It may seem like this is the beginning, but this journey started about two years ago. In 2019, after much discussion with my family on the pros and cons of introducing a service dog into our life, I went ahead and filled out the preliminary application with Paws With A Cause during their open enrollment period.
I had researched different service dog organizations, and this was the one that felt right for me. Service dogs can cost anywhere from $25,000-$35,000 to raise and train. Some organizations charge you outright for an assistance dog while others, like Paws, rely on charitable donations to support their services. I really appreciated the “pay it forward” culture that Paws promotes, where they place a dog with you for free but encourage you to help fundraise to help a future recipient. Plus, Paws is located within easy driving distance from my home, meaning that I wouldn’t have to incur the travel and lodging costs associated with when you work with organizations located across the country. The primary trade-off for me was that I would be going through a much more stringent approval process and that the waiting period would be potentially longer.
I share a lot of detail in this first post because I want anyone who is considering a service dog to understand what is involved. If you have the means to pay for a trained dog, there are organizations around the country that will essentially guarantee to give you one but you will have to travel to their facility and commit to participating in the training period on site. If you work with an organization such as Paws, there is no guarantee that your application will be approved as they select the individuals where the tasks provided by their dogs will be of the greatest benefit.
Shortly after submitting my online application, I was notified that I had met the initial criteria. I was then sent a very in-depth application that required personal and professional letters of recommendation and a doctor’s certification of my diagnosis and assessment of my personal situation. I’d love to be able to tell you that everything went smoothly with that whole process, but that couldn’t be further from the case.
I had reached out to my specialist, assuming she would be the most qualified physician to report on the issues specific to my neuromuscular disease. This ended up being a big mistake. I have had several specialists over the years and hadn’t formed any real relationship with the most recent one. The first time out, the office lost my application. My follow-up attempt resulted in the most half-assed response imaginable. I’m talking about whole sections of the application not even filled out. And to add insult to injury, the office actually wanted to charge me for the incomplete paperwork!
With the submission deadline only a few days away, I immediately contacted my general practitioner, who I’ve seen for over ten years. I will always be grateful and indebted to this dog-loving doctor who went out of her way to help me. I also appreciated the grace Paws With A Cause extended to me when I notified them of the situation, as they allowed me a few additional days to get the medical certification completed. The lesson here is that relationships matter—a lot.
A month later, I was delighted to receive a letter notifying me that I had made it through to the next round in the application process. For the next phase, a background check was required. It would then be followed by a video interview and in-home needs assessment to be conducted with a Paws field representative.
In January 2020, a field rep came to our house and spent several hours interviewing my family and me and documenting the layout of our home. She even brought a retired service dog with her to assess my interaction with it. The level of thoroughness was impressive. Paws leaves nothing to chance, ensuring that each client receives an assistance dog with the perfect training and temperament to match the individual’s specific needs and lifestyle.
Now, almost two years from the time I first applied, I’m finally getting to meet my new canine companion.
The Pick-Up Artist 