New Tricks from an old dog.
Educating both ends of the leash.
Education is paramount to creating the loving environment in which pets, service dogs and humans thrive. Crystal Foundation provides educational programs for boys and girls clubs, scouts, school groups, and visits to the sick and elderly in hospice care.
Crystal Foundation has also developed programs for training and certification of dog handlers and trainers utilizing innovative techniques and a compassionate approach.
Training Service Animals
Continuing Research of Beneficial Pets
Camarillo Hospice
Casa Pacifica
Educational visits to public schools
Educational events and seminars
Scouting Merit Badges
Our Founder...
A girl and her dog
Crystal Foundation was created by Susan Kraft as a way to honor the most special service animal ever.... her dog Crystal. This team has provided untold hours of service to Southern California for more than 17 years and Crystal is still going strong at what would be 119 years-old to you and me.
Susan grew up on a farm and spent her formative years working with and watching the behavior of all sorts of animals. At age 19 she moved west and learned that she had a very special set of skills that were in high demand in Hollywood. After several years of training every imaginable species for the movies and culminating in Crystal’s movie “To Dance with the White Dog”, Susan decided to redirect her career in a way that could benefit more people and their pets.
Crystal Foundation is a natural extension to continue the love both Susan and Crystal bring to the world.
Our Inspiration... 
The wonders of a boy and his dog.
Alex and Sam are a wonderful success story about the profound positive effect a service dog can have on a person with autism. Through the work of Susan Kraft and the research of Olga Solomon Ph.D., who documented the impact Sam has on Alex’s behavior and interaction with society, it has been shown that animals can be of great benefit.
With more positive outcomes on the horizon and presentations to major universities there is more work to be done, developing new dogs and continuing to document the positive impact their service provides to world of the challenged and ours.
Our Research...
Olga Solomon, Ph.D.
Our Goal...
You can make a difference
Service animals require a lot of time and care to become loving, helpful partners to those in need. The cost of feeding, housing and training a service dog can add up to more than $20,000. To a person in need this can be an insurmountable cost. Fortunately, you can help. Your tax-deductable contribution will help ensure that the valuable work of service animals in our communities continues and grows.
Everyone's contribution counts
Sponsorships are a way to help defray the expenses incurred with both training service dogs and raising awareness and education on the most-humane and respectful ways raise our pets.