Lotta times I think of that old Billy Mays line “You’ve seen all the rest, now get the best.”

(Hey, I liked Billy – he was a true “Pittsburgh guy”, and he loved dogs, too).

Certainly applies with service dog organizations, especially when it comes to their names. For example:

There are a lotta places with “Canine” in their name, but only ONE Canine Companions for Independence.

There are also a bunch with “Paws” in their name, but only ONE Paws With A Cause.

And some with “Assistance Dogs” in their name, too, but only ONE Assistance Dogs of America, Inc.

I could keep going, but you get the idea.

Now I have a very good feel for “who’s who”, so knowing who the real players are isn’t really that tough for me.  But for most of you, I’m sure that trying to make sense of all the service dog organizations out there is confusing, and the naming similarities aren’t helping any.  So whaddya do?

I’ll say what I always say – just look closely, and start with the list of Assistance Dogs International accredited organizations.

Things will start becoming clearer, I ga-ron-tee.