Most Assistance Dog Programs refuse to work with special needs children, anyone under the age of 18. Those training & placement organizations are solely for adults. Even for organizations willing to work with children, the cost of a professionally trained dog is expensive (can be up to $15,000) and sometimes the waiting list is as much as 7 years. Do investigate all the programs available to you before choosing one. And consider your family's willingness to commit to having an extra lifetime member of the family. Who sheds. And is large. And needs walks and exercise.




One of the programs that works with children is ARFkids, a 301C (charitable) organization specifically created to address the training assistance needs of the families of Special Needs Children. PetCo (http://www.PetCo.com) is their largest corporate supporter.


ARFkids Mission
To help children nationwide....


By providing a Pet Assisted Therapy or Service Dog Candidate Puppy to Special Needs children, ages 8-18, that will be specifically trained by the recipient family, with assistance from ARFkids, to aid in the improvement of the quality of life of the child. This makes obtaining an Assistance or Service dog affordable.
http://www.ARFkids.org

DO NOTE that with ARFkids.org THE TRAINING IS DONE BY THE FAMILY with this type of program, so you, too, will be trained by trained volunteers and you will have the support and advice of an online group. This is what makes the program affordable.




Details of the ARFkids.org Pet Assisted Therapy and Service Dog Program



Each specially selected ARFkids Pet Assisted Therapy or Service Dog Candidate Puppy has been temperament and trainability tested and designated as a candidate for the ARFkids In-Home Training Program. The Pet Assisted Therapy or Service Dog Candidate puppy will be trained by the recipient family with assistance from volunteer ARFkids Training Partners and through an Online support group made up of trainers and ARFkids families.

Pet Assisted Therapy and Service Dog Candidate puppies are donated to ARFkids by Rin Tin Tin incorporated. The puppies, from the authentic and well known Rin Tin Tin bloodline, are sound in both mind and body capable of serving your child for many years.

ARFkids pioneered an In-Home Training Program to allow families to actively participate in the training of the Pet Assisted Therapy or Service Dog for their child. This concept ensures a strong life-long and consistent bond between the dog and the family and significantly reduces the costs associated with securing a working dog.
The ARFkids Pet Assisted Therapy or Service Dog Candidate is placed with the family at age 8 weeks following a series of extensive Trainability/Temperament Testing.

ARFkids is staffed by volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts toward the successful placement and training of ARFkids Pet Assisted Therapy and Service Dog candidates to assist children ages 8-18 in achieving as much independence as possible in their daily lives.

ARFkids goal is to negate the extraordinarily long waiting lists and exorbitant costs of some Pet Assisted Therapy and Service Dog organizations and provide dogs to children as early as possible at an affordable cost to families. Some organizations pose waiting lists of up to 7 years and charge fees in excess of $15,000.

ARFkids waiting list is about a year. The donation required for a Pet Assisted Therapy Dog candidate puppy is $1,000 and $2,500 for a Service Dog candidate puppy, plus a $25 non-refundable application donation.

Applicant families are urged to seriously consider the very time consuming and daily training schedule associated with participating in the ARFkids In-Home Training prior to making application.