Our Programs

Our programs not only focus on ending breed restrictions, but on challenging the bias behnd them, and on addressing the societal issues that often exist alongside such restrictions.

We cannot have inclusive communities if we have breed restrictions.

BSL Legal Action Fund

We’re keeping dogs and people together and making sure communities stay inclusive by helping dog owners take their lawmakers to court to challenge breed-specific legislation.

Breed Label Bias Training

Customized workshops for shelter workers to help them understand the negative impacts of breed label guesses. Learn the science behind their inaccuracy and also the social impact they have.

Grants

Change happens when we work together. That’s why we fund and work with organizations that share our ethics and goals.

Local outreach

We provide collaborative community resources to dog owners in Duchess County, NY. We support local food pantries and help dog owners access veterinary services, as well as provide them with other resources. We also help local shelters manage the dogs in their care.

Service Dogs

Through our service dog program, we upend society’s expectations about people with disabilities and their service dogs. With this program, we show people that communities aren’t inclusive unless they are accessible.

Past Initiatives

Previous Programs and Grants

Every one of our programs and grants fill a specific need at a specific time. As an organization, we frequently pivot to meet the ever changing needs of people and their dogs and to make sure our work is consistent with current canine science.

Below are some programs and grants that we no longer have.

Pets Together

We started Pets Together as a response to the pandemic. Many, especially those who live in housing facilities like nursing homes or long-term care, were facing dangerous increases in feelings of isolation and loneliness.

 

With Pets Together, we hosted video chats for those living in long-term care facilities so that they could interact with people and their pets. 

 

The program has since spun off  as its own entity and is run by Jennifer Bashford. You can find out more here.

PAWS of Purpose

We know that the bond between dogs and people can not only be healing, but it can be life changing. 

 

Many of our dogs would spend several weeks receiving basic training at Rikers Correctional Facility in New York. The dogs lived with and were cared for by inmates. 

 

There is research that shows that programs like PAWS reduce recidivism in jails and have positive mental health affects for both the dogs and the people involved.

 

Due to Covid-19, the program has been put on hold.

Detection Dog Grant

We began funding the training of shelter dogs as K9 detection dogs as a direct response to the epidemic of police officers shooting people’s pets. More often than not, these dogs were labeled “pit bulls” and lived in marginalized communities.

 

Society often links folklore about certain dog breeds with marginalized communities as a way to perpetuate systems of oppression. If we could change the officers’ minds about the dogs, we could help them to unlearn their other associated biases.

 

A key part of the grant involved placing dogs with BIPOC and female officers. Dogs were also placed with school resource officers and used to create a sense of community among the kids, staff, and teachers.

 

We ended the grant in 2020.

Service Dogs

Through our service dog program, we upended society’s expectations about people with disabilities and their service dogs. With this program, we showed people that communities aren’t inclusive unless they are accessible.

 

We ended the program in 2021.

Previous Programs and Grants

Every one of our programs and grants fill a specific need at a specific time. As an organization, we frequently pivot to meet the ever changing needs of people and their dogs and to make sure our work is consistent with current canine science.

Below are some programs and grants that we no longer have.

Pets Together

We started Pets Together as a response to the pandemic. Many, especially those who live in housing facilities like nursing homes or long-term care, were facing dangerous increases in feelings of isolation and loneliness.

With Pets Together, we hosted video chats for those living in long-term care facilities so that they could interact with people and their pets. 

The program has since spun off  as its own entity and is run by Jennifer Bashford. You can find out more here.

Paws of Purpose

We know that the bond between dogs and people can not only be healing, but it can be life changing. 

Many of our dogs would spend several weeks receiving basic training at Rikers Correctional Facility in New York. The dogs lived with and were cared for by inmates. 

There is research that shows that programs like PAWS reduce recidivism in jails and have positive mental health affects for both the dogs and the people involved.

Due to Covid-19, the program has been put on hold.

Detection Dog Grant

We began funding the training of shelter dogs as K9 detection dogs as a direct response to the epidemic of police officers shooting people’s pets. More often than not, these dogs were labeled “pit bulls” and lived in marginalized communities.

Society often links folklore about certain dog breeds with marginalized communities as a way to perpetuate systems of oppression. If we could change the officers’ minds about the dogs, we could help them to unlearn their other associated biases.

A key part of the grant involved placing dogs with BIPOC and female officers. Dogs were also placed with school resource officers and used to create a sense of community among the kids, staff, and teachers.

We ended the grant in 2020.

AFF's Complete Resource Library

GAIN FULL ACCESS