CWAC began as an Animal Assisted Therapy Program of “Friends of Animals Utah,” an animal rescue program in northern Utah. Based on increasing demand for veteran assistance programs, CWAC became a separate organization in 2011 with a focus on training shelter dogs to assist veterans with support, comfort and specific tasks needed.
Who We Are
Our Story
Our Philosophy
By having veterans train their dog, it helps get them out of their homes and involved again in civilian life; it helps them develop their emotional coping skills and resiliency, and the positive training techniques our instructors use teach them to guide their dog and solve problems using methods that are enjoyable for the dog and healthy for the veteran.
The dog and the handler create a strong bond through working together, and the dog is trained for specific tasks to help the veteran lead a more productive, less stressful life.
Impacting Utah
CWAC Utah works directly with the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City and Vet Centers in Salt Lake City, Provo, and St. George. Our veterans are referred by their health professionals.
Dogs are sourced from local shelters by our well-trained professional staff. The dogs are further assessed and trained by offenders in the Utah State Women’s prison-Timpanoogas and Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino.
