An improved veteran journey for a service dog non-profit.
Dogs for Our Brave has a simple mission: To provide professionally trained service dogs at no cost to veterans suffering from debilitating injuries. Their mission elevates the industry standard by using rescue dogs at every opportunity and covering the financial needs of each dog for its life, never putting a financial burden on our heroes—ever. “We truly believe this helps us save two lives at once,” said April Haskins, executive director at Dogs for Our Brave. “To fully realize our mission without adding financial burden, we also provide a continuum of free support that covers all food, veterinary care, and pharmaceuticals for the life of the dog.”
The challenge
Dogs for Our Brave approached Technology Partners to help them develop a custom software solution that would enable them to automate their operations while creating a better veteran experience. We also needed to ensure that the solution was user-friendly to make usability as easy as possible for the veteran community. The solution would also have to be accessible remotely, allowing staff and veterans to use the system from any location.
To address Dogs for Our Brave’s specific needs, Technology Partners’ custom software solutions practice began by conducting an in-depth analysis of the nonprofit’s operations and workflow. This enabled us to identify areas where automation would be most beneficial. We also consulted with Dog for Our Brave’s staff and members of its veteran community to understand their requirements and the challenges they faced.
“The whole team has been an absolute pleasure to work with from the very beginning,” April said. “They have been on site to meet with our team and even came to our annual charity event. It’s rare to see a partner put in that type of effort.”
The plan
We partnered with Dogs for Our Brave to develop a custom software solution that automated many of the nonprofit’s operations, including the management of dog training and placement, client management, scheduling, and communications. The system was built using a cloud-based platform, which made it accessible remotely, and user-friendly interfaces were designed to ensure that staff could easily navigate and use the system.
The software solution also included a communications platform that provides real-time engagement between Dogs for Our Brave’s veteran community. “I’m most excited about the veteran-to-veteran communication capabilities in the app,” April said. “Our veterans will be able to chat with others like them about the process and their experience with our organization. You hear stories about veterans feeling like they are out on an island, so this type of application will help keep them engaged with others.”
The results
The custom software solution provided by Technology Partners was successfully deployed by Dogs for Our Brave, making an immediate impact.
“The application helps boost our reputation as being one of the most veteran-focused service dog nonprofits out there,” April said. “These are very specific training requirements that we need to track and explain to our veteran community. For example, we have one veteran who is a double-amputee in a wheelchair. He waited 10 years before applying for a service dog because he wanted to make sure he found the right fit. His dog helps him by turning out the lights at night, is able to identify help from family members if needed, can retrieve items from other rooms, and so much more."
The new system provided significant benefits, including:
- Improved Efficiency
- Better Transparency
- Increased Accessibility
- Improved Client Management
