Consultants

Legal Counsel - Bill Ailor of Ailor Law Offices, Knoxville, TN.

Applications Team -

Dr. Laura Payne PhD. In Education with a specialty in Special Education. Currently serves as Area Director, Joni and Friends, a disability ministry.

Dr. Jim Pierson, a professional author and speaker in the field of disability. M.A. from University of TN. and PhD from Milligan College

Heidi Bailey, Coordinator, Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Services, Veteran's Administration, Mountain Home, Tennessee.

Dr. Tami Wyatt, PhD, RN: Dr. Wyatt is a federally funded nurse scientist whose areas of research include children with chronic illnesses. She works at the University of Tennessee and serves Smoky Mountain Service Dogs in grant acquisition, research endeavors, and all aspects of the recipient application process. Dr. Wyatt has been a registered nurse for 22 years and has taught nursing for 16 years.

Carla Werner: Carla has a M.A. Degree in Education from the University of Tennessee and is retired from the Maryville, TN. School System where she coordinated the talented and gifted program. Carla coordinates overall recipient applications and serves as the personal interface with autistic family applicants and general disabilities.

Dr. Myra Elder: Dr. Elder is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and received her Master's and Doctorate Degrees from Temple University. Has worked at the Veteran's Administration's Mountain Home, TN. facility for the past seventeen years where she looks after patients suffering from combat trauma, military sexual trauma, depression, and adjustment issues due to multiple medical illnesses.

Veteran Benefits Consultant - Nathan Weinbaum, Veteran of United States Navy, currently serves as Blount County Tennessee Veteran Services Officer.

Help raise $12.5K to train 1 service dog for a disabled hero! Every $ given will be matched by Vanquish to reach a goal of training 2 dogs!

See video at the bottom of the homepage here.

2nd Annual Smoky Mountain Service Dogs 1 Mile Walk/5K Run - June 22nd

2nd Annual Smoky Mountain Service Dogs 1 Mile Walk/5K Run Has Been Rescheduled for June 22nd, same location. The event will be added to the Tellico Summer Solstice Run and the Tellico Spring Marathon.

Register Here

"Friends", a Message From Our Dogs

Play Song

Written by Mitch Townley specifically as Theme Song for Smoky Mountain Service Dogs

Donate Today

Our Dogs

Each Smoky Mountain Service Dog puppy is hand selected by our trainers and the majority will come from reputable breeders. Appropriate shelter/rescue dogs may also be considered.

Meet Our Dogs

Application Process

Smoky Mountain Service Dogs now accepting Preliminary Applications.

Start Here

Read the December 2012 Newsletter

News

Smoky Mountain Service Dogs was honored to be invited to the Autism Camp at the Center for Courageous Kids, a clinical camp for children with debilitating and terminal illnesses. In attendance were thirty one autistic children and their families from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. Please check out their website link on our home page. Our beautiful service dog "Bella"was a big hit.

Smoky Mountain Service Dogs greets our Korean War and WWII heroes upon their return from Washington on Honor Air Flight #13


Smoky Mountain Service Dog "Copper" meets 97 yr. young Sam Hardeman, WWII Veteran


Copper says "hello" to Major General "Max" Haston, Adjutant General, Military Department of Tennessee

In March, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta reported that 1 in every 50 school children suffer from autism. That is more than 1 million U.S. School Children.

In January of this year NBC News reports that for the first 11 months of 2012, 177 active duty military personnel took their own lives. That is more than the 176 combat related fatalities. Army suicides have increased 54% since 2007 when 115 took their own lives.

For the latest in Autism News please see this link: www.TheAutismNews.com

Did You Know?

Over 50 million Americans, ages 5-65 have physical or psychological disabilities.

22 military veterans commit suicide daily, 7,744 annually

1 in 50 American children suffer from austism

It takes approximately 2 years, between $20,000 to $25,000 and 1200 hours of training to place a service dog.

Get the Facts