Are service dogs REALLY that expensive?

Many people's mouths just drop when I tell them Sybil cost $11,000. They don't understand how a dog can be so expensive, until you actually spell it all out.

I'll start by reminding you that Sammy is autistic, epileptic, intellectually disabled, and has a genetic abnormality as well as a brain malformation. Sybil is not a pet, she is a working dog that will be with us as long as we need her. Our goal is to be in a different place so that when she is ready to retire, we will be able to keep her as well as a new service dog.  But that is YEARS down the line.

Sybil will come to us at 14 months of age. Consider first that it means 14 months of boarding and vet care, including spaying. It also includes her flight from her breeder, Sandy with Sho-Me Labradors of St. James, Missouri to the trainer Jason at Canines 4 Hope in Palm City, Florida. We specifically looked for a Florida-based trainer because we didn't want to have to travel with Sammy (who shouldn't fly).  We also wanted someone close enough that was a day trip for us.

Sure you can rescue a dog from the shelter and train them commands, but truth is they still have an unknown history. Service dogs are chosen from puppyhood based on their nature and ability to follow commands. It also requires them to be able to ignore distractions from people (petting, calling, staring) or other animals (cats, dogs, squirrels).

Sybil will have had a few months of basic training with Sandy, including manners. She will soon be flying to Palm City to begin four full months of intense training with Jason.  We'll go and visit her for training. I'm actually grateful things were a bit delayed so we'll have some holiday breaks to go down and see her overnight.

Canines 4 Hope is at the lower end of cost. Many organizations require you (as the family) to fund-raise $14,000 or more and there's a serious wait list for those "free" dogs.

We have secured more than half of Sybil's cost via private donations and selling "A Friend For Sammy" bracelets which have been sent all over the country. We also secured two grants from epilepsy foundations.

Many organizations aren't equipped to dual train a dog for someone like Sammy. Some won't take children at all, and some have strict guidelines and deadlines for acceptance. I had a lot of friends helping research different places, but ultimately, I'd dig in and find something that bothered me in the FAQ or the actual application. Even today, I found an organization that states "XYZ maintains ownership of the dog"  I have a HUGE problem with that.

Jason understands what we go through as parents, he has a son with epilepsy as well. This was a huge factor in our decision. We were working with a PERSON, not an organization.

He also understood our timeline for Sammy. When we first met with Jason in June, I had already had four in-patient chemo sessions and Sammy had been hospitalized twice for uncontrolled seizures. Fund-raising in the traditional sense wasn't going to happen.

Yes, service dogs are really that expensive.  And given Sybil can do so many things for Sammy at home, school and out in public, I think she's worth it.

Introducing Sybil

This is Sybil.  She was born Christmas Day 2013. She is a service puppy to be. She's about 6 weeks old in this picture. 

Here is the first picture we actually saw of Sybil.  She's about 5 months old and being raised by Sandy at Sho-Me Labradors in St. James, MO.  We had met with our trainer (Jason Devito of Canines4Hope.com) for the first time in person and he wanted to show us a gallery of dogs available.  Sybil was the very first dog in the gallery and Sammy loved her. We weren't ready to select at that time. We hadn't even done a contract or made a payment.

We made our deposit of $1,000 thanks to many different donations, all private. We started selling bracelets as well. In August Jason called to see if we were ready to select. He sent us another gallery.  Amazingly, Sybil was still available and we knew she was the one. It kind of helped that she was born on Christmas.....we felt she was our Christmas miracle for Sammy.

In October, we had finally raised $2500 to purchase Sybil from Sandy. Sandy was able to take some updated pictures of Sybil.

Our yellow girl is now almost 10 months old. She will be taking her first (maybe only) plane ride soon as she travels from Missouri to Florida to begin her training. 

Sybil will be trained in Autism assistance and Epilepsy response. It's possible that over time, she may be able to detect Sammy's seizures ahead of time. We are NOT expecting her to do that. We are looking for her to help Sammy stay calm and for her to keep him safe in the event of a seizure.