Fooch's Note: I've added some comments Joe Nedney made about this fundraiser.  I just finished transcribing that and posted it at the end of this.

Hello everyone!  For starters, I’d like to say thank you to Fooch for allowing me to post this information here on Niners Nation.

I am a volunteer puppy raiser for a non-profit organization called Canine Companions for Independence. CCI provides highly trained assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities, free of charge.  To make a long story short, CCI has partnered with the San Francisco 49ers to create an amazing fundraising calendar featuring Niners players and some really cute pups. 

via i616.photobucket.com

Fooch's Note: I've moved the rest of this after the jump to save front page space.  I really do hope people join in on this very worthy cause.  Everybody could use a calendar, and who doesn't love the 49ers and puppies???  Thanks to Jenny for contacting me about this...

Much of the credit for this wonderful calendar goes to Joe Nedney.  The Nedney family’s pet labrador, Pepper, was raised to be a service dog for CCI, but was released from training. (Only 30-40% of puppies raised go on to graduate as certified service dogs.)  To show their appreciation for having Pepper as a part of their family, the Nedneys really went above and beyond to organize this fundraiser.  Joe recruited Coach Singletary and many of his fellow Niners to pose for the calendar, and donated a lot of time and money to the project.  As a puppy raiser, I am so touched that the Nedneys have given so much to CCI. 

via i616.photobucket.com

Here are a few more photos from the calendar: 

via i616.photobucket.com

via i616.photobucket.com

The calendars have just come out and are available for purchase.  It is a 16-month calendar that starts next month and runs through 2010.  I am helping sell the calendars on behalf of our local East Bay chapter.  The cost is $12.50  ($2.50 for mailing costs, with 100% of the $10 calendar price going directly to Canine Companions for Independence.) 

To purchase a calendar, please send me $12.50 via paypal to caninecompaniondogs at gmail.com.  If you prefer not to use paypal, please contact me via that email and I will give you my address to mail a check.   Please be sure your mailing address is listed properly in the paypal shipping notes, or put your address in the comments box.

 Just a bit of extra information on this wonderful cause, CCI places dogs with:

• Disabled adults and children (these dogs open and close doors, turn on lights, pick up dropped objects, etc.)
• Hearing impaired and deaf adults (these dogs alert to sounds such as alarms, sirens, knocks at the door, etc.)
• Facility dogs (often placed in medical facilities to work with patients on their physical therapy and keep their spirits up, in schools that work with special needs children, and in courtroom settings to comfort children who have to testify at trial.)
• CCI has also recently started their "Wounded Veteran Initiative" to place assistance dogs with wounded members of the military.

Joe Nedney on his family's involvement in this fundraiser
"We had been on an adoption list with the Canine Companions for Independence for a while now.  We finally were able to adopt a dog.  Her name’s Pepper and she’s been an amazing addition to our family.  She was one of the rejects, which is amazing to me because she’s the most docile, amazing and well trained dog that I’ve ever been a part of.  And to see what that organization does as far as helping people with disabilities.  We decided to kind of become involved.  With our platform as members of the 49ers, we were able to get a bunch of guys together and take pictures with their dogs and some CCI dogs, really just to help out Canine Companions for Independence and kind of spread the word about what they do.  It’s as simple as that.  A thank you for us getting such a great dog . . . We’ve really gotten a great reception with it.  The guys had a lot of fun coming out here and messing around with the dogs."

Thank you so much for your time.

Go Niners!

--Jenny