Every Dog and the University of Tennessee Launch First-of-Its-Kind Research Project with $170,000 Grant, ThanksToMaddie
Austin, TX — Nonprofit Every Dog Behavior and Training has partnered with the University of Tennessee’s Center for Pet Family Well-Being to launch the first national research project focused on access to dog behavior and training support. Funded by a $170,000 grant from Maddie’s Fund®, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals, the Access to Behavior Care Research Project will build the foundation for a new and urgently needed area of study: who has access to behavior care for their dogs.
Nearly half of U.S. households share their lives with a dog, yet many families struggle to find and afford training and behavior support. Behavioral challenges such as fear, anxiety, and aggression are among the leading reasons pets are surrendered to shelters. Despite this, there has never been a comprehensive national effort to examine how behavior services are delivered, who provides them, or what barriers families face in accessing care.
Unlike veterinary medicine, where access-to-care research has been expanded in recent years, there is currently no established framework for understanding inequities in behavior care. This absence of data leaves critical gaps that disproportionately impact underserved communities.
This groundbreaking project will address that gap through two national surveys by audience: one of families with dogs and one of dog trainers and behavior professionals. The research will generate the first comprehensive data set on both the supply and demand sides of the behavior care landscape. It will examine workforce demographics, training approaches, employment conditions, and geographic distribution, alongside family decision-making, financial and cultural barriers, and lived experiences navigating behavior challenges.
“We are deeply grateful to Maddie’s Fund for believing in this vision and investing in our research,” said Miranda Hitchcock, Executive Director of Every Dog. “It’s an honor to work alongside the research team at the University of Tennessee, whose leadership in pet health equity is helping shape a better future for our field. This project has the potential to transform how we understand behavior care in this country and ultimately make a lasting difference for both people and the dogs they love.”
Findings from the study will inform initiatives aimed at keeping pets with their families and strengthening the human-animal connection. Results will be shared publicly through an open-access report and data summaries to support action across animal welfare, community health, and education sectors.
“By investing in this foundational research, Maddie’s Fund will help to extend the equity-focused lens already applied to veterinary access into the realm of behavioral and relational well-being,” said Dr. Michael Blackwell, Director for the Center for Pet Family Well-Being at University of Tennessee. Together, Every Dog and the University of Tennessee are building the knowledge base needed to ensure that every family, regardless of income, geography or background, has the opportunity to thrive alongside their pets.”
About Every Dog
Every Dog Behavior and Training is a nonprofit based in Austin, TX, setting the standard for a more equitable approach to dog training and behavior support. Every Dog provides accessible, ethical training through group classes, private sessions, and behavior consultations led by certified professionals: paired with financial assistance so cost is never a barrier.
With a non-judgmental, inclusive philosophy, the organization meets people where they are while offering free training spots for shelter dogs, community education through free webinars, a BIPOC Speaker Series, and Spanish-language programming. Every Dog is reshaping the dog training landscape through groundbreaking work at the intersection of animal welfare and equity, ensuring every dog and every family has the support they deserve.
About The University of Tennessee’s Center for Pet Family Well-Being (CPFW)
The Center for Pet Family Well-Being (CPFW), formerly Program for Pet Health Equity, is an interdisciplinary organization housed in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee. CPFW is dedicated to promoting the health and happiness of people and their pets through research, education, communication, and collaboration.
Through innovative research, workforce development, and strategic partnerships, CPFW engages students, professionals, and community stakeholders in building sustainable, cross-sector solutions. The program fosters collaboration and shared learning through initiatives such as the One Health Forum, the Journal of One Health Systems, and the One Health Systems Summit, helping to strengthen communities and expand access to care for both people and their animals.
About Maddie’s Fund
Maddie's Fund® is a family foundation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is the fulfillment of a promise to an inspirational dog, Maddie. She provided them much joy for over ten years and continues to inspire us today.
Due to their generosity and vision, the Foundation has awarded over $301.3 million in grants toward increased community collaborations and live outcomes, pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S. and driving innovation in access to care. Maddie’s Fund® proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions.
The Foundation invests its resources in keeping with Dave & Cheryl's promise, that pets and their people would enjoy the same experience they had with Maddie. We are committed to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. #ThanksToMaddie.
Maddie’s Fund® is part of The Duffield Foundation Family which also includes Liberty Dogs and Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation.