10 Service Dogs for 10 Children in Puerto Rico
A founder-led pilot program by Caribbean Canine Academy to train and place service dogs with children in Puerto Rico whose conditions significantly affect daily functioning, safety, regulation, independence, and family stability.
The sponsorship packet includes the program overview, sponsorship levels, nonprofit documentation summary, impact goals, and next steps for sponsors or advisors.
This is not a dog training project. It is a structured service dog and family-support initiative designed to create measurable impact for children and families in Puerto Rico.
Give 10 children a trained service dog they can live with, grow with, and rely on.
Each dog is part of a structured support model that includes professional training, family education, follow-up support, safety standards, and responsible placement.
Many families in Puerto Rico face the daily challenge of supporting children whose conditions seriously affect functioning, safety, regulation, independence, and participation in family, school, and community life.
This may include children with autism requiring substantial support, diagnosed psychiatric conditions, severe anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, behavioral, sensory, or nervous system dysregulation, significant sensory challenges, seizure disorders or epilepsy, Type 1 diabetes or other medical-alert needs, physical or mobility disabilities, hearing impairment, elopement behaviors, safety-related crises, or other conditions that seriously limit the child's independence, family stability, and daily participation.
This pilot program will train and place 10 service dog teams for 10 children and their families while providing professional training, family education, safety standards, follow-up support, documentation, and sponsor impact reporting.
Families need support. Service dog access is limited. Puerto Rico needs a model.
Children and families served in Phase One
Estimated full training and placement pathway depending on dog and family needs
Estimated sponsorship needed per child/dog team
Final budget will depend on dog selection, training intensity, veterinary needs, equipment, follow-up, and family support requirements.
A structured pilot with lasting impact.
Family Application & Screening
Families apply and are evaluated for readiness, need, safety, and appropriate fit.
Dog Selection or Suitability Evaluation
Each dog must meet temperament, health, stability, and trainability requirements.
Foundation Training
Obedience, manners, handler focus, impulse control, calm behavior, and environmental stability.
Task Training
Tasks may include behavioral regulation support, sensory regulation support, nervous system regulation support, interruption of distress or panic behaviors, grounding, deep pressure when appropriate, medical alert or response when appropriate, seeking help from a parent/caregiver during a crisis or seizure, retrieval of medication or supplies, mobility-related assistance, hearing-related response, transition support, and other disability-related tasks based on the child's needs and the dog's suitability.
Public Access Preparation
When appropriate, dogs are prepared for safe, calm behavior in real-world environments.
Family Handler Education
Families learn how to communicate, maintain training, protect the dog's role, and handle daily routines responsibly.
Placement & Follow-Up
The team receives follow-up support, progress check-ins, and continued guidance.
Sponsor Impact Reporting
Sponsors receive ethical updates, program milestones, and impact reporting while protecting family privacy.
Every sponsored dog is a full support pathway.
- Cost of acquisition, selection, or preparation of the appropriate dog for each child/family
- Dog suitability and temperament evaluation
- Veterinary screening and wellness requirements
- Training plan and progress benchmarks
- Foundational obedience
- Disability-related task training based on each child's needs and the dog's suitability
- Public access preparation when appropriate
- Family handler education
- Equipment and training materials
- Follow-up sessions
- Program documentation
- Impact reporting
- Graduation / placement recognition
Service dog training and placement decisions depend on dog suitability, family readiness, professional evaluation, safety considerations, and the individual needs of the child. This program does not guarantee medical outcomes and does not replace clinical care.
Led by Cheryl DeLoach and Caribbean Canine Academy.
Cheryl DeLoach is a respected dog trainer and trainer of professional dog trainers in Puerto Rico. She has experience training service dogs and has worked for years with dogs, families, and students of canine training. Her work integrates practical obedience, responsible handling, clear communication, regulation, safety, and human education.
Cheryl also has specialized scent-detection experience, including explosives detection work. That background strengthens her ability to evaluate dogs, develop structured training plans, and understand how canine skills can support functional tasks, safety, alerting, and responsible service dog preparation.
The professional capacity and experience already exist. What this sponsorship makes possible is expanding access for families who otherwise could not afford a selection, training, preparation, and follow-up process of this magnitude.
A local program designed for Puerto Rican families, culture, access, and community needs.
Led by an established academy with experience training dogs, owners, and dog trainers.
The program includes handler education so the family can maintain the dog's work responsibly.
The process prioritizes dog suitability, child safety, task relevance, and responsible placement.
The children's pilot is the first phase of a larger Puerto Rico service dog and mental health support initiative.
One founding sponsor can launch the pilot. Ten sponsors can each change one life.
Caribbean Canine Academy is a Puerto Rico nonprofit recognized by Hacienda under Section 1101.01 and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization.
Founding Program Sponsor
Includes naming recognition, logo placement, media recognition, social impact updates, sponsor story features, program reporting, and participation in the final placement/graduation event.
One Child / One Dog Sponsor
Includes recognition, progress updates, and an impact story when appropriate and with family consent.
