaningful. It may take months or even years for the injured survivors of the bombings to regain the independence to which they were accustomed. The Pawsitively Strong Fund will be there for the Marathon bombing survivors should they decide that a service dog is right for them, whether that's six months, one year or ten years down the road.
Service Dogs for Children with Autism
NEADS Service Dogs are trained in a variety of tasks that can address a range of issues facing a child with autism and his or her family. These include socialization skills, behavioral skills, life skills, and fine and gross motor skills. For children ages 8-16.
Where we work
Awards
4 star charity (highest rating) 2015
Charity Navigator
Best 5 Star Award 2015
Independent Charities of America
4 star charity (highest rating) 2016
Charity Navigator
4 star charity (highest rating) 2017
Charity Navigator
4 star charity (highest rating) 2018
Charity Navigator
Affiliations & memberships
Assistance Dogs International (ADI)
Independent Charities of America 1991
AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals)
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of service dogs trained and placed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of dogs placed is lower than usual as we continue to build our program back up from pandemic levels.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Through our highly trained dogs, our goal is to:
Provide independence when matched with people who are deaf or have physical disabilities, and also veterans who have PTSD
Promote confidence and socialization when matched with children who have autism or other developmental disabilities
Provide integrated therapeutic assistance when matched with caring professionals in settings like classrooms, hospitals, courthouses, mental health practices, and the ministry
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
NEADS has over 40 years of experience in breeding, raising, and training World Class Service Dogs. We bring a passion to provide the very best Service Dogs for our clients to every step of the process involved in creating a World Class Service Dog team:
Purpose breeding: Purpose-bred dogs – obtained through our own breeding program and from other service/guide dog organizations - allow us to better control for temperament, health, and overall suitability for Service Dog work. This allows us to get more dogs through the program and place more dogs with people in need.
Healthcare: Proper healthcare is key to the longevity and good health of our dogs. From the moment they arrive on campus, our dogs have consistent health monitoring that includes routine exams and care, orthopedic screenings, and vaccinations.
Training: NEADS trainers are involved with the dogs from puppyhood through training and placement. Most NEADS Service Dogs are raised in correctional facilities through our Prison PUP Program. The dogs live with inmates in MA and RI prisons Monday through Friday, and volunteer Weekend Puppy Raisers take the puppies out of prison each weekend to work on house manners, socialization, and maintaining obedience.
Other Service Dogs in Training live full-time with volunteer puppy raisers for 12 to 16 months. Full-time Puppy Raisers are responsible for socialization and basic obedience training. The dog is then moved into a prison facility to finish its Service Dog training, which includes advanced obedience and task work.
The Match & Client Training: Applying for a Service Dog includes an online application and a personal interview. If accepted into the NEADS program, the length of time until clients are matched depends on our staff identifying the right dog for their needs. Each of our accepted clients is asked to support NEADS by raising $8,000. This contribution goes towards the operating costs involved in raising, training, and matching our unique and highly skilled dogs.
When a Service Dog is matched with a client, the client spends 7- 10 days on the NEADS campus where they learn how to work with their new Service Dog. Instruction on task work, care and health of the dog, and public access rights makes them confident and comfortable to work as a team in both private and public settings. NEADS trainers and staff provide support and follow-up assistance for the working life of their Service Dog.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
NEADS relies on staff, volunteers and donors to meet our goals.
NEADS staff members support Canine Operations, Training, Client Services, Development, Communications, and Administration.
Volunteers include Puppy Raisers, veterinarians who donated time and services, campus volunteers, Board Members, and many others who help out at special events.
Inmate handlers and 9 prison liaisons in 7 prisons
Financial support from nearly 4,000 individuals and businesses
Foundations provided grants and other funding.
Partnerships with organizations including Blue Buffalo, IDEXX Laboratories, VCA Animal Hospitals, and BluePearl Veterinary Partners help us ensure the health and well-being of our dogs.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In FY 2021 we successfully matched 33 teams; 10 of the teams were veterans. To have more control over the supply of puppies entering our training program, we established a Breeding Program in 2018. The program has seen incredible growth and success, as we have gone from breeding and raising 1 litter in 2018 to 15 litters in 2021. We consistently meet the fundraising goal outlined in our strategic plan.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals, to monitor and ensure the health of our Service Dogs
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
NEADS Inc.
Board of directorsas of 01/19/2024
Mr. Geoff Worrell
James Hicks
Carol Krauss
Sue Feit
Graham Chevry
A. Kim Saal, MD
Jill Gaines
Harry Grey
Shannon O'Brien
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes