If you tally up everyday costs over an average canine lifetime, having a dog can be expensive. But a service dog is too expensive for many people.
Moreover, many people confuse emotional support dogs and service dogs. While both help people, service dogs provide critical medical assistance that the individual often cannot live without. Additionally, some dog parents fake their pup’s emotional support animal status. This delegitimizes the necessity of service dogs.
Service Dogs vs. Support Dogs
Service dogs have training to perform a job that the individual they live with cannot. The individual may have physical, psychiatric, intellectual, or sensory disabilities. Where specific training for dogs who aid these individuals is often expensive, emotional support dogs do not have to be specially trained in this way. Service dogs are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Fair Housing Act, and Air Carrier Access Act (ACA). ACA protects emotional support dogs while the ADA does not.
Training Costs
Service dogs require extensive training to aid a person with a disability. And training isn’t cheap.
According to the National Service Animal Registry, the average cost of a service dog is around $15,000-$30,000 upfront. However, costs may skyrocket to $50,000 depending on tasks and responsibilities needed. According to the experts at Service Dog Certifications, professional dog trainers might charge anywhere between $150 and $250 an hour. They also say that it can take up to two years for a dog to train for the full range of support services a person may need.
Many people who are eligible for a service dog cannot afford to buy one. Fortunately, accredited organizations offer financial help. Sarah Mathers, formerly with Patriot PAWS Service Dogs, strongly encourages individuals to look at service dog organizations accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI). ADI sets industry and worldwide standards for individuals who train dogs.
Getting a service dog may seem like it’s cost-prohibitive, but there are people and organizations you can reach out to. They can help to both find and afford a service dog. They know that the right companion improves quality of life and provides support for years to come.
