About Texas Service Dogs
Training Dogs of Service to the World
Welcome. We are Texas Service Dogs. As an organization, our main mission is to train quality service dogs on a task-based method. In doing tasks, the dogs will be trained to help out in several things that people may need.
A properly trained dog will ensure that their owners will be able to act in a safe and independent manner. This is especially so for both adults and children who have physical and mental disabilities.
Our organization does not raise and breed service dogs ourselves. Instead, we rely on people donating puppies to us. We also look for potential service dog candidates in rescue shelters. Our ideal candidates are within the age range of eight weeks to 2 years old.
Of all the breeds out there, Texas Service Dogs focuses primarily on poodles, Labradors, and Labrador retrievers. These breeds are ideal due to their ability to get and fetch items, how motivated they are, and of course how friendly they are to their owners and others.
Other breeds we have used also include Mastiffs and Great Danes. If you know of any other breeds that fit these qualities though, do let us know.
We do hope that you support and work for us, so that more trained service dogs can continue to make a difference in the world.
Apart from donations, you can volunteer as a puppy trainer too! Simply send your application to us. If accepted, you’ll need to learn our material and then train a service dog puppy that we’ll be sending you.
If you don’t have any experience, don’t worry about it. Our instructor will help you out every week.
All of our great work at Texas Service Dogs could not have been possible without the good people who have donated their time, money, and efforts to our cause.
Texas Service Dogs is a non-profit charitable organization. If you’d like to pitch in some help, you can volunteer for some of our open positions or offer your home as a foster home for our dogs in training.
About The Program
Texas Service Dogs (TXSD) Puppy Prospects are donated by reputable breeders, rescues, and shelters. Our service dogs are trained for approximately two years total. Selected Puppy Trainers are responsible for housing the puppy during Phase 1 training, which entails socialization, basic, and advanced obedience, before moving on to Phase 2 training with Staff Trainers.
During Phase 2, the dogs progress to advanced task-training. At the completion of training, the dogs are matched with a client and participate in Team Training, which is a two-week curriculum that covers basic maintenance, rules and regulation education, and dog-handling skills both in home and in public.
After placement, in-home training specializes the dogs’ skills to fit the specific needs and environment of the client. Certification is earned at three months of successful placement, again at six months and twelve months, and recertified annually thereafter.
Board of Directors
Sammye Darling
Sammye Darling is an honors graduate from Texas A&M University who received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Minor in Neuroscience. She is well known for her fervent love for animals and helping people. While in college, she particularly enjoyed her curricula, recognizing the opportunity to learn about disabilities and learning theories.
Early in her dog training experiences, Sammye became the Director of Publicity for Aggie Guide-Dogs and Service-Dogs (AGS). Through AGS’s puppy raising program, she acquired extensive force-free and positive reinforcement training skills and public access experience with service dogs in training. Her motto is: “The greatest service is done with love and selflessness.”
Alice Church
Alice Church majored in Biomedical Science at Texas A&M University and intends to pursue a career in veterinary medicine alongside her work with Texas Service Dogs. Her foundation in service dog training came from Aggie Guide Dogs and Service Dogs, where she successfully completed Phase I training with her dog Flynn.
Alice is currently in charge of overseeing the current puppies in training’s progress and also assists with fundraising and community outreach. She loves being able to bring people and animals together to make their lives better.
Kayla LeSage
Kayla LeSage has been an animal enthusiast her entire life. A Biochemistry and Genetics double major with minors in Math, Biology, and Chemistry, she hopes her academic endeavors will lead her to medical school. Texas Service Dogs was the perfect place for her to pursue her two greatest passions: animals and helping people.
Tina Bartolucci
Tina Bartolucci leads the marketing and outreach efforts for Texas Service Dogs, helping to raise awareness of the organization’s mission and expand its reach to individuals and families who can benefit from our program.
Service Dog Trainer Biographies
Mady Cassano
Madyson Cassano is an Animal Science major at Texas A&M University. She has worked as a veterinary assistant and pet sitter and has been an avid equestrian since a young age. Through Texas Service Dogs, she has expanded her knowledge of training dogs to reach their maximum potential.
Brittany Frost
Brittany Frost is an Agriculture Science major at Texas A&M University with a passion for animals and working with children. After volunteering at a therapeutic horseback riding facility and witnessing the impact of service animals firsthand, she joined Aggie Guide Dogs and Service Dogs and then Texas Service Dogs to continue that mission.
Service Dogs in Training
At any given time, Texas Service Dogs has several dogs working through our training program. Each dog is carefully evaluated for temperament, trainability, and health before being accepted into the program. Our current cohort includes Standard Poodles, Labradoodles, and rescue dogs of various breeds — all on track to become life-changing partners for individuals with disabilities.
If you are interested in learning more about a specific dog or following their training journey, please contact us and we will be happy to provide updates.