NICST: First Response K9

As you may have seen in the last several months, Dogs4Diabetics (D4D) has undergone a remarkable evolution. In the past 15 years we have pursued our vision to become the leading organization that maintains ethical and industry-leading standards of innovative scent-trained dogs, and our promise to provide our programs of support at no cost to our clients and program recipients.

We have dedicated ourselves in service to the diabetic community and are continuously adapting and innovating to ensure we are providing the care our community needs; all while maintaining the foresight for long-term sustainability, growth, and impact.

More than a year ago, the D4D team started to thoughtfully plan for the expansion and diversification of our mission to more fully respond to the needs of the diabetic community, by implementing a “Total Wellness” initiative - a community-based model for treating the whole diabetic with a focus on mental strength, resilience, and sustainable well-being. In addition, we’ve explored how we can open our wellness and medical-alert programs to serve populations beyond diabetes.

The COVID-19 pandemic is revealing what we’ve long known -- that individuals beyond just the diabetic community need our dogs now more than ever. During this uncertain and challenging time, the team at D4D is responding to growing needs and evolving our science to help more people and make a greater impact.

We feel that it is our civic and human duty to use our knowledge and skills to benefit a larger demographic. We have begun to adapt our strategies, our operations, and our culture to drive these positive initiatives forward.

What’s the same: Our industry-leading standards and science are driving our responsive, forward-thinking innovation. And our passionate and loving team is more committed than ever to serving the diabetic community. You and D4D are the foundation for our future and will remain a priority in our community!

How we are growing: We have a new name -- The National Institute of Canine Service & Training (NICST)! Under the NICST umbrella, we’ll offer the following programs:

Dogs4Diabetics: For our diabetic community, we’ll continue to create life-saving partnerships with service dogs (that have public access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act) and with buddy dogs (that do not have public access rights). Learn More.

First Response K-9’s: For those who have dedicated their lives to serving us in crisis and emergency, we will offer life-empowering partnerships with service dogs and buddy dogs. Learn More.

Proof Dogs: NICST will continue to innovate by training proof dogs for scent discrimnation work for urgent needs and other special projects. (For example, we are currently partnered with UC Davis Veterinary & Oncology to innovate scent-detection animals for head and neck cancers).

All of our dogs are trained according to the standards and science that made D4D a name in the industry. We are taking 15 years of science and dedication into the future.

However, we cannot achieve success in anything we set out to do if we choose to pursue these goals independently. Rather, success requires that we consistently work together to achieve our goals through integrated initiatives that place a high priority on moving us forward simultaneously on multiple fronts and managing our total impact as an organization. Your support as well as the balance and integration of these new initiates will be the key to our success.

Will you partner with us to innovate and serve all those who turn to our organization for support?

We are seeking your support to help ensure the success of all our crucial programs. Your support will help facilitate life-saving partnerships in each of our programs. If you wish your generous donations to be directed to a specific program please indicate this in the donation “notes” section (ex: designated to Dogs4Diabetics program).

Every penny contributes to allowing us to provide highly-trained, highly-skilled dogs free of charge to our clients. On behalf of the hard-working team at D4D, we thank you for your support and generosity. You have contributed to our success over the last 15 years and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and tails.

Sincerely,
Mark Ruefenacht
Founder and President
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All donations are tax-deductible! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and share our efforts: #OurDogsSaveLives.
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You can learn more about the Dogs4Diabetics program, here. You can learn more about our First Respone K-9 program, here.