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Savvy Canines of Arizona is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization; all donations are tax deductible.

Savvy Canines is able to keep training fees low thanks to support from the community. Your contributions help us provide special equipment for training, transportation for advanced lessons, continuing education for our trainers, rental fees, and scholarships for clients in need.

Donate online

or by mail to:

Savvy Canines of Arizona
P.O. Box 57607
Tucson, AZ 85711-9998
Thank you!
Thank you!

Memorial Funds

These very special Memorial Funds honor the spirit, life, and work of two Savvy Canines founders who were strong advocates for personal independence. With their service dogs beside them, they embodied the strength and joy of life lived to its fullest measure. Your donation will help us continue their work as educators and advocates for people with disabilities and their service dog partners.

Laura Coursey Public Education Fund

Laura Coursey Public Education FundDedicated to public education and outreach to foster understanding of the place of service dogs in our communities.

Laura Coursey well knew the increased independence afforded her by the assistance of her service dogs over the years. Laura was a patient teacher and a strong advocate for people living with disabilities. An optimist with a sunny disposition and a can-do spirit, Laura was a tireless advocate and an enthusiastic educator of the public on the role and responsibilities of service dogs.

Helga E. Milberg Service Dog Support Fund

Helga E. Milberg Service Dog Support FundDedicated to providing financial support for service dogs with special needs.

Helga Milberg, with her service dogs Koki and Hunter by her side, was an early advocate for people with disabilities and their service dogs. Her knowledge and her kindness provided a strong guiding hand as Savvy Canines grew. Helga and her service dogs demonstrated the high standard to which we hope all our service dog teams will continue to aspire in the coming years.

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Our Clients Say

"I am slowly getting back into the world as I recover from my neurological disorder, and this journey toward recovery has been greatly accelerated by training and living with my Service Dog. I spoke with people who had been devastated by their illnesses and had become virtual shut-ins, and I observed how training and living with a Service Dog changed them. Their lives were transformed by getting back into the world; these folks now have the confidence to “fight the good fight.” Then one day I saw that same confidence in myself. I now go just about everywhere with my Service Dog. I want to thank Phyllis Allan and Savvy Canines for being so amazingly kind and patient with me and my dog. I would definitely recommend Savvy Canines of Arizona to anyone who is considering training a Service Dog."—Bruce and “Elwood”
“The positive reinforcement we get from trainers at Savvy Canines of Arizona is exceptional, always so patient and helpful. Chloe is a work in progress, but she does make life easier by picking up dropped objects. We could not have done this on our own.” —Susan and "Chloe"
“The clicker training technique Savvy Canines teaches is very simple, yet powerful. Dogs actually enjoy learning tasks their partners want them to do when the clicker is used properly.”—George and “Rover”
“The Savvy Canines trainers are knowledgeable, consistent, and competent and love dogs. Phyllis provides a flexible schedule, comes to my home, and the cost is reasonable and well worth it. The classes twice a month are great for Molly to meet other people and dogs and to show off what she has learned. Molly and I are very pleased with the training from Savvy Canines.”—Diane and “Molly”
“Our instructor helps both human and animal understand and accommodate to one another. We were also impressed that Kay carries out her training sessions with a kind, gentle approach—even with the pet owner!” —Pamela and Roger H. and "Fred" and "Molly"
"Working with Sarah is the most important thing in my life. The gentle, positive training of Savvy Canines continues to increase the amazing bond between us. As my disabilities increase, Sarah is learning new ways to help me, both at home and out in public."—Susan N. and “Sarah”
“Kay (our instructor) is terrific in helping people understand their canine friends. She has a real understanding of dog behavior and is able to quickly tune in to what is going on in a human-dog relationship.” —Pamela H. and "Molly"
Our trainer has helped us establish a fantastic rapport with our dog! The clicker training has been great. Our dog is attuned to our needs and anticipates my commands for helping close doors on the cabinets and the refrigerator, and thoroughly enjoys adjusting the pedals on my wheelchair! We have been especially pleased with our trainer's willingness to work around our schedule because of my medical problems.—Mr. and Mrs. Larson
"We own and train Australian Shepherds, and when I became disabled, my wife thought I might benefit from a Service Dog. She made a call, and I was surprised when Phyllis Allen (whom I had seen on a TV program about service dogs) came to my house to tell us about the Service Dog training program. She explained the program, assessed my needs, and met the dog I intended to use for training. I was impressed that she would come to my home to meet us and to explain how the program worked. Phyllis is a superb teacher. Savvy Canines uses a positive training method called “clicker training.” Before I met Phyllis I had never used the clicker method, and I am now convinced that it is one of the best training tools for teaching a dog complex tasks. It is definitely a thing of beauty when your dog “gets it” and accomplishes a new skill."—Bruce and “Elwood”
“Minnie and I have worked with Savvy Canines since its inception. From the first day Minnie has loved Phyllis and the training sessions with her. Minnie loves the challenges, the games (and the attention). The one service that sets Savvy Canines apart from other training programs is the individual attention to each client. They work around your schedule, find creative ways to get tasks accomplished, and do it all in a professional, caring way. Minnie and I LOVE the trainers and the time spent learning new tasks. Thank you Savvy Canines. You are pawsitively the BEST!”—Reva and “Minnie”
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