VETERANS: We are accepting applications for veterans at this time. Please be aware that your disability MUST be service-related and you must have served in the US Military to quality for the Veteran Program. Wait time for a service dog is over 1 year. Please complete this form and submit it prior to preparing a full application.
CIVILIANS: Currently, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are not accepting applications for civilians at this time. Please check back to see if the status has been changed.
If you are looking for a service dog, please visit Assistance Dogs International for a list of alternative programs that might meet your needs.
Apply For a Dog
Brigadoon Service Dogs is proud to provide service dogs to children, adults, and veterans with physical, developmental, and behavioral health disabilities. We require all applicants to live within a three hour drive unless prior approval has been given by our staff for applicants who live further away.
Application Process
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Our application process comprises these four steps:
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* Eligibility screening questionnaire
* Full application (including submission of relevant medical records)
* Interview (two-way face to face communication online or in-person)
* Home visit & Needs Assessment (in-person)
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The average processing time is 2-4 months.
Life on the Service Dog Program Waitlist
Once you are on the program's waitlist, you wait until we have the perfect dog come through our program. Oftentimes, this can take more than a year because we want to match you with the right dog for your needs and your lifestyle.
On average, it takes 2-3 years from the beginning of the application process (application submission) to the very end (graduation). We are hoping to lower this waiting period in the near future through increased grant funding.
Fundraising
While on the waitlist, many of our clients begin their fundraising efforts. At Brigadoon, we estimate that the care, training, housing, and feeding of our service dogs cost upwards of $30,000 or more per dog over the 2-year training period. We ask that our civilian clients raise $10,000 towards the cost of their dog which is due the first day of Team Training. Therefore, our clients often have over 2 years to reach their fundraising goal. We love working with our clients and we are always surprised by the generosity of community members coming to the aid of a fellow citizen!
We do not require our veterans to raise $10,000. We appreciate all that our veterans have done for our country, and providing a service dog at no cost is the least that we can do as thanks.
Team Training
Once a client is matched with their future service dog, they are asked to come onto Brigadoon's campus for a 2-week long intensive Team Training course. We ask that our clients provide their own transportation and housing during the Team Training course. This course works to familiarize clients with their new service dog and its unique abilities. Many times, a service dog will be the first dog that a client has ever owned. Our course is designed to be inclusive of the needs of our various clients.
It is a fundamental policy of BRIGADOON not to discriminate against any applicant on the basis of: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, age, mental or physical disability, ancestry, sexual orientation, legally protected medical condition, family care or medical leave status, veteran status, marital status, or any other basis protected by state or federal laws.
