Sit. Stay. Sparkle. 2026!
Join Canine Companions on June 25th, 2026 in Great Neck, New York for our annual Sit Stay Sparkle gala.
Lehigh Valley Chapter
Canine Companions
Northeast Region
ABOUT
The Lehigh Valley Chapter was established in 2015 and encompasses puppy raisers, graduates and volunteers in northeast Pennsylvania and northwest New Jersey.
If you’re looking for deeper engagement as a Canine Companions volunteer, we encourage you to get involved with our chapter. The Lehigh Valley Chapter is an extension of the Northeast Regional Training Center. We work to raise awareness, recruit new puppy raisers and volunteers and support one another’s work on behalf of the Canine Companions’ mission.
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VOLUNTEER WITH THE LEHIGH VALLEY CHAPTER
We are a lively network filled with opportunities for social engagement, from puppy classes to fundraisers. Beyond the satisfaction of doing good work for Canine Companions, lifelong friendships are often formed among chapter members. If you are interested in working with our chapter, contact us. We’d love to meet you!
Chapter Leadership:
President: Andy Pestcoe
EVENTS
Events in the Northeast Region
***Postponed***Graduation Watch Parties Near You!
If you’re unable to attend our in-person National Graduation Ceremony on May 15, we’re proud to announce local Graduation Ceremony Watch Parties are taking place in 5 locations throughout the Northeast Region.
Save The Date for “Salute Independence” 2026!
Thank you for supporting Salute Independence, Canine Companions annual Veterans Day event celebrating our nation’s heroes.
NEWS AND STORIES
Canine Companions to honor Farmingdale superintendent at gala in Great Neck
June 4, 2026
Paul Defendini is a volunteer puppy raiser and advocate for service dogs in schools, and on June 25 at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck, Canine Companions will honor Defendini at the organization’s largest fundraiser in the region — Sit. Stay. Sparkle! Northeast.
Greenport retiree ‘puppy trains’ a future service dog
February 20, 2026
Three and a half years ago, after her husband’s death, Eileen Lederer moved to Greenport seeking something intangible. That search eventually led her to become a service dog puppy trainer for Canine Companions.
“I needed a purpose,” she said in an interview this week.