Summit Assistance Dogs was founded in 2000 by Sue Meinzinger, a graduate of the Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, CA, to help meet the overwhelming demand for skilled service dogs. 

While training at the Assistance Dog Institute, Sue worked with Eddy, a lovely Golden Retriever.  A minor health issue caused Eddy to be career-changed from the service dog program, so Sue adopted her and brought her back to Skagit County as her “co-founder” of Summit Assistance Dogs.  Eddy served as Summit’s chief ambassador and demonstration dog until the fall of 2013, when she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Sue started the program out of her home, later moving to facilities in Anacortes, WA.  Achieving a life-long dream, Summit acquired a piece of land on north Whidbey Island in 2014 and will be building our service dog training campus on the property.

Summit Assistance Dogs has become one of the leading providers of assistance dogs in Washington State, and the need for our services continues to grow as more and more people recognize the benefits of these life-changing partnerships.