Giving Back Program

A cornerstone of our success has been our engagement with our community and giving back. Here are just a few organizations we have teamed up with in the past. If you have a non-profit organization you are passionate about, please share it with us. And ask about our Giving Back Program, where we donate 2% of any business you refer to the charity of your choice.

Paws For Life Prison Program

Paws For Life is a program that started with teaching 12 inmates in a maximum security prison how to be dog trainers. Then they take shelter dogs and throw them into prison for 12 weeks to be trained (socialization, trick training, and behavior modification) and get CGC certified. The end result is dogs that are more adoptable, and guys that get to experience a true connection with the outside world and the sense of “giving back.” 6 years into this program, we now have 90 inmates participating (plus the 8 that have since paroled out and participate from the outside).

Reading Isn’t Ruff

Reading Isn’t Ruff is a program based out of the Los Angeles Public Library system. We approach kids with varying reading challenges and ask them to be of service to our dogs – dogs that they are told need to be read to cause it helps the dogs with his/her anxiety. And an adult handler is there to help with any big words. Little do they know the dogs are certified therapy dogs. Its a non-judgmental safe space for the kid to practice reading and feel like they’ve done something special for the animals.

Deep Cares

DEEP Cares is the charitable arm of a storied collective of dance music artists, DJs, and dancers. When founder, Marques Wyatt, wanted to take the wonderful community he’s built and channel the energies to be of service to others, he formed DEEP Cares as a way to raise money for noble causes, as well as clothing drives, toy drives, and relief efforts for natural disasters.

Skid Row Carnival of Love

Skid Row Carnival of Love is an annual event that takes a fresh approach to the man made epidemic of homelessness. Rather than being focused on the handouts, they focus on the hands. So instead of giving them clothes, they are paired with a personal shopper and together they find and tryout different clothes. Instead of soup kitchen food, together with their new friend, they get to participate in a competition between 3 food vendors (including a vegan option) and vote on the best food. USC dental brings their dental truck, Azusa Pacific University brings their med students to do medical screenings, Paul Mitchell brings a pop up make over salon, etc… etc. There’s pet services, foot washing stations, mobile shower trucks, kids areas, yoga, face painting, art projects, DJ dance party and of course carnival games.

Joyful Heart Foundation

Joyful Heart Foundation started when Mariska Hargitay (who playing Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit) the content of the scripts, as well as the work she did to prepare for the role, opened her eyes to the staggering statistics about sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse in the United States. She received hundreds, then thousands of letters and emails from survivors disclosing their stories of abuse, many for the first time. She wanted to answer those letters, to address the suffering and isolation they described, and honor the acts of courage they represented. Joyful Heart carries out its mission through an integrated program portfolio of healing, education, and advocacy. Our work is paving the way for innovative approaches to treating trauma, igniting shifts in the way the public views and responds to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, and reforming legislation to ensure justice for survivors.

Common Ground

Common Ground Foundation was founded by Academy Award Winning Artist, Actor, and Author Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. known as “Common”. More than 10 years ago, Common committed his time and resources to help inner-city youth in his hometown of Chicago. Our work reaches high school students through mentoring and college preparation programs. Our focus areas are nutrition and healthy living, financial literacy, character development, and creative expression. Common’s commitment to the foundation is both in spirit and deed as he donates significant time and resources to the organization. He also takes time to talk to youth across the country to keep inspiring them to dream beyond their circumstances.