The Application Process

The admissions process starts when a prospective applicant contacts us and indicates they are interested in obtaining a guide dog. Joe Link is our national outreach coordinator for the VetDogs program, himself a veteran and graduate of the Foundation’s program. He will be available to speak with prospective applicants to discuss what it’s like to use a guide dog and answer any questions about the VetDogs project.

We will work with your VIST coordinator to determine if you meet the Foundation’s requirements for using a guide dog (i.e., legally blind, have completed Orientation and Mobility training, etc.). The VetDogs program accepts VA medical and other supporting records.

If you have met our criteria, and decided a guide dog may be the right choice for you, an application packet is mailed out. You will also have the choice to apply online. If you’re still not sure if a dog is right for you, contact Joe Link or your VIST coordinator to go over your concerns.

Once an individual begins sending in the pieces of the application, his file is considered “active.” The applicant will receive regular written notification from the Foundation, indicating the materials we received and those that are still missing (i.e., reference letters, medical form, etc.). The applicant will continue to receive these letters from us until the Consumer Services department has received everything it needs.

While the materials are coming in, a staff member contacts each applicant to arrange an interview. For applicants living in the Long Island area, it most probably will be an in-person interview in the applicant’s home. For out-of-area applicants we cannot see personally, a telephone interview is arranged. For these out-of-area individuals, we also request a 10-minute video, to give us a glimpse of their O&M skills as well as the areas where they live and work. (These are informal videos, usually done with a simple camcorder. Click here for our video assessment guidelines.) These interviews help us better understand the applicant’s needs—vital information for the matching process.

Once an applicant’s folder is complete, and the interview has been conducted, the information is presented to the Student Selection Committee. The committee reviews the information and determines if we can meet the applicant’s needs. If the applicant is accepted, a formal letter is mailed. The information in their folder then is passed along to the training staff so they can determine an appropriate dog for that person. When the right dog is found, the applicant is scheduled for an upcoming class.

If the applicant is not accepted, and we cannot provide a guide dog for them at this point (i.e., the applicant is not in good health, they do not have sufficient orientation skills), we will explain why their application was denied. The next step for that applicant varies case by case. Some are encouraged to apply again when their situation has resolved. For others, perhaps those for whom a guide dog is not the right option (for example, someone who wants a dog just for companionship), we provide them with suggestions for another mobility aid or specialized program at another organization.