OUR INSPIRATION

There is an ongoing and growing need for highly trained assistance dogs to facilitate independence. The need far outstrips the supply with typical waiting times to receive a trained dog anywhere from two to five years.
 
There is also a growing need for intervention and prevention among our struggling youth “at-risk” who lack the skills, opportunity or assistance necessary to change the course of their lives and become productive and successful adults in our community.

OUR GOAL

Based in London, Ontario, we aim to “Impact lives … one dog at a time” within our own community. Through our youth program “Project F.I.T.” we’ll see this goal realized. The dogs trained by the youth in our program will be primarily placed with individuals with disabilities in London and the immediate surrounding area. In this way, both our local youth and our local residents with disabilities will be able to “Find Independence Together” (F.I.T.) through partnership with assistance dogs! It’s a “Golden Opportunity” to change not one life … but two!

ABOUT THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR

A native Londoner, Donna Frezell is the founding director of Golden Opportunity
Assistance Dogs.  Donna holds an Associate of Science degree in Assistance Dog
Education and an Instructors certificate in the High Schooled Assistance Dog
Program from the Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, CA. She got her start
working with another service dog organization in Ontario assisting with the training of seizure response, hearing and service dogs.  She has also raised, trained and successfully placed a guide dog for the blind. She brings with her 17 years experience in sales and service which she gained prior to her involvement with assistance dogs.  She is passionate in her pursuit of excellence and champions the human-canine bond as a gift to be cherished and shared.

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