Who is eligible?

To be eligible for an ECAD Service Dog, the applicant must have a physical disability that limits one or more major life activities and that can be mitigated by use of a specially trained dog. ECAD has placed dogs with people who have a wide variety of disabilities including (but not limited to):

Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Spinal Cord Injury, Arthritis, Lupus, Spina Bifida, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Parkinson's Disease, respiratory disorders, amputations.

ECAD does not specifically place dogs for people whose primary disabling conditions require psychiatric support dogs, seizure response dogs, guide dogs or hearing alert dogs. However, having these requirements as secondary conditions does not necessarily disqualify applicants.

You’ve probably heard stories of incredible feats performed by Service Dogs for their human partner. However the truth is that these stories were possible due to an enormous amount of hard work and dedication from the trainers AND the recipient BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER the placement was made. To become a recipient of an ECAD Dog, you must be sincere, motivated and determined to succeed. You will be required to learn the commands and use them properly, develop a bond with the dog, and to function safely as a team in the community. You must also commit to maintaining the skills you and the dog have developed. Clients must be re-certified on a yearly basis for up to five years.

At ECAD, we also believe it is important for clients to literally “buy in” to the program by helping fund raise or finance a portion of the cost. Clients who work to get their dogs are often more likely to succeed in the long run, and to demand excellence from us as well as themselves. Clients must pay at least $500 out-of-pocket, which reflects the minimum annual cost of future food and vet care for the life of the dog. The total amount they must pay or raise to attend Team Training varies from $3500 to $8500, depending on their needs. The cost covers two weeks of training, housing at our training facility for two weeks, and follow-up training for the life of the dog. It does not include transportation to or from the facility, the cost of board (meals and other incidentals), or personal care assistance. If you are committed, we will help you succeed in fundraising as well as in completing the training.

To see if a Service Dog is right for you and to begin the application process, click here. Once ECAD has received your information, we will set up an interview at one of our training facilities. Once you complete the application process, interview, and fundraising and have been accepted as an ECAD client, we will determine when you can begin Team Training based on when we have a dog available who will best match your needs, temperament, and lifestyle. Typically, most applicants receive Assistance Dogs within six months to a year of completing the application process.