Project Canine History
Project Canine was conceived in 2006 by a dedicated group of professional dog trainers, educators, and experienced therapy dog volunteers as an effort to better bridge the communication gap between humans and canines. We will always be grateful to the original group of co-founders, in particular, Judi Anderson-Wright and Leslie Csokasy, who led the formation of this original group and provided a home for Project Canine at Great Dog. In addition, Judi’s efforts to develop the original curriculum put Project Canine on track to evolve to where we are now as an organization that provides:
Therapy dog education, certification, and outreach
Children’s literacy support
Bite prevention education
Humane canine interactions education
Project Canine started providing community service almost immediately after beginning operation in 2007 and we received 501(c)3 status in 2010. Right from the start, we developed and expanded all of our programs with the goal of setting the highest possible standards for education, screening, and care. Our therapy dog program has brought necessary innovation to training and testing procedures while providing a new level of ongoing support and education for our teams. We believe our teams are the best trained and most qualified therapy animal teams visiting today. We visit a wide variety of populations in numerous locations including; hospitals, schools, counseling centers, residential treatment facilities, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, libraries, and detention facilities, hospice, various events and more.
Our Vision
Enriching lives moment by moment.
Our Mission
Cultivating compassion, kindness, and connection through certified therapy dogs.
Our Values
Safety, compassion, and education.