[nagdu] Cost of a service dog

Wed Aug 28 00:07:36 UTC 2013

Dear Ken,
	I beleive3 we all can contribute to our schools whether it be
raising actual funds; helping recruit puppy raisers, education, volunteering
in some other way if one lives close enough.
	I think your goal is laudable, and Southeastern will be deeply
appreciative for any money you could raise.
Darla & hardworking Huck

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ken Ace
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 12:43 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Cost of a service dog

My goal is to try and raise the $60,000 in donations so I am not a drag on
the program. I may not get there but I am going to keep trying. But that
doesn't mean that everyone should feel the need to participate it's just a
personal thing because I can which may not always be the case.
Ken & Ace

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ken Ace
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 1:37 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Cost of a service dog

Well, I'm not talking about GEB and the charge was so small it wasn't worth
mentioning. All my food while I spent my 28 days on campus was excellent as
were my accommodations.
Ken & Ace

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Howard J. Levine
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 1:38 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Cost of a service dog

What are you talking about GEB in York town does not charge at all.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ken Ace
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 1:03 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Cost of a service dog

I can only give you my experience. My school estimates the cost of a guide
dog at $60,000 and my only cost was for the 28 days of dog food. Everything
else was covered. I didn't really appreciate their program till I got
involved with NAGDU. I have tried to give back by raising money, giving
talks supporting the school, etc.
Ken & Ace

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Laurel and
Stockard
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 12:42 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Cost of a service dog

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand, guide dogs are
also possibly the most expensive type of service dog to train? I know their
training is more intense and maybe even takes longer than say a diabetes
dog's training. I'm not saying that diabetes dogs or any other kind of dog
is less well trained or that the other service dog trainers don't work as
hard, but as you probably know, a guide dog has to know and do a lot more
than just 2 or 3 tasks. I'm thinking if guide dog schools charged clients a
certain percentage of the training costs, it would be quite expensive. I
would love to do a study done on the real costs of training a guide dog (I
believe this can run between 50,000 and 80,000 dollars for a school trained
dog) and the cost of other types of service dogs with relation to how that
does or does not have an effect on client charges etc.
Just my theory anyways. Some schools might give dogs for free because they
have a low opinion of the blind, but my personal opinion is that it probably
has more to do with if we were actually charged for our dogs the same way
other people get ccharged for theirs (usually a percentage of the training
costs from what I understand) we'd be paying way more than other service dog
clients.
This is definitely an interesting topic and like I said above, I'd love to
see an official study done on it. Maybe there's already one out there?
Laurel and Stockard
On Aug 27, 2013, at 10:06 AM, Jenine Stanley wrote:

> Tracy,
> 
> 
> It all has to do with economies of scale. 
> 
> Yes, the guide dog schools are fairly well established organizations, 
> even the newer ones, and have an established organizational model that 
> says you don't charge for services, or you do the minimal charge of 
> asking a student to pay for travel, or, as is the case with TSE, a 
> nominal charge for other reasons.
> 
> Many service dog programs are very small and simply have no other way 
> of garnering the funds to do what they do.
> 
> I have and will always defend TSE's policy of the nominal fee as I 
> truly believe in its purpose.
> 
> Guide Dog Foundation's service dog arm, America's VetDogs, is, I 
> believe, the only program that does not charge a fee to obtain a 
> service dog and attend training class. That said, what prompts a lot 
> of owner-training in the service dog world is the waiting list at 
> schools. It takes us a long time to find the right dog to match 
> someone's needs. Many people find it easier to owner-train. Many also 
> try it and come back for the wait when they find it's not as easy as 
> it
seems.
> 
> Hope that helps.
> 
> 
> Jenine Stanley
> jeninems at wowway.com
> http://www.twitter.com/jeninems
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy 
> Carcione
> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 10:49 AM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nagdu] Cost of a service dog
> 
> Marion's recent question about the cost of a service dog got me thinking. 
> It's my impression that many non-guide service dog training centers 
> charge a lot to their clients, like thousands of dollars.  When TSE 
> started out, they charged a fee that was substantial at the time, but 
> now is less than I've spent taking guests out to a nice dinner.  The 
> norm among guide dog schools is to charge nothing, or a nominal fee, 
> so much so that I hear people complain about TSE's fee.
> I wonder why other service dog training centers charge so much, while 
> those for guide dogs charge so little?  My first guess Is it's because 
> the guide dog schools are well-established charities, with sufficient 
> donations.  Or is it possible that blind people expect to get things 
> free, and other disabled people don't?
> The cost certainly explains the relative numbers of owner-trainers.  
> If I had to raise thousands every time I needed a new dog, it would 
> make owner-training a very attractive alternative.
> Anyway, just wondering, and not complaining.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> 
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