Our Story
Why FIDOS
Fido means “Faithful”, and it comes from the Latin word, fidelitas. President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was passionate about animal welfare and had several pets throughout his lifetime. One of those pets, described as “a yellow mutt” was a dog named Fido.
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Fido lived with Abe Lincoln, his wife Mary and their sons in Springfield, Illinois. While President Lincoln’s dog Fido never lived in the White House, he was a beloved family member especially to his two youngest sons, Willie and Tad.
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We believe the faithfulness of facility dogs to the people they serve is extraordinary and FIDOS would like to partner with you to provide a facility dog at your location.
Meet Our Executive Director
Kelly Schaeffer is the founder and executive director of FIDOS. Driven by a strong commitment to community service, she has spent many years volunteering both domestically and abroad. FIDOS holds a special place in her heart due to the significant impact facility dogs have on those they assist. She particularly loves training the dogs and their handlers to form exceptional partnerships within their facilities. Training and nurturing these dogs is her passion, and you can often see her out in Hoover with one or more of the facility dogs in training. FIDOS is a non-profit organization recognized under Alabama law and holds tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. Our organization is governed by a Board of Directors.
Partners
FIDOS is blessed to have community partners that are integral to the health and well-being and training of our dogs! We appreciate you!
The Pampered Pet Resort - Hoover, AL
Bluff Park Animal Clinic - Hoover, AL
Valleydale Animal Clinic - Birmingham, AL
Hoover Public Library - Hoover, AL
No Worries Dog Training - Pelham, AL
Love Them Train Them LLC