Born with cerebral palsy and vision impairments, Maggie-Lou of Santa Clara rarely chose to move her arms, resulting in weakness that limits her mobility. In November 2013, Maggie-Lou received Kansas, her new assistance dog from Canine Companions for Independence®. Trained in over 40 commands, Kansas is much more than a friend to Maggie-Lou: she’s a therapeutic motivator and partner. After just one week with Kansas, Maggie-Lou started extending her arms to pet her. With her assistance dog’s help, MaggieLou continues to get stronger every day.

Since 1975, the non-profit organization Canine Companions for Independence® has helped to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly skilled assistance dogs and ongoing support, free of charge.

There are over 50 Canine Companions teams like Maggie-Lou and Kansas in Santa Clara County. More people with disabilities are waiting to receive assistance dogs from Canine Companions, and the waiting list for these exceptional dogs is growing. We are proud to support this organization so that they can continue to help those in our community who are in need.

For more information, or to find out how you can get involved, please visit www.cci.org.