About Us

Retrieving Independence is a Nashville-based nonprofit that breeds, trains and places service dogs with people who are living with physical, mental or emotional disability.

This is all accomplished with the help of volunteer breeders, puppy raisers, and weekend furlough volunteers. Through our partnership with the Tennessee Department of Correction, RI works with inmates to provide a significant portion of the training throughout the almost two-year program.

That’s what we do. But WHY do we do it?

We do it for the love poured into the dogs by the volunteers. We do it for the purpose and dignity it gives the inmate trainers. We do it for the life-rocking change it gives to our incredible recipients.

Love. Dignity. Change. That’s why we do it.