On April 3, 3019 Canine Companions® broke ground on their new state-of-the-art campus for the North Central Region in New Albany, OH. The celebration was attended by over 175 friends, supporters, volunteer puppy raisers, recipients, and staff from around the country.
Click here to see photos from the event day.
“As we embark on our strategic plan, we are looking at a lot of ways to innovate, a lot way to get more dogs to more clients; and this region will now become critical to that. Not only because it will be state-of-the-art and it will be able to house some of the pilots and new things we want to try, but because it has a tenured staff and a really innovative staff. The North Central Region is a huge part of what comes next, not just in the shiny new building, but in the thinking and in the way we try new things and the way we do more to fulfill our mission,” shared Canine Companions CEO, Paige Mazzoni .
This new 16+ acre, state-of-the-art campus, will allow Canine Companions to serve more teams than ever before. It will provide our North Central Region with on campus guest rooms for recipients coming to be matched with their new four-legged partners, community space, training space and an enhanced kennel for their dogs.
During the ceremony, Canine Companions service dog recipient, Brandon Scott, shared with everyone in attendance just what having a service dog has meant to him for over 19 years. “For me, Kary has become my hands; my service dogs have become my hands. They have given me the ability to go out and live a successful life amongst my peers in public. Not only have they given me that independence, they have given my family, my wife, my loved ones; they have given them a piece of mind knowing that when I am out in public amongst my peers, that I am in good hands, because Kary or Rona or Elaine, whoever it has been over the past 19 years, was right there by my side making sure that I was ok and that I was taken care of. Whatever I needed, they were right there to jump in and help me. That is something you can’t put a dollar sign on; that is something that is un measurable. That ability, that piece of mind, that independence; I cannot thank the Canine Companions staff enough, not just for my independence, but everybody else’s independence. It is a life changing journey. I am looking forward to the years to come.”
Brandon went on to share about how you form a family with those that you go through the “life changing” experience of being paired with your new four-legged partner with. “I look back on my past 19 years with Canine Companions, and I wouldn’t trade my memories for the world. At the same time, I also look forward to the next 19 years and beyond with this new Facility. I look forward to the memories that I am going to be able to make with future dogs, future recipients; with all the trainers and all the staff of Canine Companions. I could not be more excited for this ground breaking today and what it means for the future.”
This historical day for Canine Companions was not just celebrated by Canine Companions, but by the community that they will soon call home. “On behalf of the city of New Albany and the city council, we couldn’t be more excited about today’s announcement. As a mayor of a small but growing town I am often asked by community participants and businesses moving here, what is the easiest way to get involved in the community? Over the past few years I have had a very easy answer, just follow the lead the Canine Companions.” City of New Albany Mayor, Sloan Spalding, went on to share, “The city of New Albany, our retailers, our restaurants we are all going to be excited to play host to the graduates applicants volunteers the donors that come to visit this facility in the future.”
Although this new campus is just beginning to take form, Canine Companions is already looking towards move in day, scheduled for the end of 2020 and the countless people’s lives they will be able to impact.
The North Central Campus at a Glance:
- 16+ acre campus
- Over 54,000 total sq.ft.
- Three buildings
- Administrative building
- Kennel
- Training/living building
- 16 accessible guest rooms with individual fenced in areas.
- State-of-the-art kennel with 48 runs
- Over 6,000 sq. ft. of training space
- Over 5,000 sq. ft. of play yards for the dogs
- Veterinary clinic and x-ray suite
- Space to welcome the community
- Accessible kitchen
- Designated space for puppies when they arrive in the region
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