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Susan Luehrs, Founder

Hawaii Fi-Do was founded in 2000 by Susan Luehrs, who was trained at the Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, California.

Susan had great success using dogs to aid her in her previous profession as a special-education teacher at Kahuku High School. She noticed that when dogs were around, kids who were reserved opened up and became much more engaged. It was Susan’s love for dogs and desire to help people with disabilities that lead to her founding Hawaii Fi-Do. As lead trainer, Susan works daily with all our puppy raisers.

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Katelyn Taua'a, Interim Executive Director 

Katelyn has been a dedicated volunteer with Hawaii Fi-Do since 2018. Through her volunteer work with the organization, she lovingly fostered a retired service dog for the final two years of its life, offering comfort and companionship through its golden years. As a proud Army veteran, Katelyn joined Hawaii Fi-Do to give back by supporting fellow veterans, the local community, and people of all ages, from keiki to kūpuna.

She is a passionate advocate for mental health and is deeply committed to nonprofit work, thriving on giving back to her community. Katelyn earned her Master’s in Business for Veterans from the University of Southern California and brings a strong background in human resources, community engagement, caregiving, and a passion for marketing. Originally from California, Katelyn is excited to contribute to our mission and help the organization grow.

About Us

Our organization's history is one of dedication, passion, and community. Over the
years, we have grown from a small initiative to a recognized and accredited
training center. Our unique approach involves volunteer puppy raisers who
socialize and tailor training programs to meet the individual needs of the recipient.

 

We have no formal training facilities; instead, our dogs-in-training live in the homes of our loyal and committed band of puppy raisers. By training in public settings, our puppies learn to ignore distractions—preparation for focusing on their future handler.

 

We are a grassroots 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and the only Certified Training Center on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 

Our Mission

Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs helps to build independence and quality of life for children
and adults with disabilities in Hawaii by providing them with quality trained assistance dogs and by sharing awareness of service dogs to the community.

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In 2008 we were Internationally Accredited under Assistance Dogs International, Inc. and our volunteer community has built Hawaii Fi-Do from the ground up. We have no formal training facilities; instead, our dogs-in-training live in the homes of our loyal and committed band of puppy raisers. By training in public settings, our puppies learn to ignore distractions—preparation for focusing on their future handler.

Volunteer Opportunities

While we train our dogs, we work with our community to raise public awareness about service dog teams. And, we offer compassionate and educational programming in schools, eldercare facilities, on-base, and with US Veterans wherever they live in the islands. Our funding comes mainly from generous individuals, businesses, and local human services grants such as Aloha United Way, and Friends of Hawaii Charities. 

Community Outreach Programs

Board of Directors

OFFICERS

Dara Fukuhara- Marketing/Public relations


Chair

Susan Leuhrs - ADI Certified Dog Trainer (Founder)

Vice Chair

Susan Tamashiro- Retired Educator
 

Secretary

Charles Cardinal- Retired U.S. Army
 

Treasurer

AT LARGE MEMBERS

Jodie Miller- ADI Certified Dog Trainer

Jim Kennedy- Retired Hawaii Fi-Do Executive Director

Vickie Kennedy- Disability Advocate / Guide Dog User

Benjamin Bryce- Active Military

 

Sandi Meehan- Retired IL Specialist

 

Karen Bernstein- Attorney

Advisory Board

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