Retrieving Independence

Home
United States
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.

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

03/02/2026

A big Happy Birthday to our February pups! 🎂

Yoda & Lambeau - 1 year!
Stanley, Charlie, Jones, Lucky, Josie - 6 years

02/26/2026

It’s time for a Pupdate on our Reys of Sunshine! ☀️

This week they:

✅ Ate their first solid meal
✅ Had novel object exposures
✅ Experienced novel environment changes - like a pen change and a vacuum!
✅ Started socializing with volunteers & friends
✅ Showed so much growth & resilience
✅ Stole everyone’s hearts

We’re still looking for volunteers to help these puppies on their next phase of their journey! Click the link in our bio or shoot us a DM for more info. 🐶🔗

Want to support in other ways? We’re always happy to receive donations (links in bio) or see our posts shared to reach more of Nashville!

[VD: 7 labrador puppies eat kibble in bowls. The caption reads: “Puppies’ first solid meal!”. The next two clips show the puppies interacting with a stuffed toy that moves and makes noise with a caption: “Novel object exposures 🤌”. The next clip shows puppies who are staying calm while a vacuum runs next to their pen, with a caption: “Novel environment exposures ✨”. Finally, a clip of the puppies nursing from their mother, Rey, shows while a caption says “See you next week!”]

02/23/2026

This month’s training focused on novel dogs & distractions. We practiced our automatic leave-it cue, and loved watching all the furry faces stay focused. 💪

Want to help a journey like this? We are looking for puppy raisers for our newest litter! Link in bio or DM us for info.

[Desc: 7 photos featuring service dogs in training, including Andi, Vernon, Waffles, Kermit, Brie, Bear, and Kai. Most are sitting or lying down, looking at camera or just off. One features Kermit ignoring a distraction as he walks.]

02/18/2026

Claim a color in the comments and let us know how you’re supporting these Reys of Sunshine!

❤️ I’m donating
🧡 I want to raise
💛 I’ll send supplies
💚 I’m sharing this post
💜 I’m tagging someone who loves puppies
💗 I want to volunteer at upcoming events
🤍 I’m cheering them all on!

[Description: a yellow lab lays on her side with her eyes closed as her three-week old puppies nurse.]

Address

Honey Alexander Center, 2400 Clifton Avenue
Nashville, TN
37209

Website

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

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Retrieving Independence posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Retrieving Independence:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Nashville?