Who we are:
ACTS - Assistance Canine Training Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit training service dogs for people with mobility disabilities and facility dogs for professionals using animal assisted therapy in their full-time practices or jobs. We are accredited by Assistance Dogs International and members of Animal Assisted Intervention International.
ACTS was founded in 2007 by Dorothy Hyde-Williams in memory of her son Nate who died tragically and unexpectedly in a bicycle accident. The organization still thrives today on the passion that comes from great loss and from believing in something good coming from tragedy. ACTS is proud to have been founded in memory of Nate.
As a small organization headquartered in the Mount Washington Valley (North Conway) with a training center at the University of Vermont, ACTS can offer the personal services that is desirable in assistance dog training and placement. Our key volunteers each have many years of experience in dog training and in the service and facility dog fields. They are dedicated, caring, and professional and are committed to training dogs to help people.
Our dogs are raised by local volunteer puppy raisers who take the puppies into their homes at the age of eight weeks and keep them for up to two years. Puppy raisers dedicate a great deal of time and money to the effort, and they are our greatest resource, outside of our dogs. They can be seen taking our puppies out to be socialized and teaching them the many skills needed to be placed as working dogs.
We have working service dogs with individuals throughout New England and beyond. Our facility dog teams are in schools, counseling centers, day cares, group homes and hospitals. It is worth noting that, while our service dogs profoundly affect the life of one person, our facility dogs touch the lives of many.
All the costs associated with our dogs two-year training period are obtained through our fundraising efforts, grants, sponsorships, donations, and client fees. We try to keep client fees reasonable; therefore, making our other sources of funding critical. Thank you in advance for your support!
We are committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where all board members, staff, clients and volunteers feel respected and valued regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, disability, education, or any other bias.
We strive to build a workplace culture of belonging and collaboration. A culture where diversity is welcomed and that is both inclusive and equitable. We welcome a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, interests, and skills and work to ensure that all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.
What our clients are saying about ACTS:
“ACTS is very aware and sensitive to each and every client’s well-being, and will put 100 percent of their efforts toward ensuring every match is a perfect fit, and every relationship has full support. If someone wants to work with ACTS, they immediately will have a whole team advocating behind them. You get the whole family when you get them.” ~ Lacey
“You can tell just how passionate everyone is. They are all in it for the love of dogs and helping others. It just blows me away. I loved everything about it. I still love everything about it....They have spent their lives raising these animals and working together. They ensure that these dogs are going to change somebody’s life. It was amazing to see". ~ Stephanie
They have a real unique insight on matching dogs with their people”. ~Mark
Why what we do matters:
“I think the dogs came into my life so I could have my life back. The chances of me having a service dog, would never have happened (without ACTS).” ~Mark (Baxter)
"Digger adds so much to every day. We love him very much and we thank you for getting him to us. We are so grateful". ~Barbara (Digger)
“Brooke has got to be one of the luckiest dogs in the world. She loves her job & is happiest when she is amongst her 500+ students.” This little girl is beyond amazing at what she does for our students. From stopping a meltdown with kisses and resting her head in a child’s lap until he/she is calm to being an instant friend to our new students or a welcoming start to a reluctant student’s day...Brooke is worth her weight in gold! Everyday I have the joy of watching her make a difference in so many lives". ~ Melanie (Brooke)
“Captain is changing 520 lives and not just my students’, but my staff’s. He’s incredible. An amazing, amazing animal. I never knew I was going to love him so much. I had no idea. He’s incredible, he really is”. ~Stephanie (Captain)
