The Application Process

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

We will work with your rehabilitation specialist to determine if you meet the Foundation’s requirements for using a service dog. The VetDogs program accepts VA medical and other supporting records.

If you have met our criteria, and decided a service 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 rehabilitation specialist 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 travel issues, the areas where they live and work, and for what they need a dog. (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, the information is sent to the training staff so they can determine an appropriate dog for that person and begin training it for that person’s special needs. When the right dog is trained, the applicant is scheduled for an upcoming class.

If the applicant is not accepted, and we cannot provide a service dog for them at this point (i.e., the applicant is not in good health), 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 service 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.