We are asked all the time what types of financing is available for a service dog.
Unfortunately, there are very few ways to receive financing for your service dog. Let’s take a look:
- Get your pup through a non-profit. Non-profits, (if you are approved) will cover costs ranging from zero-cost-to-client all the way up to $20,000 cost-to-client. There are several non-profits throughout the country and many of them have multi-year waiting lists. One that we recommend is Canine Companions for Independence. There are benefits too, which include: specialized training for specific service dogs, high quality standards (like our Lead Dog program) and if you are approved you could save thousands of dollars.
- Get your pup sponsored. This type of program offers scholarships for service dog training. We work with the Elks Lodge in providing some of our military clients with service dogs. Organizations like these have very strict application requirements and often do not have the financial resources to sponsor more than a couple dogs at a time so there may be a very long waiting list, if you are approved.
- Get private financing through credit cards, personal loans, or peer-to-peer lending. We recommend SoFi personal loan financing with terms ranging from 5% to 7%. Private financing is often a great option but many lenders require exceptional credit.
- Your employer. Some employers, large and small, may have a program that may help individuals obtain financing. It does not hurt to ask
- Crowd-funding. In recent years crowd-funding platforms have been very popular in raising funds for service dogs. Just to let you know, developing a successful campaign is a full-time job in and of itself. Many people think they can just place a crowd-funding page on social media and the funds will start to roll in. That is not the case for many.
- Dog Works Training Company in-house financing. Our company will be offering in-house financing starting in early 2019. Our rates will not compete with banks, credit unions, or SoFi but we will offer 12-15% interest on 3-7 year loans. We will require a 20% down payment on the service required and will not require a formal credit check. There will be a detailed application process. This option may help you finish partial financing from other options listed herein.
Dog Works Training Company Service Dog Financing
Dog Works Training Company offers financing for any client who has a dog that is enrolled in our Lead Dog Service Dog program. We will finance up to 80% of the total cost of the program. You must be able to cover 20% down of the cost of the program. Those finances can come from personal savings, crowd-funding, or any other source.
Dog Works Training Company does not offer financing on dogs or puppies.
Your Investment
Obtaining a service dog is a very expensive investment in both time and financial resources. We want to make sure that your investment is in the right hands. We take our service dog training program very seriously and we are confident that in the end you will have a dog that is very well trained to help make your life as independent as possible. It is also very important to understand that you have to be committed to this entire process. Unlike other service dog organizations we do not just hand over a trained dog at the end of it’s training. We have spent years developing our program that includes a hands-on approach with the recipient/handler working in conjunction with our team to provide you with the best dog to fit your needs. Our program is successful when everyone that is involved in the training works together. If we are training for a child the parents and/or guardian will work with our team. Other times it may be a care provider that is working with our team. If you are unable to assist in the training of your service dog, unfortunately we may not be the best fit for you.
