We’re celebrating our 18th Anniversary thanks to your support, which helps us rescue more shelter dogs and empower our program trainers to make better choices in the future. Your emails and letters show our programs matter and encourage us to say “yes” to new opportunities.

We invite you to participate in our Annual Giving Day on Wednesday, November 12th, less than 2 weeks away. Please consider sharing this information with your friends, family, and social networks. Your support in promoting our efforts is sincerely appreciated. Thanks to your donations, we can expand our programs and services and build a stronger organization for the future.

Sincerely,

Janette Thomas, CPDT, Founder and Executive Director

DONATE NOW

 

People have questions. Luckily, we have lots of answers. Check out these interesting facts about our organization:

Cell Dogs – 2025 – Fast Facts

The basics:

• We rescue dogs from local shelters and enroll them in basic obedience training programs.
• The Cell Dogs curriculum has now received endorsement as continuing education courses by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.
• Weekly classes are conducted at correctional institutions for youth in Orange County. Dogs are taught basic commands while program trainers learn life lessons and career skills.
• Our youth graduates are awarded certificates of completion, paving the way to higher education and a successful workforce re-entry with a livable wage. (The pet industry just in California is over $14B and growing.)
• Our canine graduates are either lovingly adopted as family pets or promoted to our advanced training program for specialized service dog training to support veterans and first responders.

And more:

• Our program has been running for 17 years, and some members of our organization have been training dogs for over 25 years.
• Over 500 dogs rescued! Rescuing unwanted dogs reduces euthanasia rates, saves local tax dollars and gives each dog a chance at a new life. Their happy adoptive families are proof positive that shelter dogs make great pets.
• Over 3650 program trainers participated in our programs in the local jails and OC Probation’s facilities. Over 130 training cycles completed.
• People who grow through our programs are far less likely to reoffend. The state of California typically spends upwards of $150,000 each year to house and care for a single inmate. By heading off future incarcerations, our program saves further taxpayer dollars.
• California recidivism rates for juvenile and adult offenders are high within the first year of release. Research by the University of California Irvine found the recidivism rate is significantly reduced for our Cell Dogs program participants. We have an 86% success rate!
• Some special canine graduates become service dogs and help their human partners enjoy a fuller, more independent life. Their valuable skills benefit and assist veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mobility challenges or other health issues. To date, we have placed more than 30 service dogs in the community. Due to the increased interest, we have created a dedicated service dog tab on our website: https://www.celldogs.org/service-dogs/
• Collaboration with Santiago Canyon College: Students participating as trainers in our program can now enroll in the Shelter Dog Obedience Training courses, including Concepts in Dog Training and Practical Dog Training. Upon successful completion, they will receive a Certificate of Completion from Santiago Canyon College Continuing Education Department and the Rancho Santiago Community College District. The program curriculum meticulously developed by the Cell Dogs team has now received endorsement as continuing education courses by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.
• Cell Dogs, Inc. is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID #02-0536487) that receives no government funding and operates solely on donations. Donations are vital in making our work possible.

Here’s where your money goes:

• Training programs
• Shelter and medical fees
• Food and treats
• Teaching supplies, training equipment, grooming supplies, and toys
• Additional expenses for service dog training and placement
• Program development for new institutions

To find out more, visit us online, or get in touch:

info@celldogs.org

www.celldogs.org

https://www.facebook.com/celldogs/

https://www.instagram.com/celldogs/