Service Dogs of Virginia

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Service Dogs of Virginia Training life-changing service dogs and placing them with those in need at no cost. Building independence, confidence, and lifelong partnerships.

www.servicedogsva.org Service Dogs of Virginia, Inc. raises, trains, and places dogs to assist people with disabilities. Highly trained dogs perform a wealth of tasks that allow greater personal freedom and independence. We place dogs for residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia and we are based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

🎨🐾 Have you seen our Art Unleashed statues in person?Before they take center stage at Saturday's Art Unleashed auction, ...
10/22/2026

🎨🐾 Have you seen our Art Unleashed statues in person?

Before they take center stage at Saturday's Art Unleashed auction, stop by in downtown Charlottesville to see 20 life-sized, one-of-a-kind Labrador statues created by talented artists in support of Service Dogs of Virginia! You’ll find 15 statues outside in the courtyard and five more inside the lobby.

📸 Snap a photo with your favorite statue and tag us in your photos! We’d love to see which one is your favorite.

🐾 Found the one you love? Bidding is open for both the silent auction and the statues! Place your bids now, or set a Max Bid for your chance to bring home a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

Every bid supports our Together We Build campaign and helps create a future home where more service dogs can be trained to change lives.

🏗️ Our future home is taking shape!It’s been a year of progress at the future home of Service Dogs of Virginia. Sitework...
10/21/2026

🏗️ Our future home is taking shape!

It’s been a year of progress at the future home of Service Dogs of Virginia. Sitework is nearly complete, the access road is being finished, and plumbing and electrical work are underway. Concrete is being poured as we prepare for the next major milestone: installation of the building walls by Bensonwood in November!

🐾 Help us build a future where more service dogs can change more lives.

We’re 90% of the way toward our $6.6 million Together We Build goal, and your gift can go twice as far. Three generous donors are matching contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to a combined $750,000.

🌳 Gifts of $500 or more will also be recognized on the donor tree in our new facility.

Help us cross the finish line and build a home for the next generation of service dogs.

10/20/2026

🐾 Did you know Art Unleashed offers more than just our one-of-a-kind Labrador statues?

Our Silent Auction is filled with wonderful items and unique experiences, too!

Register to browse the Silent Auction and place your bids before bidding closes on October 24 at 7:40 p.m.

Every bid supports our Together We Build campaign to create a new home for Service Dogs of Virginia, allowing us to train more dogs for the people who need them. 🐾

Thank you to our silent auction sponsors: Monticello Country Ballooning, Lynne Goldman Elements, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, Lindsay Benton, Mimi deOlloqui-Turner, Stony Point Fire Dept., Oakencroft Farm & Winery

🐾🎨 Statue Spotlight: Manzanilla — Our Last Stop Before the AuctionThis is it — the final statue spotlight before the auc...
10/19/2026

🐾🎨 Statue Spotlight: Manzanilla — Our Last Stop Before the Auction

This is it — the final statue spotlight before the auction event.

Created by artist Chicho Lorenzo in bold, joyful colors, Manzanilla reflects the strength, calm, comfort, attentiveness, intelligence, and unwavering dedication that service dogs bring to the people they support. The name — Manzanilla, Spanish for chamomile — carries that same sense of peace, warmth, and comfort these dogs bring into people's lives every day.

Sponsored by 2RW Consultants, Inc. , this is your last chance to see Manzanilla in person before crossing the auction block.

📍 Find Manzanilla inside the CODE Building — and a big thank you to UVA Health for hosting Manzanilla this summer.

🔨 The Art Unleashed Auction is this Saturday, October 24 — your only chance to bid on Manzanilla and every statue in the collection, while supporting the future of Service Dogs of Virginia. 🐾✨

☀️ Statue Spotlight: Sunny Day Fun TimePure joy, painted by kids.This turquoise Labrador is covered edge to edge in a ga...
10/17/2026

☀️ Statue Spotlight: Sunny Day Fun Time

Pure joy, painted by kids.

This turquoise Labrador is covered edge to edge in a garden of imagination — stars scattered across the face, a bright yellow polka-dot nose, hearts cascading down the neck, and a whole ecosystem of butterflies, bees, and ladybugs tucked among purple and pink flowers and climbing vines. The legs fade into painted blades of grass, like the dog is standing right in the meadow it's covered in. Every detail came from a different kid's imagination, brought together by youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia into one joyful, cohesive piece.

It's the kind of statue that makes a room feel lighter the second you walk in.

📍 Sponsored by Virginia Donelson Studios you can now find this statue outside the CODE Building. A big thank to Foods Of All Nations Charlottesville — for hosting Sunny Day Fun Time this summer!

🔨 Bid on this statue during the Art Unleashed Auction, October 24, and bring home a piece that celebrates community and creativity — while supporting the future of Service Dogs of Virginia. 🐾✨

10/15/2026

🐾 Bidding is NOW OPEN for Art Unleashed!

