PTSD Service Dogs

SDA proudly accepts applications from both military and non-military individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

SDA is committed to working together with the individual and their service dog to increase physical, emotional, and social self-sufficiency.

Tasks May Include:

Providing psycho-emotional grounding by nudging, pawing, and leaning
Waking partner from night terrors/nightmares
Distracting from an event or specific maladaptive behavior
Bringing medication or other needed resources
Creating personal space in a non-aggressive manner in crowded areas
Leading to a building exit when partner is experiencing an anxiety or panic attack
Finding another person in the house or hitting an alert button to signal for help

A trained PTSD service dog is a tool and is not intended to substitute or replace current therapeutic or medication treatment plans.

Legal Resources

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

“Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

This resource provides information on Service Animal Misrepresentation. Information can be found about the appropriate laws by state.

Animal Legal & Historical Center

“This table compares all 50 states’ service animal laws for several categories. Included are public accommodation laws, criminal interference laws, licensing laws, disabled pedestrian laws, and service animal misrepresentation laws. Links to the text of the various laws are provided.”

APPLICATION

FAQ’s

Application FAQs

How does the application process work ?

SDA accepts preliminary applications year round. The Review Committee screens preliminary applications in a timely manner. If the preliminary application meets SDA’s placement criteria, a letter will be sent out with an invitation to submit a full application.

Please note: Submitting a full application does not mean the applicant is automatically approved for a service dog.

When all parts of the full application have been received, the application is reviewed by an independent Medical Review Board (MRB) who meets approximately every 6-8 weeks. The MRB makes the final determination on whether applicants are approved or denied. Applicants are notified by mail within 30 days of the decision.

What states do you service besides North Dakota?

We serve the lower 48 United States.

We cannot place dogs outside of the U.S. or within unincorporated territories of the U.S.

Applicants must also be legal, permanent U.S. residents.

What are the age requirements?

Our client minimum age requirement is 18 years old for for all types of service dogs.

What does it cost?

There is no fee for the preliminary application.

There is a $50 non-refundable fee for the full application.

The fee for a service dog is $25,000, which includes:

3 weeks (minimum) of team training at the SDA campus*, including public access testing
guest housing on the SDA campus during training
all training materials, including initial vest, team certification and ID card**
home visits
additional task training, if required
fundraising assistance and community awareness presentations (if requested)
annual and bi-annual re-certification, training and team evaluations
follow-up consultations and troubleshooting
ongoing educational opportunities
annual reviews for the life of the dog

*team training must be done at the SDA campus; we do not travel to clients or ship dogs

**vest, team certification and ID card are only issued upon graduation of the service dog team

SDA does not want the cost of a service dog to deter anyone from applying; therefore, we have a dedicated staff member who works with approved clients on funding options, such as fundraising programs, grant applications, payment plans and scholarships (when available).

None of these funding options, however, are implemented until after a client has gone through the full application process and been approved for a service dog.

Can I have my current dog trained at your facility?

No – we do not train dogs from outside our facility, nor do we offer training courses for people wanting to train their own dog.

Do you train other types of service dogs besides those listed?

No – we are only accredited to train the specific dogs listed on our website.

Do you train other psychiatric service dogs besides those for PTSD?

No – we are only accredited to train for PTSD.

We do not train service dogs for individuals with multiple complex mental health issues including personality disorders, somatoform disorders, etc.

We do not train service dogs for individuals who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

Do you train dogs for protection?

No, we do not train dogs for protection or any protection tasks.

Am I allowed to have other pets/animals in my home?

We don’t automatically exclude applicants who have other pets. However, each situation is thoroughly assessed during the full application process.

How long is the wait list?

We do not currently have a wait list for approved applicants to receive a service dog. Approval time varies due to application review and approval process.

The entire approval process can take approximately 3-12 months depending on how quickly we receive all required materials.

Are there other requirements or restrictions for applying?

