NEADS Inc.

• Training World Class Service Dogs to assist individuals with disabilities.
• Providing ongoing support and resources to service dog teams, ensuring their success and well-being.

In loving memory of Michael Shannon McCallum, our family, friend, colleague and United States Army Veteran, who spent his life keeping other people safe. We honor his memory and love for animals through this memorial fund,  established in his name for NEADS (more about NEADS below).  Shannon loved all animals and his service dog held a very special place in his heart. 

While we all love and will miss Shannon greatly, the stories and the memories we each have of him are special and we hold them greatly in our heart. If you can make a donation to this organization, know your donation is providing a well-trained dog for another Veteran in need.

Thank you and God Bless, 





National Education for Assistance Dog Services and Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) (NEADS), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization,  established in 1976 and trained over 1,800 Service Dog teams since its founding. NEADS is accredited by Assistance Dogs International, the internationally recognized governing body that establishes industry standards and practices.

Our Service Dogs for Veterans Programs match highly skilled Service Dogs with United States Veterans.

Hello, and welcome to my GoFundMe page! I am Scott Magoon and I am running the 2018 Boston Marathon to raise funds and awareness to benefit the National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS). The service dogs they train bring freedom, physical autonomy and relief from social isolation to their human partners who are deaf or have a disability and I am so proud to be able to contribute to their mission's success.

Your generous contribution will help cover costs associated with the many aspects of training and care of these amazing animals including housing, food and health care. They will go on to aid people with disabilities in need of assistance and comfort as they go about their daily lives for years to come.



Why Rescue’s Racers? My friends Jessica Kensky and her husband Patrick Downes are both Boston Marathon bombing survivors, having lost legs in the blasts. NEADS alumnus extraordinaire Rescue serves Jessica as her service dog and was honored as the ASPCA dog of the year (yes he really is that good, watch him in action here ). Taken together, these three have inspired me to hit the frozen streets this winter to train for my first marathon since I was running the Boston Marathon  when my family and I were caught between the two explosions. I can't think of a better time to run it again than this year on the 5th anniversary of the bombings.



I’m also running  to mark the release of my book written by Jessica, Patrick and illustrated by me. Its called Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship and it comes out April 3. Based their real-life partnership, the heartening story of the love and teamwork between a girl and her service dog will illuminate and inspire you and your young readers. You can read more about it here . 

Won’t you please donate whatever you can today to help these amazing animals find the people that need them the most? 





You can follow my progress on my Facebook page or on my website, scottmagoon.com

There are tons of great photos on the NEADS website of service dogs and their owners in training. Check it out. 

Honk (or bark) if you see me out there!

Thank you. 

Scott