Donors who want to support service dog organizations for veterans often run into the same problem: a lot of the advice on how to compare charities is too simplistic. Continue reading

Usually, no. The VA generally does not provide service dogs to veterans.[1][2] Instead, the VA provides certain benefits that support some already-approved guide dogs and some service dogs, such as veterinary care and equipment support.[1][2] Continue reading

The first thing to understand is that qualifying for a service dog is not just about having a disability. It is also about fit. Most nonprofit programs have far more applicants than available dogs, so they are looking not only for need, but also for whether the veteran, the household, and the timing are a good match for a successful placement. Continue reading

From the veteran’s point of view, the training process after being matched with a service dog is often a few months. During that time, you are learning what the dog already knows, how the dog can help you, and, most importantly, how to continue the training yourself. The dog may already have a strong foundation, but the training does not stop at placement. Continue reading

Sometimes yes, but only from the veteran’s point of view. Service dogs are never actually free. Someone still has to pay for breeding or acquiring the dog, veterinary care, food, equipment, and, above all, the training. Depending on the program, that cost is often around $25,000 to $30,000 per dog. A useful benchmark came from Congress when it created the PAWS Act. That law used $25,000 as the funding figure for a service dog. Since then, inflation alone pushes that number closer to $30,000. The PAWS Act only funds a few hundred dogs per year, which is a drop in the bucket, but at least it gives us a realistic starting point. Continue reading