Retrieving Independence

Retrieving Independence (RI) is a compassionate and skilled community of trainers, inmate handlers, and volunteers working together to bring positive change. Guided by our passion for creating partnerships between people and dogs, we strive to empower individuals living with disabilities while also providing invaluable skills and opportunities for growth to our inmate handlers. Our team shares a deep commitment to enriching lives through service dogs, and we pride ourselves on fostering an environment where everyone involved is encouraged to thrive. Our dedication to personalized care ensures that every dog we train transforms the lives of those they serve.

If you respond to a need and don't hear back from us within a few days, please follow up with Michaela Ping (michaela@riservicedogs.org). She will help you get set up in a timely manner. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

At Retrieving Independence (RI), we believe in the transformative power of service dogs to enrich lives. Our mission is to provide highly trained service dogs to those with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities, enabling them to lead more independent and fulfilling lives. Our dogs are meticulously trained through a collaborative approach involving skilled trainers and dedicated inmate handlers, who learn valuable life skills in the process. We specialize in matching each dog to individuals based on their unique needs, ensuring that our service dogs can deliver personalized support, companionship, and empowerment. Our dogs spend 3 weeks inside their prison program a month, and 1 week out in public on "furlough". We utilize volunteers to assist and manage these furloughs in order for our dogs to gain all the public access skills they need.