Our Mission
Roger Up’s Service Dog Program focuses on providing highly trained service dogs to support those living with physical and mental disabilities. Under expert leadership, we develop dogs for tasks including mobility assistance, PTSD support, psychiatric aid, medical alerts, and more. Our goal is to build the best service dog program in the Midwest, defined by excellence, reliability, and lasting impact.
Bridging Independence
Service dogs help handlers regain freedom in daily life, from navigating public spaces to managing health conditions.
Building Connections
These canine partners foster emotional support, reducing isolation and strengthening bonds with loved ones.
Long-Term Success
We ensure teams receive ongoing support for a lifetime of partnership.
Service Dog Program Applications
Whether you’re a veteran or first responder looking for a trained service dog to support your independence, or someone who wants to help raise and train the next generation of service dogs, Roger Up has an application for you.
Foster/Trainer Application
For dog lovers with a stable home who want to foster and train service dog puppies. Puppies join you at around 8 weeks old and rotate every couple of months under the guidance of our professional trainers. Roger Up provides all food, supplies, and veterinary care — the dogs remain with us and will eventually be placed with a veteran or first responder.
Service Dog
Recipient Application
For veterans and first responders living with disabilities, apply for a custom-trained service or detection dog built specifically around your needs. These highly skilled partners are trained to perform the exact tasks that help restore independence, confidence, and freedom in your daily life.
Meet Our Master Dog Trainer
About Mitch Wojcik
Mitch Wojcik is the Director of First Responders and Canine Services for Roger Up. A Master Dog Trainer and experienced nonprofit leader, Mitch brings deep expertise in canine behavior, obedience, and service dog development to every team served. His work is grounded in years of hands-on training throughout Minnesota communities, with a focus on clarity, reliability, and long-term success for both dogs and handlers.
Prior to joining Roger Up, Mitch served in the United States Marine Corps and was a Police Officer. He and his wife, Samantha, founded and built Top Dog Training LLC, a highly regarded dog training company known for structured programs, behavioral transformation, and real-world reliability. This foundation allows Mitch to design Roger Up’s programs with precision, guiding teams from initial evaluation through public access readiness and advanced task training with confidence and consistency.
Mitch earned his Professional Dog Training Certification in 2022 from the Tom Rose School for Professional Dog Trainers, and Master Dog Trainer certification in 2025 from Highland Canine LLC, graduating valedictorian and receiving multiple honors for academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to shelter and service work. As a military veteran, he brings a personal understanding of how service dogs restore independence, reduce symptoms, and reconnect those who served with their families and communities—shaping Roger Up’s strong commitment to veterans and others living with both physical and mental disabilities.
Under Mitch’s leadership, Roger Up oversees every stage of the process, from dog selection and training to placement and lifelong team support, while working closely with donors, volunteers, and community partners across Minnesota.
Contact Mitch directly at 651-500-8018 or email mitch@rogerup.org
How the Program Works
Our comprehensive process ensures the perfect match and sustained success:
Initial Evaluation
We assess the handler’s needs and match them with a suitable dog.
Dog Selection & Training
Dogs are carefully chosen and trained in obedience, task-specific skills, and public access behaviors.
Placement and Integration
Teams are paired, with training for the handler to build a strong bond.
Lifelong Support
Ongoing check-ins, resources, and community partnerships to maintain the partnership.
The Service Dog Program Is Funded by Donations and Grants.
Understanding Your Rights
At Roger Up, we believe in empowering our community with knowledge about service animal rights. Below, we’ve summarized key guidelines from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Minnesota state laws. These summaries are provided for informational purposes to help handlers, businesses, and the public understand protections and responsibilities. For official details, please refer to the linked resources.
ADA Guidelines
• Definition of Service Animals
Service animals are dogs (or miniature horses in some cases) individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities—such as guiding the blind, alerting the deaf, pulling wheelchairs, or assisting during seizures or anxiety attacks. Emotional support animals do not qualify.
• Public Access Rights
Service animals must be allowed in all public areas where the public goes (hospitals, restaurants, hotels, stores, etc.), with no extra fees or isolation from others.
• Permissible Inquiries
Staff may only ask two questions:
- Is this a service animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the animal been trained to perform? No documentation, ID cards, vests, or demonstrations are required.
• Handler Responsibilities
The animal must be under control (leashed unless the handler’s disability prevents it) and housebroken. Staff are not responsible for caring for or cleaning up after the animal.
• Exclusions
A service animal may be removed only if it is out of control and the handler does not take effective action, or if it is not housebroken. Allergies or fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denial.
For the complete official text, visit: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/
Minnesota Service Animal Laws
• Definition
Minnesota follows the ADA definition: dogs (or miniature horses) trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability. Emotional support animals do not qualify.
• Public Access Rights
Full access to all public facilities, housing, and transportation. No extra fees, no required vests or ID, and breed bans do not apply to service animals.
• Animals in Training
Service animals that are still in training have the same public-access rights as fully trained service animals (this protection is stronger in Minnesota than federal ADA).
• Penalties for Violations
Misrepresenting a pet as a service dog is illegal (fines and/or jail time). Harm to a service animal or failure to control a dog that injures one can result in misdemeanors, fines up to $5,000, and possible imprisonment.
For the complete Minnesota statutes and guidance, visit: https://www.disability.state.mn.us/technical-assistance/service-animals/
Service Dog Program
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