Members of Team USA are selected through a points system based on their performance in either the Cynosport World Games or a World Team Selection events.
Many of the competitors who represent Team USA also work a fulltime jobs to support their family and their hobby of dog agility. They truly are amateur athletes but train and perform like professional athletes.
While competing or teaching abroad, competitors also share new and innovative training techniques and participate in cultural exchange events. They also strive to maintain the health and overall fitness of themselves and their canine teammates.
Traveling overseas with a dog can have significant fees and these competitors use their own personal finances to make the trip to represent our country. The average cost to send a team of 20 competitors and their dogs oversees is approximately $30,000.
Each team member participates in fund raising activities throughout the year and the money is equally distributed among the team members after the event.
Financial assistance through private donations and sponsorships helps reduce the personal travel costs to each team member and lets them focus more on providing a safe journey for the canine teammate.
USACS is a tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation qualifying as a public charity pursuant to 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code,
which permits public contributions to be deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes since September 2014.