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Reflecting on Past as DBL Expands to Future, Inaugural Founder’s Month Launches in April

By April 1, 2019 April 17th, 2019 No Comments

Founder Roy Kabat with Dogs for the Deaf’s first Hearing Assistance Dog Jeremiah. (c 1977)

CENTRAL POINT, OR – From the nonprofit’s simple beginnings in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley, then Dogs for the Deaf has grown and diversified from its nationally renowned Hearing Assistance Dog program.

In 1977 Roy Kabat turned his love for animals into Dogs for the Deaf, a premier national nonprofit organization that helped both dogs and people lead better lives. Roy’s mission of rescuing, professionally training and placing dogs with people in need continues today through the help of committed donors, volunteers, and staff members.

Forty-two years later, now Dogs for Better Lives’ (DBL) campus is located in nearby Central Point, encompassing three Assistance Dog programs, two of which are national (Hearing and Facility) and one (Autism) that is quickly growing with placements in Oregon and Washington. All along, rescuing dogs from shelters up and down the West Coast has never wavered.

This April, Dogs for Better Lives will launch its inaugural Founder’s Month celebration, reflecting on its past while thoughtfully and strategically growing the organization into the future – all with a goal of helping to better the lives of more dogs and people.

“Our national board and staff are excited to be launching Founder’s Month into our annual spring schedule while celebrating this with our clients, donors, volunteers, and community partners across the country. This is a tremendous opportunity to reflect on our rich history and how that has brought us to the present while building for the future,” stated CEO Bryan Williams.  “We’re humbled and thankful for our past, these are true building blocks for where we’re going in the next 5-10 years. Hold on!”

Throughout the month of April, through social media, eNewsletters, and their website, Dogs for Better Lives will be remembering  founder Roy Kabat’s legacy, celebrating the national nonprofit’s history,  and sharing what the organization is doing today as Dogs for Better Lives.

Towards the end of April, DBL will provide a glimpse into what the future holds, highlighting its 2020 Vision and how the nationally recognized nonprofit will begin to truly scale its programs and staffing with regional campuses and satellite offices on the west coast and eventually across the country over the next 10-15 years.

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