Page 31 2024 Animal Stories Lincoln Daily News February 2024 The National Service Animal Registry says, “Initial costs for adopting a service dog can range between $10,000 and $30,000.” For some dogs, the costs may be “up to 50,000 dollars, depending on the type of skills they are trained to perform. This high upfront cost is due to the amount of training and specialized care that is put in to raising the service dog and teaching them to perform highly specialized tasks.” After the initial costs, the registry says you should expect to spend about $1200 a year on the care of the dogs. Do not let the high costs deter you, though, because some places provide service dogs for little or no costs. For instance, the organization Paws With a Cause “provides no-cost service dogs trained to deal with a variety of medical conditions to individuals across the United States.” If you have gone through all the steps and are approved for a service dog, LaFrank says “the real search begins. If you’re looking for an Emotional Support Animal, though, you won’t need to find a specifically trained dog — any canine companion counts! For true service dogs, though, you’ll want to locate and contact a service dog provider or nonprofit.” It may take a while to find the best dog for your needs, so patience is important. This patience usually pays off. As LaFrank says, “Despite the long wait and even longer adjustment period, taking the time to register for and meet a service dog can be a lifechanging decision for everyone involved. Not only does a talented canine get a home and a job to keep them feeling fulfilled, but their owner can gain a sense of independence and joy that only a dog can bring.” Service dogs can truly enhance and improve a person’s daily life with all the assistance they provide. About Service Dogs for America. https://www. servicedogsforamerica.org/ LaFrank, Gabrielle. “Do I qualify for a service dog? These are the requirements you should know about.” 30 June 2022. https://www. pawtracks.com/dogs/qualify-for-servicedog/#dt-heading-what-do-i-need-to-do-toqualify-for-a-service-animal USA Service Animals. https:// usserviceanimals.org/blog/service-dog-cost/ Frequently Asked Assistance Dog Questions. https://assistancedogregistrycomlaw_infor mation/
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