VAIL, CO, UNITED STATES, June 4, 2026 — Every service dog starts as a puppy that needs a loving home for 18 months before entering professional training. Right now, there aren’t enough — but Canine Companions volunteers, including Colorado-based chapters, are working to change that.
Canine Companions is urgently recruiting volunteer puppy raisers to address a global shortage that has left more than 500 people waiting for a service dog, with thousands more in need.
Colorado features two active Canine Companions Volunteer Chapters: Vail Valley and Denver-based Rocky Mountain. Members from both groups are working in their communities both to prepare future service dogs for professional training, and to expand the vibrant community that already exists in the state.
“It is something truly special when Canine Companions is part of a community,” said Nick Kemp, president of Canine Companions Southwest Region Board and a longtime volunteer puppy raiser. “People are drawn by the dogs, but what keeps them involved is the connections they build. Puppy raisers often say, ‘You come for the dogs, but you stay for the people.’”
The primary bottleneck is a lack of volunteer puppy raisers who bring puppies into their homes, provide daily care, attend training classes and expose the dogs to real-world environments — stores, restaurants, public transportation — that prepare them for professional training. At approximately 18 months of age, dogs return to Canine Companions to learn more than 45 specialized tasks, including picking up dropped items, opening doors and alerting to sounds.
Canine Companions at the GoPro Mountain Games | June 4-7 | Vail, Colorado
• Meet service dog puppies in training at the Canine Companions booth during the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, June 4-7, 2026.
• Volunteers will give future service dog training demonstrations at 12pm and 3pm each day and be available throughout the weekend to share information about puppy raising, transporting and other ways to support the mission.
• The games feature professional and amateur athletes competing in trail running, climbing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, mountain biking, disc golf and dog-friendly competitions. Details at https://mountaingames.com.*
To connect with the organization in your area, follow Canine Companions on social media and watch for #PuppyNation events during National Service Dog Month in September. Learn more about raising a future service dog online at https://canine.org/get-involved/ways-to-volunteer/become-a-volunteer-puppy-raiser/?utm_source=chapter-event&utm_medium=QR-code&utm_campaign=ESW26VAILGOPRO.*
*Please be aware that by clicking this link you are visiting a website that is not managed by Canine Companions. Website security, accessibility and privacy policies may be different than Canine Companions policies. Please read their policies closely.