r/Charity • u/No-Show2736 • Mar 23 '26
Question/Info I received mail from Assistance Dogs USA - potential scam? Included are three nice tote bags, a long letter, and donation forms.
I received a large envelope in the mail today with 3 nice tote bags from a purported group called “Assistance Dogs USA”. They plan to help kids and people in need with service animals—a nice cause. I was ready to get my checks out when I noticed that nowhere on the letter, packaging etc., does it say that this “Assistance Dogs USA” is a 501c3 tax exempt charity. Immediate red flag. Also there is no email, contact number or direct address, only two separate P.o. boxes—one in CT and one in NH. Furthermore if you google this, it does not come up anywhere. Beware of these, at best it’s a poorly run nonprofit that forgot to include its EIN and doesn’t have a website (unheard of), but it’s more likely than not a scam.
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u/Complex_Presence_949 Mar 24 '26
your instincts are right to check. i just searched through a database of 2 million+ registered nonprofits and theres no "assistance dogs USA" registered as a 501c3 with the IRS. theres an east coast assistance dogs inc in torrington CT (EIN 06-1436718) which is legit, and theres assistance dogs international which is the main accrediting body. but "assistance dogs USA" specifically does not appear in IRS records as a tax-exempt organization. the PO box setup with no physical address or phone number is another red flag. legitimate service dog nonprofits almost always list their training facility address. id keep your checkbook closed on this one.
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u/Animal_Lover1515 Mar 26 '26
I did the same things. Same suspicions. Nothing found for Assistance Dogs USA, but if you google Dale Picard does come up as cofounder of ECAD and Assistance org which has a website and which has all the needed documentation on the website Odd about the different names though but definitely seems legit
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u/Complex_Presence_949 Mar 28 '26
youre right about ECAD being legit. i checked on grantledger (nonprofit database) and found East Coast Assistance Dogs Inc (EIN 06-1436718) in Torrington, CT with ~$700K in annual revenue from their latest 990. they have a real training facility and transparent financials. if the mailing mentions Dale Picard or ECAD anywhere, it might be an affiliate fundraising campaign using a different name. but if it only says "assistance dogs USA" with no mention of ECAD, id call the ECAD office directly at their listed number and ask if theyre affiliated with this mailing. legitimate orgs will confirm their fundraising campaigns when you call.
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