Hawaiʻi is home is for David Matlin, who recently returned to Honolulu and accepted a new role as executive director of Hawaiʻi Fi-Do Service Dogs. He and his wife, Dana, are currently fostering an 8-year-old dog, Josie, and are no strangers to raising miniature dachshunds and rescue dogs.
The Oʻahu-based nonprofit aims to “provide trained service dogs to people with disabilities other than blindness,” and offer educational programs to keiki, kūpuna and military members in the community, among others, its mission statement reads. It is the only organization on the island that is accredited by Assistance Dogs International, which holds “the highest standards of excellence for human-dog partnerships,” per its website.
“I love dogs. I love the mission, and I just felt like I could help,” said Matlin, who was appointed to the position at the end of June by the nonprofit’s board of directors. The board also named Kinga Sanders as interim program director then.
“She’s doing a great job and has a heart for the program,” Matlin said of Sanders. “And you have Susan Luehrs, our founder; she’s really the heart of the organization, who has poured 26 years of blood, sweat and tears into the mission.”
Most recently, Matlin was the director of legacy works for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee. He previously served as director of athletics for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa from 2015 to 2023, credited with making the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex playable eight months after Aloha Stadium shuttered. Prior to that, he worked as executive director at ESPN Events for 13 years, which hosts collegiate sporting games such as the Hawaiʻi Bowl and the Diamond Head Classic.
Matlin also co-founded the Hawaiʻi Bowl Foundation and has served on various nonprofit and civic boards.
“There’s surprisingly parallels to sports administration and service dog advocacy,” he noted, adding that with both, “you’re identifying raw potential, investing in training and building trusted partnerships.”
“Our goal is to get 1% better a day, even if it’s small. And if we can all start doing that, amazing things can happen,” he continued.
As executive director of Hawaiʻi Fi-Do Service Dogs, Matlin plans to take a “listen and learn” approach, while overseeing the nonprofit’s operations and six-figure budget, among other duties, he said. The nonprofit is funded through individual donors and private grants, as well as various fundraising efforts throughout the year.
Matlin is also already talking about succession planning.
“A lot of organizations don’t do a great job of this, but I feel like you have to have a bench for everybody, including yourself, because that’s how you grow and become sustainable,” he said. “Even though I plan on doing this for awhile, it’s never too early to start setting up your systems, so it can be an easy transition for somebody else.”
Another priority is recruiting more puppy raisers, which is a 12-to-24-month commitment.
“We need individuals who can integrate the pup into their daily routines and ensure young puppies aren't left alone for more than four hours at a time,” according to criteria from Hawaiʻi Fi-Do Service Dogs. “No prior professional dog training experience is required. We look for patience, flexibility, and a willingness to learn our specific positive-reinforcement techniques.”
“You raise and train the puppy in your own house, and we cover the cost of the dog and approved medical expenses and supplies,” Matlin said, noting costs per puppy can be upwards of $30,000. There are roughly 16 in the program currently, and counting.
Learn more about what it takes to become a puppy raiser here.
In addition, its educational program brings service dogs to visit facilities, such as hospitals and schools, to raise awareness for keiki and kūpuna.
“I’ve learned from sharing my life with our dachshunds and rescue dogs, the comfort, loyalty and companionship that dogs bring but there’s also a health component. For me, my blood pressure has gone down since we’ve gotten [Josie, our foster dog],” Matlin said. “I think Hawaiʻi Fi-Do takes that to a different level, taking a great companion that can also provide help with safety and independence, and the impact can be very deep and profound for our clients.”
Follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
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