Retrieving Independence

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Nashville, TN
Retrieving Independence

Empowering lives through service dogs.

We train and place highly skilled service dogs while transforming lives through volunteerism, community partnerships, and second chances. 🐾💛 We are a registered 501(c) non-profit organization that breeds, trains and places top quality service dogs with children and adults living with physical and mental disabilities.

04/07/2026

For us, Volunteer Appreciation Month starts at the very beginning.

Volunteers Victoria, Mike, and Sara stepped in as puppy whelpers for our recent litter. They supported mom, monitored the puppies, and put in all the behind-the-scenes work that made everything else possible.

We are endlessly grateful to all our volunteers - & a big thank you to our whelpers for getting our most recent litter started!

04/03/2026

March birthdays are here! No luck needed, just a lot of very good dogs. 🍀

A very special happy birthday to all these wonderful pups!

🎂 Turned 4: Bruce, Clifton, Leia, Rheena Jo, Dusty, Betty, Willow, Fergie, Mando, and Mia
🎈 Turned 2: Rousey

If we missed a March birthday, consider this your official excuse for an extra treat. 🐾

03/27/2026

The results are in! Max is:

50% Poodle
33.9% Black Mouth Cur
12% Australian Shepherd
4.1% Shetland Sheepdog

Thanks to everyone who joined our “Guess for Good” raffle. Some of your guesses were spot-on! 🐾

No matter the mix, Max is one of a kind, and we are so excited for him to begin his Facility Dog journey!

03/26/2026

Progress looks a lot like this right now. 💤

Our newest litter is learning their names and beginning the basics—sit, crate manners, and house manners. It’s early days, but these small moments are where it all starts!

[VD: 6 photos of yellow & black lab puppies sleeping in various positions.]

03/24/2026

Franklin & Nikk appreciation.

That's it, that's the post.

[VD: Photo 1 shows 2 black labradors sitting towards camera, looking at something to the side. They are in the same position, and the sun is shining on them, making their eyes glow. On-screen text says "Franklin" on the left and "Nikk" on the right. Photo 2 shows Franklin facing the camera in a field with the sun shining on him.]

03/23/2026

Our newest future service dogs have begun their journeys with their puppy starters! 🐾

Meet the teams:
* Samson – honoring a cherished family dog, named by Board Member Jim
* Pom Pom – inspired by a beloved Japanese character, named by staff member Lauren
* Lucy – in memory of Harley-lu, named by the Switzer family
* Grace & Ruth – named for Bible characters by volunteer Kristine & her church group
* Moxie – a nod to the courage & spirit of all the women at RI, named by volunteer Marie
* Morrigan – joining our friends at Circle Tail on her own adventure,

We’re so proud to watch these pups grow into independence heroes! ✨

[VD: Several clips of 7 labrador puppies in crates, playing together in the grass, and being handed to volunteers. The video ends with a few clips of volunteers cuddling their puppy, a black puppy laying in the grass, and a wide shot of all the puppies together in a fenced yard. Captions: Puppy Starting Homecoming: Reys of Sunshine. Team Samson. Team Pom Pom. Team Lucy. Team Grace. Team Ruth. Team Moxie. Go little Reys! 🌞]

03/19/2026

Puppy Homecoming is tomorrow!

Our newest pups are heading home to their raisers tomorrow, starting a wonderful journey and joining the rest of our service dogs in training. We couldn’t be more excited for our Reys of Sunshine!

🌞 Want to puppy raise the next group? Link in bio or DM us for more info!

[VD: A few clips show a grown-sized bowl, leash, collar, and vest, then again paired with a puppy-sized version of the object. The final clip shows a black lab puppy looking very cute as it rests its chin on its paws and its paws on its crate.]

03/17/2026

Ever wondered what a training session with RI looks like?

This month we are taking our pups on a scavenger hunt in Michael’s to practice their Loose Leash Walking skills and novel object exposures. With so many sights and smells inside, it was the perfect place to practice, and we so enjoyed watching the dogs’ progress.

03/13/2026

Think you know what breed our rescue-turned-Facility-Dog Max is?

Make a Guess for Good in our fundraiser! Every penny goes directly back into the training of more dogs just like Max.

Link in bio!

[VD: Video clips show a shaggy black dog being petted, playing with another dog, walking in heel while in vest, and retrieving a ball. Captions: “Meet Max! We met Max a little over a year ago when we found him in the street and his goofball personality immediately won us over. So we decided to train him! Today, he has been matched as a Facility Dog. But we still want to know one thing…what breed is Max?”]

03/11/2026

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Staff was soooo nice. Treats everywhere. Would return.”
- Reys of Sunshine 🌞

First vet visit: officially complete! 🩺🦮

We are always so grateful for the excellent care & provide for our dogs.

[VD: Photo 1: A yellow lab puppy stands on a veterinary table, being examined by a Veterinarian & 2 Veterinary Assistants. The people are smiling while the puppy takes her meds. Photo 2: 7 labrador puppies, 3 yellow & 4 black, sit in crates in the trunk of a van.]

03/09/2026

Current puppy job titles:

🛟 Future Independence Provider
🎓 Service Dog in Training
😴 Professional Napper
🥨 Pretzel-Shaped Sleeper
🧸 Warm Spot Thief
🥔 Certified Upside-Down Potato

Being a service dog puppy is serious work… which is why the naps are also taken very seriously.

A few of these snoozers will be ready to start their journey later this month, and we’re still looking for puppy raiser teams to help them get there! Interested in raising one of these future service dogs?

Check the link in our bio or send us a DM to learn more about becoming a puppy raiser. 🐾

03/06/2026

Meet Max. 💙🐾

About a year and a half ago, Max came into our lives as a stray. When we welcomed him in, he also became the pilot dog for a new rescue partnership; an effort to identify and train promising rescue dogs for work opportunities.

Today, we’re so proud to share that Max has officially been matched as a Facility Dog!

He’s come an incredibly long way, and we can’t wait to see the impact he’ll have in his new role.

Since Max’s background is still a bit of a mystery, we’re also running a Guess for Good campaign to see if anyone can guess his breed mix! Think you know what Max might be? Make your guess and help support dogs like him along the way.

Guess Here: https://loom.ly/qZzJcL4

Address

Honey Alexander Center, 2400 Clifton Avenue
Nashville, TN
37209

Website

http://www.retrievingindependence.org/, https://linktr.ee/RIServiceDogs?fbclid=PAAab2iu9vbMiRrO6MJXAxRppvsPj4RRQ0Ko1avG8

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