Paws to Consider

By Barbara Bronson Gray, RN, MN

If you’ve ever thought you could use a little extra help from a full-time friend with a great sense of humor and a lot of energy, a service dog may be a good option.

Service dogs are specifically trained to help people who have physical disabilities and other impairments. These canines can provide physical assistance and security, and even help pick-up dropped items, open and close doors, and turn lights on and off. But most of all they provide constant love and companionship.

Before deciding to get a service dog, talk with your physician about whether the prospect makes sense for your situation. Also discuss the concept with your family and caregivers to get their support and buy-in about the idea.

Know that the rate of progression of your disease may make it more difficult for you to obtain a service dog. It can sometimes take up to two years after you request a service dog for one to become available.

So if you’re newly-diagnosed with ALS, you may want to consider applying for a service dog sooner rather than later, experts say.

It takes some time and energy to build a relationship with the dog. And every change you experience with ALS will also be something to which the service dog will have to adapt. For example, if you move from a walker to a wheel chair, the dog will have to understand and adjust.

Service dogs have full public access rights as granted by federal law; they can go everywhere you go.

Some agencies provide service dogs to qualified applicants at no cost, while others charge on a sliding scale based on your economic resources, from $1,000 to $3,000 or more, due to the training and care involved in preparing the animal for the role.

Several service dog organizations will place trained and capable canines with people who have ALS:

• Canine Partners for Life: For more than 20 years, Canine Partners for Life (CPL) has been dedicated to training service dogs, home companion dogs, and residential companion dogs to assist people with a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities. CPL uses a sliding scale based on income to determine the requested donation for each recipient, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000. No one is denied a canine partner because of their inability to donate the suggested amount, CPL says.
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• Paws with a Cause: For people with physical disabilities affecting one or more limbs. Their service dogs can pull a wheelchair, open doors, turn light switches on and off and pick up objects as small as a dime. They are trained in assisting people with ALS and are available at no cost to the client. However, it can take up to 24 months for a dog to become available.
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• Canine Assistants:  Applications can be downloaded through the website on the “Applying for a Canine Assistants” dog page. Once received, you will be contacted within three months to discuss the application. Getting a service dog can take one to two years. The waiting list is needs-based; those with the greatest need go to the top of the list. Each applicant is evaluated based on how much a dog could do to help him or her physically, emotionally and socially. They encourage those who need them to apply in spite of their long waiting list.
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• Guardian Angels: Created for the charitable purpose of rescuing, raising, training and then donating medical service/assistance dogs to mentally and/or physically impaired individuals to provide assistance, independence and improve the quality of life of both the recipient and the dog.