You can bid on all 20 life-sized, hand-painted Labrador statues and silent auction items, whether you’re joining us in person on October 24 or bidding from home. Every winning bid supports Service Dogs of Virginia’s Together We Build campaign to create our new facility.

HOW TO REGISTER

Everyone who wants to bid must register through the auction portal.

1. Use the link in the comments to register.
2. Click “Register to Bid.”
3. Select “No Account? Sign in Here?” to create an account.
4. Complete the registration form and add a credit card. A temporary $5 authorization will verify your card.

HOW TO BID

🐾 Silent Auction
Bidding is open now and closes October 24 at 7:40 p.m. Browse the items and place your bids online.

🐾 Live Statue Auction — In-Person Bidding
Join us at the Irving Theater on October 24 at 8:00 p.m. for live bidding led by an award-winning auctioneer. Check in with the auctioneer before bidding begins to receive your bidding paddle.

🐾 Live Statue Auction — Online Bidding
Place a Max Bid on any statue now by entering the highest amount you’re willing to pay. On October 24, click “View Live” to follow the auctioneer and bid in real time online.

🐾 Make Bidding Easier with Max Bid
You can set a Max Bid on any statue or silent auction item. The system will automatically increase your bid in increments as needed when you’re outbid, up to your specified limit.

Thank you to our event sponsors, Hanckel-Citizens Insurance, 29News WVIR, Sentara Health , Bunny French, O’Shea + Wilson Siteworks, and Eric Ross Architecture for helping make Art Unleashed possible.

Every bid supports Service Dogs of Virginia’s Together We Build campaign, bringing us closer to a new facility where we can raise, train, and place more service dogs with people with disabilities. Your participation helps us build a future where more partnerships can change lives.

🐾🌿 Statue Spotlight: Off LeashOne dog, two Virginias.Artist Hannah Hirschberg painted this Labrador as two complete land...
10/14/2026

🐾🌿 Statue Spotlight: Off Leash

One dog, two Virginias.

Artist Hannah Hirschberg painted this Labrador as two complete landscapes in one piece — turn him one way and you're looking at rolling green vineyard rows against distant mountains under a soft blue sky; turn him the other and it's a Blue Ridge sunset, layered peaks in deep blue silhouette under a warm orange-and-yellow sky. It's a tribute to Charlottesville, the place that shaped Hirschberg's own journey and creativity, and to the wandering, discovering, and memory-making that happen there — leash optional.

You could stand this one in a garden and get two entirely different views depending on the day, the light, or just which way you're walking.

📍 Sponsored by and located at Signature Med Spa and Albemarle Dermatology — worth seeing from every angle in person.

🔨 Bid on Off Leash during the Art Unleashed Auction, October 24, and bring home a piece that captures the best of Virginia from every side — while supporting the future of Service Dogs of Virginia. 🐾✨

10/13/2026

🎁 From unique experiences to special gifts, our Art Unleashed Silent Auction has something for everyone!

🐾 Registration and bidding open Thursday, October 15! Every bid supports our Together We Build campaign to create a new facility for Service Dogs of Virginia.

Special thanks to our silent auction sponsors: Oakencroft Farm & Winery,Linda Van Der Linde, Rhoback, Boar's Head Resort, Virginia Distillery Co., PawsitiveBarb, Animal Connection, Lindsey Benton, JOHN PAUL JONES ARENA, Virginia Donelson Studios, Tribute Coffee,
Sbrocco Donuts & Espresso, Albemarle Baking Co. , MADE.

🐾 Exciting news to start the week: Sadie is pregnant!🐶💛Sadie is expecting a litter in early November, and we couldn’t be...
10/12/2026

🐾 Exciting news to start the week: Sadie is pregnant!🐶💛

Sadie is expecting a litter in early November, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the next generation of service dogs!

These puppies are more than an adorable new litter. They’re an important part of our plans to grow our breeding program and place more service dogs with people who need them. 🐾

Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes:
🏡 Preparing for puppies: Board member and longtime volunteer Polly has generously opened her home to Sadie for whelping and the puppies’ first weeks while our new facility is under construction.

🐕 Building for the future: Our new facility will include two dedicated whelping suites and two enrichment rooms, giving us the space to raise more puppies and expand our program.

💛 Growing our program:Since joining SDV in April, our Breeding Colony Manager, Jessica, has been working with Canine Genetic Services, our breeding consultant, to build a strong foundation for long-term success.

SDV will keep all but one of Sadie’s puppies for our program. One will go to Dogs Inc., which provided the sire. For the puppies staying with SDV, the journey from tiny puppy to working service dog will take about two years, including training and, eventually, placement with a client.

More puppies. More service dogs. More lives changed. ❤️

And you can help make that future possible! Our Together We Build campaign is funding the new facility that will help us grow our program and serve more people. Every gift brings us one step closer to that future. Help us build what comes next!

Address

673 Berkmar Court
Charlottesville, VA
22901

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

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