COPE Service Dogs

The first service dogs were introduced in Germany in the 1920s for war veterans who lost their eyesight. In 2000, Jane Boake founded Canine Opportunity, People Empowerment (COPE) near Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Before founding COPE, Jane trained with Dr. Bonnie Bergin, who developed the concept of a Service Dog assisting people with mobility impairments, in 1975. In 1991, Dr. Bergin founded the Assistance Dog Institute which is now the Bergin University of Canine Studies.