About our Team of Service Dog Trainers
Who We Are
Our service dog trainers and staff are here to help guide you through the process of selecting a service dog. Our team comes not only from a background of dog training, but has worked extensively with individuals with special needs, especially children. Assistance Dogs for Autism is comprised of a cast of service dog trainers that is unparalleled in the industry. Our team constantly attends conferences and seminars to keep up with the latest research, biomedical intervention, and therapies available in order to discover new methods of integrating dogs into therapies and other resources that are commonly used by families.
During the training process, we commonly work within special needs classrooms and with ABA therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. These opportunities also allow us to stay abreast of the latest methodologies and techniques that are being used by teachers and therapists. This allows us to better integrate dogs into these therapies to compound the benefits for both resources.
We often become “part of the family” with many that we work with. We strive to consistently follow-up with our families to ensure that their dog is well incorporated into their lifestyle. We understand that as kids grow up their needs will change. We work with our families to ensure that we are keeping up with the ever evolving needs of these growing children and young adults. To maintain this commitment, we offer free follow-up training for as long as you own the dog.
Our Clients Say....
Your Team of
Service Dog Professionals
Erin Purgason
Owner
Jason Purgason
President
Michael Halapy
Director, Service Dog Division
Deb Livingood
Director of Business Development
Emily Williams
Service Dog Trainer
Genasis Horton
Service Dog Trainer
Kim Cain
Service Dog Trainer
Our History
2006
Highland Canine Training, LLC opened as a full-service dog training facility with its Corporate Office located in the foothills of North Carolina.
2006
Highland Canine Training, LLC opened its International School for Dog Trainers, dedicated to educating individuals from all over the world in the art of dog training.
2007
Highland Canine Training, LLC officially began offering and training service dogs to assist individuals with mobility impairments.
2009
After seeing a considerable need for affordable and well trained service dogs for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Highland Canine Training, LLC officially launched Assistance Dogs for Autism.
2010
Our first Autism Assistance Dog "Rocket," a Standard Poodle, was delivered to her family in Florida.
2010
Partnered with DASHA (Dedicated Animals Serving Humans Always) a non-profit organization in Puerto Rico to provide service dogs to those in need on the island.
2012
Trained and delivered "Mia" the first ever Hearing Assistance "Signal" Dog on the Island of Puerto Rico.
2016
We partnered with Union Grove Elementary School to begin our 'Waggy Tales' Reading Program - where service dogs in training visit schools to help improve children's confidence with reading.
2018
Our 'Book Buddies' program with Langtree Charter Academy was launched.
2018
We trained Solace, a Labrador Retriever, as a dedicated Therapy Dog for the Shelter Home of Caldwell County - an organization providing critical support for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
2021
Our trainers and service dogs in training attended the Rainbow Kidz Summer Camp. Rainbow Kidz helps children who have experienced significant trauma or grief in their lives.
2021
Our team attended the Alexander County Picnic With A Puppy event - a community event for local families.
2022
We partnered with Pawtism to help families obtain grants for their service dog.
2023
For the first time, our team trained Service Dog Bella for a deaf and blind individual.
2024
We continued to expand our deliveries to international recipients, delivering Service Dog Molly to a recipient in Canada and Service Dog Nilla to a recipient in Mexico.