About us

Mission and History

For over 20 years, Canine Partners for Life (CPL) has been dedicated to training service dogs, home companion dogs, and residential companion dogs to assist individuals who have a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities.

CPL was founded in 1989 by Darlene Sullivan, a former special education instructor and animal trainer. The organization flourished, and in 1997, CPL purchased a 45-acre property in Cochranville, PA and expanded further.

Today, the facilities include an office building for a staff of  15 employees, state of the art kennel and training center. CPL has placed over 400 service dogs with individuals who have physical disabilities. CPL teams (service dog/human partners) are working in 35 states in the continental U.S. and in the U.S. Virgin Islands. And it all starts right here in Chester County.

Canine Partners for Life is a leader in the assistance dog industry. A voting member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI) from its inception, the organization was one of the first service dog organizations in the world to be accredited by ADI.

The total cost to raise, train, place, and provide lifetime support for each CPL dog is estimated to be more than $26,000 per dog. The organization utilizes a sliding scale based on income to determine the requested donation for each recipient, ranging from $1,000 – $3,000. No one is denied a canine partner because of their inability to pay these costs.