Support Partner
Supports veterinary care, food, equipment, training supplies, transportation, family education, or follow-up support.
Caribbean Canine Academy can provide nonprofit documentation, Hacienda Section 1101.01 recognition information, IRS 501(c)(3) recognition information, contribution instructions, and donor/sponsor acknowledgment documentation upon request.
Contributions may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donors and sponsors should consult their tax advisor to confirm the treatment applicable to their specific situation.
General Contributions
Not ready to sponsor a full service dog team? You can still help fund dog selection, training, veterinary requirements, equipment, family education, follow-up support, and program documentation through a general contribution to the Service Dog Partners fund.
For full team sponsorships, corporate sponsorships, or Act 60-related contributions, please request the sponsorship package or contact us directly so we can provide the appropriate documentation and next steps.
Caribbean Canine Academy is a Puerto Rico nonprofit recognized by Hacienda under Section 1101.01 and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. Contributions may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donors should consult their tax advisor.
Act 60 Donor Information
Caribbean Canine Academy is a Puerto Rico nonprofit recognized by Hacienda under Section 1101.01 and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. Contributions may qualify for the general nonprofit portion of Act 60 charitable contribution requirements. Donors should consult their tax advisor, CPA, or Act 60 compliance attorney to confirm applicability to their specific decree and annual compliance filing.
A pilot designed to be documented, reviewed, and strengthened.
This program will track training milestones, family education, placement readiness, follow-up support, and family-reported quality-of-life indicators. The goal is to create a responsible model that can grow beyond the first 10 children.
- Family confidence and caregiver stress reduction
- Child behavioral, sensory, and nervous system regulation support
- Safer transitions at home, school, and public settings
- Increased participation in family and community outings
- Sleep, routine, and daily-structure support when relevant
- Reduction of safety risks such as elopement, panic, disorientation, or crisis escalation when applicable
- Handler skill development and family follow-through
- Service dog training milestones and task reliability
- Post-placement adjustment and follow-up progress
- Family quality-of-life feedback
Starting with children. Building a broader service dog access model for Puerto Rico.
The first phase focuses on training and placing 10 service dogs with children in Puerto Rico whose conditions significantly affect daily functioning, safety, regulation, independence, or family stability.
The larger vision is to expand beyond the first 10 children and build a sustainable service dog access model for Puerto Rico — one that can eventually support more children, families, adults with disabilities or qualifying support needs, veterans, trauma survivors, and individuals with medical-alert, mobility-related, hearing-related, psychiatric, or other service-dog needs.
- Phase 110 Service Dogs for 10 Children
Launch the first sponsored pilot serving children in Puerto Rico whose conditions affect safety, regulation, independence, medical stability, mobility, hearing-related needs, or family functioning.
- Phase 2Children's Service Dog Scholarship Expansion
Use the results of the first pilot to create additional sponsored placements for children and families in Puerto Rico who need responsible, task-trained service dog support.
- Phase 3Adult & Veteran Service Dog Access
Expand the model beyond children to support adults with disabilities or qualifying support needs, veterans, trauma survivors, and individuals with medical-alert, mobility-related, hearing-related, psychiatric, or other service-dog needs.
- Phase 4Sustainable and Replicable Sponsorship Model
Create a long-term model that can be sustained through corporate sponsors, individual donors, grants, Act 60 donors, and community partners, and eventually replicated across Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and beyond.
This work needs the right circle around it.
Caribbean Canine Academy welcomes mission-aligned supporters who want to help expand awareness, visibility, resources, sponsorship opportunities, and responsible service dog access in Puerto Rico.
- Corporate sponsors
- Foundations and grantmakers
- Individual donors
- Act 60 donors
- Community leaders
- Media contacts
- Disability advocates
- Pet food and equipment supporters
- Veterinary or professional supporters when appropriate
- Organizations interested in future sponsorship opportunities
Built with care for the child, the family, the dog, and the community.
Every placement must be based on the child's needs, safety, and family readiness.
The emotional and physical welfare of the dog is central to the program.
Tasks must be relevant, humane, and connected to the child's qualifying needs.
Families must learn how to handle, protect, and maintain the dog's training.
Sponsors receive responsible program updates and impact summaries.
The goal is to build a responsible model for Puerto Rico that creates meaningful impact beyond a single moment of visibility.
Questions sponsors and partners ask first.
Three ways to help launch the pilot.
For companies or foundations interested in funding the full 10-dog pilot.
For businesses, donors, or community leaders who want to fund one team.
For individuals, businesses, media contacts, community leaders, and organizations that want to help expand awareness, visibility, resources, or future sponsorship opportunities.
Prefer to contact us directly? Email caribbeancanineacademy@gmail.com or call/text 787-233-5200.
Need nonprofit documentation? We can share our Puerto Rico nonprofit status, Hacienda Section 1101.01 recognition, and IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt recognition information upon request.
We respond to sponsor and partner inquiries within 2 business days.