Service Dogs for America
Service Dogs for America (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation Inc.) is located in Jud, North Dakota. (43 miles South of Jamestown, ND) This facility trains service dogs for people with disabilities (see list below) Service Dogs for America (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation Inc.) does not train the Seeing Eye or Leader Dog here. However, we have trained basic guide into some of our specialty class dogs.
Meet some of our first graduates...
Dr. Esther Lesser, Ph. D. is a successful graduate along with her service dog Freya.
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"Specialty Dog" T.J. assists partner, Harry Lunscher with "Service Skills". |
Kirby was not only a service dog but also the loyal training partner of wheelchair racing Champion Julie Wallace. |
Assistant Dogs... What are they?
By the definition of Assistance Dogs International, an assistance dog is a dog that is trained and placed to work with an individual with any one or more of a number of physical disabilities. The federal government uses the term Service Dog as the umbrella term to define these dogs. When seeking information regarding access laws one can expect to find the term Service Dog or Service Animal.
Assistance Dogs- have legal access rights into all public accommodations in the United States. Assistance Dogs perform a wide variety of functions. There are several different types of service dogs although Great Plains does not train the Seeing Eye or Leader Dog here. However, we have trained basic guide into some of our specialty class dogs.
Services for the Physically Challenged
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Service Dogs- provide mobility assistance to those using wheelchairs or other devices providing mobility assistance.
Hearing Dogs- provide signaling or alerting behaviors for those who live with deafness or other auditory challenges.
Seizure Alert-Response Dogs- provide appropriate alerting behaviors in response to a seizure event. In the best case scenarios provide alerting behaviors prior to a seizure onset.
Therapeutic Companion Dogs- Provide emotional support to various individuals or groups of individuals. Elder care facilities, hospice programs and children's hospitals are common settings for these dogs.
Specialty Dogs- provide assistance to individuals living with disabilities which require combinations of the above duties.
It is our mission to assist physically challenged individuals to gain greater independence and autonomy by the use of a trained and certified assistance dog, furthermore to do so without adding excessive financial burden to those using our program.
The focus of our program is human services; the beneficiaries of our
program are people.
Service Dogs for America (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation Inc.) shall use thoroughly tested and trained dogs as the vehicle to accomplish this purpose and shall use humane techniques in doing so. Physically challenged individuals are the focus...
assistance dogs the tool.
Therefore operations shall include public presentations and demonstrations, consultations, referral services and apprenticeships. Service Dogs for America (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation, Inc.) shall maintain a policy of equality without bias or prejudice. Membership and participation into organizations which augment our purpose and/or further the assistance dog industry is acceptable and encouraged. As a 501(C) 3 non-profit corporation, political influence and activity are prohibited.
Many people are under the impression that Service Dogs for America (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation Inc.) is a Federal or State funded agency. We have in the past taken advantage of economic development loans and on one occasion were the recipients of an economic development grant. Compared to the more than one million dollars we have raised since our beginning, less than three percent has come from government sources.
Private individual donors along with Lions Clubs will make up more than sixty percent of that income. These are Foundation members, general donors, and those federal employees who contribute through the Combined Federal Campaign. What we have is a large number of caring, sharing individuals who give what they can, when they can. Granting foundations provide roughly twenty-five percent of our annual income. We are continually searching for new sources of grant income. However, our relatively unknown and little understood method of assisting people with disabilities disqualifies us from grant contention in many cases. The remaining dollars are derived from sales/boarding fees, club donations and In-Kind gifts. The important thing to understand is that the private individual donor who contributes "what they can, when they can" is the backbone of the Service Dogs for America (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation Inc.)
There are other programs similar to ours, however our program has features others do not possess. These include the ability and desire to assist children, multiple disabilities, and people with seizure conditions. Many in these categories have "fallen through the cracks" in the past and we set out to "fill the cracks" and have done just that.
The need for the Service Dogs for America (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation Inc.) project is evidenced by the incredible increase in demand in the past years. Currently, Service Dogs for America, (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation, Inc.) has served more than 180 individuals averaging 10 a year.
If you would like more information or a tour of the facility, please contact us at the address above.
Services for the General Public |
Leave your dogs in the hands of canine care specialists. Kennels are not only cleaned, but sanitized daily for the health and safety of your loved canine. Professional handlers walk, play with, and exercise your dog each and every day of his/her stay here. Let us provide the same level of care that we provide for our assistance dogs in training.
As one satisfied customer told his dog, "this isn't just a boarding kennel; this is a camp for dogs!"
Aggressive Dogs Not Accepted! Pick-up and delivery are available for an additional fee, and free with a 30-day reservation.
The cost is just $20 per day. Weekly, monthly, and multiple dog rates available upon request. Please call 701-685-2290 or toll free 877-737-8364 for information and reservations.
Private Consultation
Do you and your dog need therapy in your relationship? We offer private consultation with our professional staff regarding your specific concerns for the dog that you love. Your dog is thinking, feeling animal. Allow us to help you get to the underlying issues. Consultations include behavioral testing and evaluation documentation.
The cost is just $125 for a two-hour session. Aggression issues are accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Board and Train
You and your dog can experience the same training that our students and apprentices nationwide have enjoyed. Your dog will be evaluated and behavior tested by our professionals. Following evaluation and personal consultation, we will provide you with the same training our service dogs receive.
Allow us to assist you with behavioral problems or address basic obedience needs. The cost is just $35 per day. Training for aggression issues is not available.
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