For anyone (veteran or civilian) who wants to be considered for a PTSD dog, you must:

be at least 18 years of age
have an official PTSD diagnosis
not have multiple complex mental health diagnoses such as personality disorder, autism spectrum disorder, etc.
have a minimum of one (1) year of recent mental health care pertaining to the PTSD diagnosis

If you are approved to submit a full application for a medical response dog, you must also complete and submit a 30 day seizure event log with your full application.

You must be able and willing to travel to our Jud, ND, campus for team training for a minimum of three (3) weeks.

We are currently unable to place service dogs with active duty military members.

What if I have additional questions prior to submitting my application?

If you have any questions regarding the application form(s) or process, please contact our Client Services Coordinator at (701) 685-5003 or client.services@servicedogsforamerica.org

HOW TO APPLY

How to Apply

First: Review the Eligibility Requirements, FAQs, and Procedure for Application.

Eligibility Requirements:

For EMRD and Mobility Assistance dogs, applicants must be at least 18 years old and possess the physical and developmental capacity to handle a service dog independently.
If applying for a PTSD service dog, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must possess the physical and developmental capacity to handle a service dog independently
- Must have an official PTSD diagnosis from a qualified and licensed mental health professional
- Must be actively engaged in therapy for a minimum of one (1) year for the PTSD diagnosis
Applicant must reside within the lower 48 United States and be able to travel to the SDA campus in Jud, North Dakota for training.
Applicant must present a verifiable medical need for a service dog and understand SDA may not be able to train a dog specific to their needs.
Applicant must be available and willing to communicate with SDA staff throughout the application and placement process.
Applicant must demonstrate proficiency in handling a service dog at home and in a variety of public environments, while managing the dog’s safety, behavior, and working skills.
Applicant will be required to supply proof of financial resources sufficient for the care of a service dog, including veterinarian care.

Please Note: A service dog must never be trained or reinforced for guarding or protection behaviors. Per our accreditation requirements, Service Dogs for America does not train for behaviors such as guarding, protecting, or searching rooms or spaces for an enemy or threat.

Next: Once you have reviewed the entire Procedure for Application document, if you would like to proceed, please complete the Preliminary Application via the button below*.

Preliminary applications are reviewed in a timely manner. If the applicant meets SDA’s selection criteria, a letter will be sent out along with a full application packet to the address provided.
*If you need a printed version of the Preliminary Application or have any questions, please contact us at (701) 685-5003 or client.services@servicedogsforamerica.org

*We, like much of the country, are experiencing staffing shortages. Due to these shortages, we are experiencing a delay in processing preliminary and full applications. We are working diligently to remedy the situation and apologize for the unexpected delays. Thank you, in advance, for your patience.

Home

Changing Lives...

At Service Dogs for America, our mission is to train and certify
service dogs for individuals with disabilities.

Applicants from the lower 48 United States will be considered, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

Our Dogs

SDA is accredited to train mobility assistance, emergency medical response, and PTSD service dogs. Each dog is fully trained prior to being paired with an individual.

Our Programs

SDA has three Inmate Canine Assistance Programs at correctional facilities throughout North Dakota. There are also dog fostering and volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Support SDA

As a small, rural nonprofit, we rely on our supporters to meet our mission. There are many ways to contribute. Please consider supporting SDA to help us continue our work.

OUR DOGS

Our Dogs

Mobility Assistance Service Dogs

Mobility assistance dogs can help their partner with a variety of physical tasks.

Emergency Medical Response Service Dogs

EMRD are trained to help individuals with certain types of seizures.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Service Dogs

PTSD service dogs can help increase physical, emotional, and social self-sufficiency.

Facility Dogs

Facility dogs work with a specific handler to provide well-mannered support in health care and educational settings.

Career Change Dogs

Occasionally dogs in our program do not have the skills to be a service dog, so we find them a new career – often as a wonderful pet.

Search Results for: PTSD

PTSD

PTSD Service Dogs