Service dog nonprofit partners with Angel Flight West

Published 11:00 am Monday, August 4, 2025

Streamlining the journey for puppies and future service dogs and making the path toward service more efficient, organizations Dogs for Better Lives and Angel Flight West have formed a collaborative partnership for practical and safe transportation for service dogs. 

To celebrate that partnership, Dogs for Better Lives has named one of its newest pups in training “Jet” in reference to Angel Flight West and its network of volunteer pilots. 

Jet was born May 30 to breeder dog Lili and is poised to have a future as a service dog. 

The two organizations’ partnership started in January. Angel Flight West aids in transporting service dogs and puppies along the West Coast, where  flights include heading to or from volunteer puppy raisers, transporting future service dogs to professional training sessions and aiding service dogs and their field representatives for placement. 

“Partnering with Angel Flight West is a game-changer for us,” said Bryan Williams, CEO of Dogs for Better Lives. “Their incredible network of volunteer pilots allows us to save time and resources while ensuring that puppies and future service dogs can transition through each stage of their journey quickly and safely.” 

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to improving lives and supporting communities,” Williams added.

Angel Flight West is a nonprofit in Santa Monica, California, centered on providing free air transportation for individuals with medical needs as well as the new partnership with Dogs for Better Lives. The organization has a network of more than 1,800 volunteer pilots and helps to arrange flights for people who need medical care or other needs and may not be able to afford or handle commercial flights. 

Dogs for Better Lives is a national nonprofit with a campus in Central Point and is dedicated to rescuing, breeding, training and placing assistance dogs free of charge for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults, children diagnosed with autism and licensed professionals working with vulnerable communities.

“We’re proud to partner with organizations like Dogs for Better Lives to help service dogs on their journeys to and from training,” said Cheri Cimmarrusti, Angel Flight West associate executive director. “We know it makes a profound impact on individuals and families when a service dog is partnered with a companion, and we’re deeply grateful to our volunteer pilots who make these life-changing flights possible.”