Check for upcoming Service Dog events and programs below
How can I acquire a Service Dog?
We have a couple of options:
1. Train you how to train your own dog (if you acquired a dog that might be able to do the tasks)
OWNER TRAINED: where you get your own dog and bring it in for training with us over the development year and task training… in that case, yes, you choose your own dog, you raise your own dog, and we guide you along the way.
2. Or we can “produce” a dog for you that is already trained, and then train you how to work as a team.
PRODUCED DOG: where we train a prospect dog for your needs and place him/her when the criteria is trained… These cases don’t always get the exact desired breed, color, sex… when a dog is capable of meeting the desired tasks, we typically offer placement for the first candidate that agrees to the option we offer. (If somebody says they don’t want a particular breed or would prefer a certain detail, we DO take it into consideration, but it is not always feasible.) Of course, we want there to be a bond that is enhanced by paying attention to some of these details if possible.
(We are currently in the process of finding suitable breeders and/or dogs.)
How much can I expect to pay for a Service Dog?
Depending on what you are seeking:
There are a few options in the industry to acquire a service dog… you should look through the Alberta government Qualified schools that can produce a dog, and find which option suits your needs the best. Most of the qualified providers are non-profit organizations that do not charge the recipient for their dog; they have a large division in their association that does fundraising events and many volunteers to cover the estimated $30K – $40,000.00 expenses of producing a service dog.
We are not a non-profit organization and do not have a large administration operation with multiple volunteers, so our expenses are much less, however, acquiring the funding to cover the purchase of the trained service dog is up to the individual recipient. The typical investment for a service dog is $8000.00 and can be generated privately or through GoFundMe or various fundraising events. If you are government-subsidized for living expenses, there is a possibility that we can have you apply for a dog and have your expenses covered under the Alberta Government grant funding that has been allotted to certain cases.
How do I start the process?
Select the option that applies to you:
OWNER TRAINED: where you get your own dog and bring it in for training with us over the development year and task training.
PRODUCED DOG: where we train a prospect dog for your needs and place him/her when the criteria is trained.
Fully Trained Service Dog Program
