Founder, educator, service dog professional

Chris Fowler

Twenty years training guide and service dogs. Now helping Canadians and their families find their way through the justice system.

Contact Chris See the career
Chris Fowler, smiling, in a grey jacket and blue shirt

Chris Fowler spent twenty years teaching dogs to guide people. He co-founded an autism assistance dog program in Cambridge, established another at Lions Foundation of Canada, and served on the international bodies that certify trainers and accredit programs. Today he brings that same patience to public legal education and peer support.

He lives in Ontario, where he is a proud dad and grandpa.

Current work

2023 to present

Presumption of Innocence Canada

Founder and Volunteer Executive Director

A national organization he co-founded to provide public legal education and peer support to Canadians affected by allegations and involvement in the justice system.

  • Develops and reviews educational resources on Canadian criminal and family court processes, procedural fairness and justice system terminology.
  • Helps organize peer support meetings and legal education discussions, including work with volunteer lawyers.
  • Contributes to planning, community communications and the organization's governance and administration.
presumptionofinnocence.ca
2024 to present

Safe Sentence Prison Consulting

Founder and CEO

Education, preparation and practical guidance for individuals and families facing provincial or federal custody in Canada.

  • Develops custody preparation materials.
  • Supports families with transition planning, communication and preparation for parole processes.
safesentence.ca
20years in guide and service dog work
100+volunteers led at National Service Dogs
100+clients served through Autism Assistance Dog Guides
15+apprentice trainers taken through to certification

A career spent guiding

From a first apprenticeship in 1993 to the two organizations he leads today.

  1. 1992

    Developmental Service Worker program

    Fanshawe College

  2. 1993

    Apprentice trainer

    Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides 1993 to 1995

    Completed an apprenticeship in guide and mobility assistance dog training.

  3. 1995

    Co-founder and Program Director

    National Service Dogs, Cambridge 1995 to 2009

    Built an autism assistance dog program with two other founders; National Service Dogs was founded in 1996. He developed and managed a team of ten staff and more than 100 volunteers, handled public relations and speaking, and trained families to work with Labrador and Golden Retrievers.

  4. 2003

    Keynote speaker

    Assistance Dogs International Conference, San Antonio

    Invited to speak on National Service Dogs' success in working with children with autism.

  5. 2005

    Train the Trainer program

    National Service Dogs

    Designed a program to help assistance dog organizations in other countries add autism assistance dogs to their services.

  6. 2009

    Trainer

    BC Guide Dogs May to September 2009

  7. 2009

    Program Manager, Autism Assistance Dog Guides

    Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, Oakville 2009 to 2012

    Joined Lions to establish the program, which quickly grew into the largest of its five. He led six staff, served more than 100 clients and taught families to work with their dogs.

  8. 2012

    Instructor, Ontario Satellite Office

    Pacific Assistance Dogs 2012 to 2013

    Trained four future service dogs every day and worked alongside the four Ontario volunteer families raising them.

  9. 2023

    Founder and Volunteer Executive Director

    Presumption of Innocence Canada

    Co-founded a national organization for public legal education and peer support.

  10. 2024

    Founder and CEO

    Safe Sentence Prison Consulting

    Custody preparation and practical guidance for individuals and families.

Setting standards, here and abroad

Established 2005

National Service Dogs Train the Trainer Program

His program for assistance dog organizations abroad that wanted to add autism assistance dogs to what they already offered.

  1. PresentHe travelled to each organization to present the program to its board of directors.
  2. HostTheir senior trainers came to Cambridge to work with his staff and dogs, and joined family placements and team training.
  3. ReturnAs placements neared, he went back to assess the dogs' training and help match dogs with approved families.

Board Member, Assistance Dogs International

2006 to 2007
2008 to 2010

Two separate board terms, including accreditation reviews of assistance dog organizations. His ADI involvement began with provisional membership in 1998.

Trainer Certification Committee

1998 to 2006

Helped oversee ADI's trainer certification program and examination, which was implemented internationally in 2001.

Recognition

  1. 2008

    Paul Harris Fellow

    Rotary Club of Cambridge, for Service Above Self

  2. 2006

    RL Peterson Award for Nonprofit Innovation

  3. 2005

    Gerry Bloomfield Professional Award

    Autism Ontario. Co-recipient with Heather Fowler and Danielle Forbes for National Service Dogs. Award record

Education and certifications

Fanshawe College, Developmental Service Worker program, 1992. Certifications he has kept current throughout his career:

  • First Aid and CPR
  • Canine First Aid and CPR
  • Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI)
  • Non Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI)

Speaking

Keynote, 2003

Assistance Dogs International Conference, San Antonio. Invited to speak on National Service Dogs' success in working with children with autism.

Contact Chris

Topics he can develop with event organizers

  • Autism assistance dogs and family support
  • Building service dog programs
  • Leading staff and volunteer teams
  • Lived experience of criminal proceedings and acquittal
  • Public legal education and peer support

In the media

Dogs with Jobs

Season 1, Episode 1, "Maggie & A.J."

January 8, 2000

Episode listing

W5

Featured on the Canadian current affairs program

About 2002 to 2003

Burlington Post, via Inside Halton

Lions Foundation adds training for Autism Assistance Dog Guides

Read

Cambridge Times

NSD founder starts new program

Read

Red Deer Advocate

Team tackles autism

February 10, 2010

Read

Featured in news coverage across Canada and the United States from 2005 to 2013.

Writing and public education

Belief Before Proof

A nonfiction manuscript examining how institutions form beliefs before the evidence has been tested.

Nobody Gives You a Manual

A five-part series on Substack.

Presumption of Innocence Canada resource library

Contributor to the organization's online library of public legal education articles. Visit the library

Contact Chris

Speaking invitations, media requests, or a conversation about the work.

cfchris.fowler@gmail.com

Ontario, Canada