INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A huge thank you goes out to the John’s Island Foundation for their $12,679.50 grant awarded to Dogs For Life (DFL) Inc. This funding will provide expanded handicapped accessibility in the dog park as well as the outdoor training areas. This generous grant will also help complete the drainage project throughout the DFL property.
Since 1997, DFL has been working to improve the drainage throughout the property and now the John’s Island Foundation is going to help complete this project. “We are thrilled that all of our clients who use wheelchairs will have total access to the outdoor training areas,” states Shelly Ferger, DFL Founder and CEO. “Thanks to the John’s Island Foundation, this eight year-long drainage project will be finished.”
Eleanor Bengyak, DFL’s Board President added, “As the only Assistance Dog Training Center in the area accredited by Assistance Dogs International, we have specific standards we have to meet in order to maintain our accreditation. It is our goal to exceed the minimum standards and raise the bar because our clients deserve more than the minimum. We are proud and honored that the John’s Island Foundation is confident in our organization and we look forward to sharing with them the results of their investment.”
Kathi Schumann, DFL’s Board Vice President said, “Since the Assistance Dog Training & Administrative Center opened in July 2014, the number of local residents and Veterans enrolled in the Hearing and Service Dog Training Program has doubled and we need to be able to efficiently and effectively use all the space we have, indoors and out. The John’s Island Foundation is helping us do that.”
Dogs For Life, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people and dogs through training Assistance Dogs. For more information about DFL’s Assistance Dog Training, Pet-Assisted Therapy Dog Training, or Off-Leash Dog Park please contact Shelly Ferger Founder and CEO at (772) 567-8969 or visit the website at www.dogsforlifevb.org.