1. What is the purpose of Saint Francis Service Dogs?

     Saint Francis Service Dogs is a secular, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) community based organization dedicated to assisting people with one or more physical disabilities to become more independent and self-sufficient through partnership with a service dog, to promote the sue and accpeptance of service dogs through public and professional education, to provide advocacy for service dog partners, and to support the service dog industry.

2. What is a service dog?

     In contrast to guide dogs for the blind, service dogs are specially trained to help people with ambulatory and other physical disabilities. They are trained to perform many different tasks such as opening and closing doors, retrieving dropped objects, going for help, turning lights on or off, and bringing items from the refrigerator.

3. How does a disabled person benefit from owning a service dog?

     Service Dogs provide their partners with greater independence and more choices in their lives. In addition to the many physical tasks they may be trained to perform, service dogs give emotional support to their owners. Studies show improvement in general well-being, self-esteem, community integration and the amount of control service dog partners experience over the lie of their partnership with a service dog.

4. How does the community benefit from a service dog program?

     1996 report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated the utility and potential cost-effectiveness of service dog program. The study, entitled "The Value of Service Dogs for People with Severe Ambulatory Disabilities", showed that over the 8-10 year working life of a service dog, $60,000 - $80,000 per individual may be saved, with a 68% reduction in human-care hours. The study further stated that disabled participants demonstrated substantial increases in their school and work attendance. Besides work improvement, the program had a dramatic effect upon the daily living and leisure activities of people with disabilities. Adjusted for inflation, the amount of savings is significantly higher today than it was in 1996.

5. What is the law regarding service dogs' access to public places?

     Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Virginia law, all businesses that serve the public, such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theaters, concert halls and sports facilities, are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service dogs onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed. Additional charges for admitting the service dog to an establishment or fares for transportation cannot be required.

6. What is the success rate of matching service dogs with owners?

     Saint Francis Service Dogs has an 95% success rate for service dog partnerships. This high success rate is due to careful suitability screening of both dogs and owners.

7. What are the legal liabilities of owning a service dog?

     In all legal matters, the dog is the responsibility of the owner, and Saint Francis Service Dogs will have no liability in any such matter. Should a legal concern arise, however, Saint Francis Service Dogs should be notified and will assist the partner if possible.

8. Can a dog be transferred from one owner to another?

     Unlike many similar organizations, Saint Francis Service Dogs allows partners to own their dogs. If for some reason the owner cannot keep the dog, Saint Francis Service Dogs has first rights of refusal for ownership. If a partner dies, the family or a close friend may wish to keep the dog, and Saint Francis Service Dogs normally grants them that right.

9. How does a person apply for a service dog?

     Applications should be submitted by qualified persons with disabilities to Saint Francis Service Dogs. A qualified person is one whose disability substantially limits one or more major life activities. The candidate must be able to care for the service dog's economic, physical and emotional needs. Potential owners and their families are interviewed and, if accepted, are placed on a waiting list. There are over 50 million persons with disabilities in the U.S., 10% of whom would benefit from a service dog. However, less than 800 dogs per year are placed with American owners.

10. What are the costs and fees associated with obtaining a service dog?

     The prospective partner living in the Roanoke area pays a $25 non-refundable application fee. Prospective partners living outside the Roanoke area pay a $75 non-refundable application fee. At the time ownership of the service dog is conveyed, the partner pay, $200 at the time ownership is transferred to cover a portion of the cost of the equipment Saint Francis provides for the dog.

11. What type of training do the puppies receive?

     Puppies receive extensive socializing and training from as early as 8 weeks of age. Many of our puppies are raised by volunteer puppy raisers, who bring the puppies into their homes and teach them basic manners and obedience with the assistance of Saint Francis trainers and staff. Puppy raisers attend weekly training sessions to learn how to start these gifted animals on their service dog careers.

12. How does one become a puppy raiser?

     For more information on becoming a puppy raiser, see the “Volunteer” page of this website.