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Hero Award Grant Press Release.docxPress Release for Immediate Release
Rohnert Park, CA June 20th 2025 - The nonprofit organization Free Dog Trainers announced that they have received the Maddie’s Fund® 30th Anniversary Hero Award, a surprise $30,000 grant, to provide free dog training to Sonoma County, with goals to expand into neighboring regions by 2026. Maddie’s Fund is a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals.
“In our first 4 months of operations, we reached 100 people and their dogs,” said Devan Amundsen, Founder and Lead Trainer of Free Dog Trainers. “With this grant, we hope to help 1,000 people and their dogs by the end of 2025. It’s an ambitious goal that we hope will result in fewer families facing heartbreaking rehoming decisions, and improve the lives of the people and pets in our community.”
Animal shelters and rescues are crowded with dogs. Financial hardship is one of the top reasons people end up separated from their pets. The cost of veterinary care, pet-friendly housing, and even food are rising. This means that access to support from skilled and qualified professionals is becoming more and more difficult for many people.
Free Dog Trainers helps with more than ‘sit,’ ‘down,’ and ‘stay.’ Their key focus is on addressing behavior concerns like house-training, healthy puppy development, and even aggressive behavior. This work is all done one-on-one with you and your dog, either in-person or remotely. Free Dog Trainers envisions a world where our dogs’ safety, happiness, and well-being does not come with a price tag.
There are no income requirements to get support from Free Dog Trainers. You can visit the website at www.FreeDogTrainers.org and make an appointment for your first consultation. Local businesses can contact Devan@FreeDogTrainers.org to host a pop-up event or fundraiser with Free Dog Trainers.
About Free Dog Trainers
Free Dog Trainers was founded by Sonoma County native Devan Amundsen, a certified dog trainer and behavior consultant with 15 years of experience working with dogs professionally. Devan brings his experience working with dogs in shelters, assistance dogs, teaching college courses about dog behavior, and speaking at international conferences to Free Dog Trainers clients.
Free Dog Trainers started here in Sonoma County, but plans to franchise their nonprofit model across the country. Free Dog Trainers doesn’t just provide public support, they also create opportunities and pathways to employment in the field of dog training and behavior through a “volunteer-to-career” model. Volunteer recruiting
About Maddie’s Fund
Established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield, Maddie's Fund® is a family foundation and fulfillment of a promise to their dog, Maddie. She provided them joy for over ten years and continues to inspire us today.
Due to their generosity and vision, the Foundation has awarded over $287.5 million in grants toward increased community collaborations and live outcomes, pioneering shelter medicine education, establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S. and driving innovation in access to care. Maddie’s Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions.
The Foundation invests its resources in keeping with Dave & Cheryl’s promise, that pets and their people would enjoy the same experience they had with Maddie. We are committed to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. #ThanksToMaddie.
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