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Puppy Fleet
Raise a puppy, change a life.
SPA is proud to be an official corporate sponsor of the Guide Dog Foundation and America’s VetDogs—the first company to hold this distinction. These organizations provide expertly trained service dogs to support the visually impaired, veterans and first responders with PTSD, and patients undergoing rehabilitation in veterans’ hospitals.
Winner of the 2025 ACG Community Service Project Award!
Challenge
Guide dogs are critical for the visually impaired and veterans with PTSD or in rehab, but there is a shortage of volunteers to raise puppies. That’s where the SPA Puppy Fleet comes in. Led by Senior Fellow Dr. Bill Hoeft and supported by the SPA leadership team, employees volunteer as puppy raisers with the full support of the company.
SPA sponsors the socialization and early training of these future service dogs—welcoming puppies into the workplace, encouraging staff to bring them to meetings, and making them a natural part of our community as they prepare for their important mission.
Puppy Paths
Between 14-18 months of age, dogs return to headquarters in Smithtown, NY to begin formal training with their dedicated team. Here, they are selected for four different career paths:
Scent detection dogs
First choice breeding department
Guide dogs
Service dogs
We Live Our Values
Watch our Puppy Fleet update video to hear the latest updates on our “furry employees.”