Mission Statement

Duo (formerly Support Dogs) is a St. Louis based, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization whose primary objective is to offer dignity, hope and independence by providing highly trained Assistance Dogs for individuals with a hearing, mobility or PTSD related challenge and placing Facility Dogs with handlers at organizations serving at-risk individuals.

Additionally, Duo Touch Therapy Dog teams visit children and staff in schools and healthcare facilities to brighten their day and improve outcomes. Duo Paws for Reading Dog teams participate in teacher led literacy programs in schools and libraries. Duo Response Dog teams respond to traumatic events in our community, most recently responding to St. Louis Public Schools’ requests for visits after the tragic shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.

Serving the children in the St. Louis region is of primary interest to Duo. Duo is uniquely positioned to offer services in the areas of providing comfort and healing to children in healthcare, assisting children with physical challenges, participating in the provision of child services in specialty courts and child advocacy centers and offering comfort to students at schools after an acute traumatic event. No other agency in our area provides such a broad range of child services at no cost to the recipients thanks, in part, to the generosity of the Dana Brown Charitable Trust.

Impact

Duo serves the children of the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan area with a blend of the following five significant community services, all provided at no cost to the recipients: Duo’s Assistance Dog, Facility Dog, Touch Therapy Dog, Paws for Reading Dog and Response Dog Programs. The work carried out by the Duo Dogs Children’s Initiative focuses on the St. Louis region and works in partnership with Title 1 schools and with hospitals in Promise Zone areas.

Each of our services take advantage of the human/canine “Duo”. It is this special relationship that makes each program so effective.

Here is a brief overview of how each program serves children in our area:

Duo Facility Dogs placed with handlers work “on staff” at facilities serving with at-risk child populations. The duo currently has Facility Dogs in several area hospitals, including 4 local area hospital systems (Cardinal Glennon, BJC, St. Louis Children’s, and Mercy Children’s Hospital St. Louis) and at Boys Hope Girls Hope in St. Louis County to participate in counseling, therapy, and recovery programs. Also working with children during court proceedings is Facility Dog “Levi” serving at the St. Louis County Prosecutors Office.

Touch Therapy Dog teams of duo-trained and certified volunteers visit hospitals and other healthcare facilities to reduce the stress experienced by children participating in therapy or recovery and in schools to work with school counselors.

Paws for Reading Dog teams of Duo-trained and certified volunteers participate in teacher-led literacy programs in local area schools and libraries to help improve students’ reading fluency and comprehension skills so they do not fall behind later in life.

Duo’s Response Dogs Program fills a critical need in our community to comfort those affected by an acute traumatic event. Specially trained Response Teams are ready to respond to such events at a moment’s notice, such as they did after an act of violence at the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.

Duo strongly supports the underserved and disadvantaged children of our shared community. Our staff, Board, volunteers, and supporters are all focused on providing this deserving population with the above services, making us an excellent fit for the Dana Brown Charitable Trust. The generous awards from DBCT have allowed us to continue, grow, and expand to best serve the community with our special dogs and mission.