Canine therapy group relocates to Cedar Park

Debi Krakar compares the new home of the Austin Dog Alliance to the movie "Field of Dreams."

As the executive director of the nonprofit group, Kraker's goal was to find a space to accommodate the growing number of people the organization served in the community, but she never anticipated the amount of support she received.

Austin Dog Alliance moved to its Cedar Park location on New Hope Drive in March. During construction, 65 companies donated their services to help make "New Hope Ranch."

The organization asked for donations after announcing its plans to relocate, and, with the help of Jan Byrum, a board member and capital campaign committee chairwoman, the help poured in.

"A business would come in, and they would help us with something and the owner would say, 'You need this,' so he would make a call to his friend, and the friend would come and donate something else," Krakar said. "It snowballed, and the businesses that were donating brought in more businesses."

Krakar, who also served as a general contractor during construction, estimates she saved about $700,000 during the process. On March 23, the organization hosted a grand opening gala that raised enough money to pay for equipment for the agility field.

The new location features a 3,500-square-foot house with a kitchen, sitting area, conference room, training room, retail space and an early childhood development room. The site also has a 10,000-square-foot, handicap-accessible agility field. Krakar plans to add a playground, a separate conference space and hiking trails to the 7-acre lot.

The organization's former location was 2,400 square feet on RR 620 in Austin.

The Austin Dog Alliance will continue to develop and grow their dog training programs, which include training therapy dogs, in addition to expanding their therapeutic autism programs. They also host a variety of year-round classes, including basic dog training, tricks, agility and fitness as well as K9 Kids Camps during spring break and summer.

With the organization's new location, combined with the response from local businesses and an increasing number of new volunteers, Krakar feels she has created a home away from home for the people involved with Austin Dog Alliance.

"What we're doing now is what I planned," she said. "All along my vision was to do programs that incorporated dogs that made people's lives better."

Specialized services offered

Since opening in 2006, Austin Dog Alliance has developed several programs for dogs and their owners.

Autism programs

Each program is geared toward different age groups, teaching social skills in an encouraging environment. The K9 Tot Preschool is led by a board-certified behavior analyst, who uses applied behavior analysis techniques in conjunction with therapy dogs. The K9 Club, for children ages 6–19, teaches children through therapeutic enrichment.

Classes and camps

Austin Dog Alliance hosts a plethora of classes and camps for nearly everyone, from new dog owners to children looking for a summer activity. K9 spring break and summer camp classes give children the chance to bring their dog to camp and learn tricks, manners and agility. The nonprofit also offers year-round classes for dogs and their owners.

Pet therapy programs

In addition to training programs for pet therapy certification, Austin Dog Alliance visits nursing homes, schools, hospitals and libraries during the year to help achieve cognitive, social and emotional goals with patients. For example, Bow Wow Reading assists in improving reading skills in school districts, including Leander ISD.

1321 W. New Hope Drive, Cedar Park, 512-335-7100, www.austindogalliance.org