We Have Big News!
Introducing Our First Executive Director
Dear friend,
I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you—thanks to your unwavering support, Atlas Assistance Dogs has reached a major milestone: we’ve appointed our first Executive Director, Lisa Lunghofer, Ph.D.
Since our founding in 2016, your generosity has been at the heart of everything we’ve achieved. As we look to the future, Lisa’s leadership will help us expand our impact and ensure we can continue to meet our commitments to current and future service dog teams for many years to come.
Lisa brings extensive experience and a proven track record of growing organizations to new heights. With her on board, we’re poised for even greater success in empowering people with disabilities to thrive with their service dogs.
We’re excited to share more soon, so stay tuned for updates later this year. In the meantime, please join me in welcoming Lisa to the Atlas community! Your support has made this possible, and I’m deeply grateful for your continued partnership as we take this next step together.
Thank you for all you’ve helped us accomplish—and for all that’s yet to come.
—Jennifer Kolar, Co-Founder, President
“I am honored to be Atlas’s first executive director and touched by the warm welcome I have received. I’m passionate about the human-animal bond and believe strongly in the power of assistance dogs to help people with disabilities. I look forward to getting to know you—our incredible supporters—and working together toward the day when everyone who could benefit from an assistance dog has access to one.”
—Lisa Lunghofer
Congratulations to Our New Atlas Certified Teams
Two new client/dog teams have officially completed their training and earned their Atlas Certification! Congratulations to Laura and Kaya and Luca and Huckleberry for their dedication, perseverance, and success in passing their Public Access Tests. Their hard work is a true testament to the bond they’ve built with their dogs.
Laura and Kaya “The Atlas program has greatly boosted my confidence as a service dog handler and strengthened my bond withy Kaya! I couldn’t have come this far without the amazing team at Atlas!“ |
Luca and Huck
“Huckleberry is a delight to have around, smart as a whip and loyal as can be, and with the help of the wonderful folks at Atlas, I’ve now become completely spoiled by his constant help. He’s so proud of his job, tasking for me and bringing smiles to faces everywhere we go. The world is more accessible and enjoyable with Huckleberry by my side.
Trainer Spotlight: Meet One of Our New Atlas Certified Trainers
Lisa Gallegos lives outside of Denver and specializes in preparing service dogs for public access, psychiatric medical response, and medical alert work. She shared: “Having volunteered as a team facilitator for Atlas since 2021 and witnessing these dogs’ profound impact on individuals with disabilities, I was motivated to deepen my understanding of service dog training. The certification has broadened my knowledge of coaching clients and training service dogs. I particularly enjoyed exploring the numerous ways service dogs can assist their handlers and the wide range of skills and tasks we can teach them. I am excited to support my clients at a deeper level, and my passion for helping them train their dogs to promote independence has only grown! I look forward to applying this knowledge to make a positive difference in the lives of both dogs and their handlers.”