Life-changing grant awarded to local group that trains service dogs

Major grant to help kids and adults living with disabilities

ROANOKE, Va. – A group that trains service dogs received a major grant to help kids and adults living with disabilities.

The nonprofit, Saint Francis Service Dogs, received about a $25,000 grant from Newport News Shipbuilding to place a service dog with a family.

The waiting list to get a service dog can be years long. Since Saint Francis relies on donations to train and place animals, the executive director said donations like this are life-changing.

"We really want to shorten that, so getting the support of companies like Newport News Shipbuilding and our other supporters is really crucial to us helping all these deserving people with disabilities to receive a service dog," said Cabell Youell, the nonprofit's executive director.

Since Saint Francis Service Dogs started, it has placed 140 service dogs with families across the state.


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