Canine Support Teams Inc - Murrieta, California

Deborah P.

I became a puppy raiser for CST in 2021 & it was by far such a phenomenal experience to be able to train a puppy that will greatly impact the life of a Veteran!! As a raiser you are fully supported by the expert trainers and helpful staff!! You get to go on fun social outings with your puppy & take them to restaurants, stores, movies, & medical appointments to familiarize the dog to multiple surroundings. DON’T HESITATE just open your arms, home & heart to this incredible opportunity to help a puppy become a Service Dog. YOU WON’T REGRET IT!!! 🐕‍🦺🐾🇺🇸

Justin H.

This place is beyond AMAZING! I have never felt so welcome to be a part of this family. There is so much compassion and dedication at every level that words can’t express. Y’all are changing lives in such a big way! I am forever grateful!

Mary E. D.

Canine Support Team, Murrieta, has been absolutely wonderful! Helena, our trainer, is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and very compassionate. Also, Jo Ann has been tremendous In helping getting questions answered and all paperwork completed correctly. We are very grateful to Canine Support Team, Murrieta, and their staff for helping us achieve our service dog certification. I would highly recommend CST!

Robert S.

Let the pics tell the story. Thank you Shara, Grace, Helena and all the staff. If I would change anything. Get more like Merry. Perfect dog by far. Merry is the doodle and Denver is the golden. The lil one is Merry’s twin. But in a smaller package. Lol.

Heidi S.

It has been 1.5 yrs since I got a service dog from CST. Enough time has passed to give an honest review. I would like to believe that CST was founded with love and respect but has since lost its way. CST was recommended to me by a veteran friend who received a service dog years prior. I was in the Navy and have a 100% rating.

I no longer live in Ca. I arranged to be there for the 2 wks at my own expense. We purchased all the items needed to own a dog.

In my app I stated my health issues and lifestyle choices. I repeated these in a video meeting with 2 trainers that have since left. I asked that the dog be an excellent traveler since my family travels an extensive amount.

The first week we learned what it is like to have a service dog, laws, etc. We covered do’s and don’ts. CST has a high dog placement rate compared with other service dog orgs I had researched.

We started working with the dogs taking turns getting comfortable with them. After working with the dogs I was still uncomfortable but selected Peyton as my 1st choice. I was told that she was a Legacy dog which meant that someone paid to name her. I later learned that Peyton was donated & named by her breeder for a friend who had worked with their dogs. That was a heavy burden I would soon feel in its entirety. This dog could not fail.

Peyton is a highly intelligent dog with so much love. When she was eager to learn & perform she was on point, when she didn’t want to do something she refused. I noticed her aversion to getting into vehicles right away. She would plant her butt on the ground and look away. At this point I was always with another dog and she inevitably would get in and lay with the other dog. When I raised awareness I was told it was because I was new and she would adjust.

I noticed her tendency to get distracted by other dogs & kids. I inquired about this behavior and was told she would adjust to me and my directions.

It was time to leave Ca and return home. The last day at CST we were to talk and thank the puppy raisers that cared and trained our dogs. When I mentioned flying home I was surprised by the puppy raisers response. She told me that Peyton wasn’t a great traveler in any form. She seemed just as shocked that she was placed with a handler that traveled extensively.

Over the next several months I had difficulties with Peyton. While she was doing amazing at home learning new commands and excelling at old ones she was easily distracted and had a stubbornness I didn’t expect from a working dog. If she didn’t want to do something she refused. I worked with her daily even with my anxiety rising. These were all problems I was willing to work on. The decision to return her came after I started not wanting to leave my home, and if I did, I didn’t want to take her. We live an hour from a city and 1 hr & 45 mins from the VA that I drive to a lot. The thought of having to get her in the truck and listen to her pant heavily, do circles and have anxiety the entire drive both ways became too overwhelming for me.

I made the arrangements, at my expense, to return her. My family and I were devastated. When I arrived at CST I was already in tears. I was treated with respect from the lead trainer and manager whom are no longer there. What shocked me was the disrespect and blunt rudeness I received from the founder of CST. She couldn’t believe I was returning Peyton and in so many words made it clear I was weak & beneath receiving a dog. In her eyes Peyton was a perfect service dog. I also learned that I was at least the 2nd home Peyton had been placed in and they planned on placing her a 3rd-4th time.

As of Feb ‘24, 3 of the 4 dogs in my group have been returned and there is no longer a Legacy dog program. My hope is that the admins at CST see the patterns of the past to help provide qualified service dogs to future recipients.

THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY REDUCED BECAUSE OF GOOGLES CHARACTER LIMITS.

Brandon W.

This place is great. I came here years ago and met my first service dog. He was so well behaved and attentive. After he passed, CST has been incredibly helpful in finding a successor. Im greatly looking forward to what this team has in store for me.

Carl B.

This is a great agency; they are totally committed to helping veterans who need a service dog. And they do this with only private donations.
I can without any reservations that my dog "Deja" has has made a world of difference in improving the quality of my life. I'd like to recognize Carol Roquemore and Shara Butterworth ,to only name a few, as outstanding contributors.

Ashley S.

It is amazing to see the passion and the love everyone puts into raising these amazing dogs.