Frequently Asked Questions About Service Dogs

1.  How long does it take to train a service dog? 

     The average training time is two years.  Then the

     service dog must pass the public access test given

     by us and the client takes the dog through the test

     themselves.

2.  How much does a service dog cost? 

     The average cost for a service dog to a client is $6,000

     Second Chance strives to assist those individuals who

     truly need a service dog in their lives by giving the dog

     to them at no cost.  We are constantly fund raising to

     get funds together to be able to get the next dog in

     training, maintain the dogs we have in training and to

     maintain the equipment necessary for training classes.

     So you can see, this combined with routine vet care,

     food, vaccinations, spay/neuter, treats, toys, collars

     leashes, crates, etc even the sum of $6,000 does not

     begin to cover the 'true' cost of a service dog.  We can

     only continue our work due to the fact that all of us

     volunteer our time - no one gets a salary - and due to

     the donations we receive from YOU.  The demand for

     service dogs far exceeds our capacity to train and place

     them at this point in time however.  Some groups have

     waiting lists up to three years in length.