Service Dogs: The Process
Application > Assessment > Observation > Commitment & Training > Match
SD Service Dogs aims to provide service dogs to meet the specific needs of each veteran.
The process to pair a veteran or first responder with a service dog begins with an application.
Once you have applied, one of our volunteers will contact you, usually within the next calendar month. They will review your application, answer any questions, and seek any clarifications. They will then review this information with the local trainers to assess whether we can proceed with matching you to a dog that will fit your lifestyle and help with your disabilities.
The volunteer will arrange an opportunity for you to meet and observe a local trainer in action, allowing you to learn what will be expected of you.
When you have committed to the process and the ongoing training, the best pathway for your needs will begin. We have created two pathways to the service dog experience: Rapid Rescue and Planned Partnership.
Our Programs
Rapid Rescue
The Rapid Rescue program is for veterans who urgently need a service animal to help them deal with the mental and emotional tolls of posttraumatic stress.
This program pairs a veteran with a shelter animal based on temperament, size, and activity level.
Once pairing and bonding have been completed, the team will enter a 25-week training course meeting with our staff members twice a week for training and evaluation. Each week the pair will be given assignments to work on at home integrating the new handler into the training process. At the end of the training program, the pair will go through an evaluation before certification.
Once certified, the pair will be required to do quarterly evaluations for the first year to ensure the team is maintaining the highest level of training, ensuring a strong, long-lasting relationship.
Planned Partnership
This program is for veterans with more complex situations or who need a multiuse service dog.
This program partners the veteran with a young dog that has been trained specifically for that veteran. Training these dogs is done by professional trainers and it can take more than a year, but it is highly effective because the service dog is trained for the specific needs of the veteran.
When the dog meets the training expectations, the new handler will be introduced and will learn the commands of the trainer. The length of this training depends on the handler’s ability to adapt to the dog and his commands.
This team will also go through certification before graduation from the program. Follow-up with training will occur, but will be less structured than the Rapid Rescue program.
“My issues from my military service had me slowly spiraling down. I have had Dakota, my service dog now for about six months and he has made a world of difference in my life. I would not have been able to afford a service dog like Dakota, and South Dakota Service Dogs stepped up. They paired me with Dakota, supplied me with his kennel, food, bowls and took care of the veterinarian bills. Also, they have provided Dakota and I with the training needed for him to help me as needed at no charge”
- Bruce, Retired United States Air Force Security Policeman