WELCOME TO
RocDog.
“People helping Dogs help People”
A Little About RocDog:
RocDog is a “Community Working Dog Group” that uses dogs to support people in various settings.
“People helping Dogs help People”
Community Working Dogs help in several ways:
- Emotional Support Dogs: Provide comfort and companionship for those facing emotional or psychological difficulties.
- Therapy Dogs: Visit hospitals, care facilities, schools, and more to offer relief and affection.
- Service Dogs: Are trained to assist individuals with disabilities by performing specific tasks.
These dogs provide valuable support and contribute to positive relationships with those they assist.
Alongside the Therapy Dog Group, the PAWS for Hearts Project rescues, fosters, places, and trains dogs to assist families with special needs in various communities.
In summary, the organization is dedicated to integrating dogs into families as important members of each of the families we serve.
Our Families (RocDog Members)
What began as a small group of handlers and their dogs in Rochester, New York, has now expanded to cover the entire state. RocDog currently has regions in:
- Rochester
- Buffalo
- Hudson Valley
- Capital
- Central NY
- Southern Tier
We consider ourselves a family. Our efforts go beyond just volunteering time; our goal is to bring together people who want to serve and help communities with our dogs. Therapy dogs offer a fantastic way to connect people from various backgrounds. We work to support each other and the people we visit in the communities we serve.
Do you have a dog and find this interesting? Please reach out to us, and we can discuss how easy it is to get involved. The process is straightforward, and you can start making visits with your dog in just a few months.
Are you part of another therapy dog group and looking for something better? We are the answer. We are very proactive in working with our members, helping and supporting them as they work in our communities. We are now expanding beyond New York.
Our Communities (places we Serve)
Communities are where we Serve. RocDog is currently offering its Therapy Dog Services to people in need all around our communities. This is our Core, our Base, this is what we were meant to be. Helping people with our Dog’s in any place that has a need. We are open to Serve. We also have a desire is to help work through the disconnection we see between Law Enforcement and the Community. Law Enforcement needs our support. As these relationships build, RocDog goal is to assist in building bridges and mending broken relationships from the past.
They also see themselves working with different groups and businesses in the Community. For example: Hospitals, Schools, Transitional Living Homes, Shelters, Nursing Homes, businesses, and any groups that could use the services.
Another possibility is to be able to provide special Dogs to people as a Therapy Dog or Service Dog. The process can be hard. First, they must find the right Dog as a puppy and spend time training the dog for this service. Then finding a match with someone in need. It will take special staff to implement this type of program. Also, another area to explore is the training of service dogs for people that have special needs. They understand that this is an idea that is down the road. These services will require highly trained people to work with these dogs and help placement with people. The list of people that can benefit from these types of dogs is long. For example: veterans that have come home with PTSD’s.
Our other Side of RocDog:
RocDog has always had the desire to help people. We found that our Therapy Dogs provide such amazing support to Special Needs Families. Our work in the community has grown to become more than visits.
PAWS for Hearts Project has four specific Programs to help people with special needs. These are:
- PAWS that Connect: Therapy Dogs making special visits
- PAWS that Comfort: Emotional Support Dogs
- PAWS that Support: Therapy/Support Dogs
- PAWS that Serve: Psychiatric Service Dogs
To do this work we find dogs with the right temperament to Rescue and Train. Then we match these dogs to families in need.
Grants, Donations, and amazing Community partners are funding the majority of this effort. Families do pay a small fee to get their PAWS Dog. To date with the help of many Volunteers and Trainers we have been able to Rescue 28 dogs and put them on the path to a new life with their special needs families.
This labor of love is working and making an impact in our communities.
Please contact us to see how you can be part of this special effort.
