placement costs

Total Costs for Partially or Fully Trained Service Dog:

• Base cost reimbursements: includes puppy purchase price, travel costs, veterinary care, food, pet insurance and flea/tick preventatives for a minimum of 6 months: $4,000

• Additional care and training: $1,300 per additional month of care and training

• Advanced health clearances reimbursements for fully trained dog OFA, Cardiac and CAER clearances (any dog over 24 months of age): $1,000

Examples: 

• A dog who has been in training for 12 months and is placed as a partially trained service dog (at 14 months of age) will cost $19,600

• A dog who has been in training for 18 months and is placed as a partially trained service dog (at 20 months of age) will cost $27,400

• A dog who has been in training for 22 months and is placed as a fully trained service dog (at 24 months of age) with health clearances will cost $33,600

Included in cost:

• Dog placement on a leasing contract

• All matchmaking interviews, evaluations and consultations

• Dog’s existing gear: Collar, leash, cape, harness, bowl, toys, first bag of food etc

Not included in cost:

• At time of placement for a started service dog: Minimum of three half-day training sessions charged at $300 per half day, totalling four hours per day (not necessarily consecutive hours)

• Travel costs, including:

• Reimbursement for any flights, train tickets, hotels, tolls or car rentals/rideshare costs during travel and placement

• Mileage reimbursement of $1.25/mile if driving to placement or any subsequent training sessions

• Follow up sessions, charged at $700 per six sessions

• Gear specific to handler’s disability, such as a guide, forward-momentum-pull or counterbalance harness

Application/Wait list process

Step One: Complete the entire application packet

• Perform consultation (prerequisite for application)

• Complete application form

• Pay the $75 application processing fee

• Submit letter of personal reference from someone, other than a family member, that knows you well

• Submit a professional letter of reference from a therapist, social worker, teacher or other professional with whom you have contact

• Submit a short autobiography and picture

• Receive a home inspection

Step Two: Acceptance to wait list

After thoroughly reviewing your application packet, interviews and home inspection, we will notify you if we accept your application.

At this time a deposit of $250 is required and our waitlist contract must be signed. 

This deposit is refundable if a dog does not become available within 30 months of acceptance, but is not refundable if the applicant decides to withdraw their application before this time.

Step Three: Wait and learn

We cannot guarantee wait times and they may last anywhere from 6 months to 3 years. We highly recommend you attend our puppy classes at least once per month to begin learning how to handle a trained service dog and give us the opportunity to see you with various dogs to influence our matching decisions. Stay in contact to learn when these training opportunities are available.

Step Four: Trial Weekends

When we believe we have a match for you, we will begin cycling through dogs for trial weekends in your home. We will not notify you of which dog we are considering as a match, but will evaluate how each dog performs in your home and care in order to ensure the personality is a good fit.

Step Five: Match notification and placement deposit 

When we know we have a match for you, we will begin individualized training of your dog. This period will be roughly 1-6 months prior to placement. We will not notify you of which dog we are matching you at this time. 

At this time a deposit of $2,000 is required and our placement contract must be signed.

Step Six: Presentation of match

When we are confident the dog is a good match and is ready to be placed with you, we will present the dog and share a detailed breakdown of his current behavior, training and health. You have the option here to reject the match, however no refund of deposits will be available and there is no guarantee there will be a second match available within a year.

At this time the remaining placement cost (minus the $2,250 from prior deposits) is due.

Step Seven: Match Camp

We will then start “match camp”. This consists of presenting your match to you and beginning the transfer training process (length of match camp dependent on level of training dog has received)

At this time placement costs will be collected, including travel reimbursements, match camp payments and at least one package of lessons for follow-up training.

Step Eight: Continued placement support

After placement, we will do a minimum of 6 weekly sessions to ensure the transfer process is working well. Depending on how the training is going, we may continue weekly sessions or switch to monthly sessions for a minimum of 6 months for a fully trained dog, or the remainder of the dog’s training for a partially trained or started service dog. 

Step Nine: Evaluation and Transfer of Ownership

One year (12 months) following placement, a behavior and care evaluation will be conducted. If the team passes satisfactorily, unconditional ownership will transfer to the recipient. 

Step Ten: Yearly check-ins and recertification evaluations

After training and placement transfer is complete, we will check in once a year to evaluate the team’s continuing functionality and appropriate behavior as a fully trained and ADA compliant service dog team for the remainder of their working life.

Fundraising and Financing Options

Please, don’t let the above numbers scare you! They do seem very high if you expect to pay entirely out of pocket. But hundreds of people are successful in fundraising and financing the full cost of a service dog every year; many people don’t end up spending more than a couple of thousand dollars of their own money. These are some tried-and-true methods for raising and crowdsourcing the money you need to bring home a life-changing service dog. 

Help Hope Live: This is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising funds for medical bills that insurance doesn’t cover, without affecting your disability payouts. This includes paying for a service dog. They can help you with one-on-one support in meeting your goals; they have 40 years worth of success stories, and I highly recommend you start your fundraising journey by reaching out to them. 

https://helphopelive.org/get-started/ 

Grant Funding

The keys to finding a grant that fits you are to be creative and cast a wide net. There are many grants, especially local or state grants, that will approve you for a variety of reasons; your disability, your gender, your age, your community involvement, etc. You might be able to find help in writing a grant proposal by reaching out to a local college and asking for help from a professor or student. Don’t limit your searches to “service dog” related grants; instead, diversify the sources and purposes of grants you look for. 

Community Resources: Reaching out to local or community based organizations is a great way to bring things close to home. By talking to people in the communities below, you are already approaching them with a personal reason to feel moved to donate to your cause.

• Religious affiliations

• Rotary clubs 

• Shriners International (for men)

• Masonic Charitable Foundation

• Ladies groups (for women)

• PEO International

• Red Hat Society

• Daughters of the American Revolution

• Automotive groups that have multiple dealerships often have non-profit foundations with funds to give at their discretion

• Local and community based benevolent funds (such as through AA funeral homes, churches, clubs etc)

• United Way

Crowdfunding: Very successful for many people! People love to support service dogs, and if you are able to tell your story in a personal and moving way, there are a large number of people who are willing to donate a small amount of money and make a big dent in your fundraising goals. Make it personal! You can use photos and videos of the dogs being trained through the JPSD program as a way for people to connect with and understand what they are donating toward.

• GoFundMe

• FundRazr

• Fundly

• GiveButter

• Bonfire

Fundraising Events

Don’t underestimate the power of these small events that can produce big donations!

• Bake sales

• Car washes

• Community garage sales

• 5k runs

• Sororities and Fraternities: Consider asking them for help in organizing fundraising events!

Media Coverage

Many community papers or news outlets are interested in individuals who are searching for help in paying for a service dog. Consider writing a press release (you can also reach out to local college students if you would like help writing this release) and submitting it to various publications in your area. 

Flexible Spending Account

The cost for a service animal that is required for medical care is eligible with a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). Service animal costs are not eligible with a dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA) or a limited-purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA).

Get Creative

More than anything, you should try to get creative while workshopping fundraising options. There have been people who have gotten 100% funding simply by thinking outside of the box. Consider what will move people to donate to you specifically and capitalize on those traits that make you (and your potential dog) stand out.