Helping Service Animals

[talon]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/07/national/main6371231.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.3

As a service animal handler, I know our service animals require special diets that often cost more than pet food. That said, they are still animals and therefore do not qualify for food stamps.

Several years ago, I tried to get a Mardi Gras Krewe going that would spend the year advocating for service animals - getting more attention for them, assisting people who needed them to get one, empowering owner-training where possible (not all disabled people have the physical ability to train a service animal or to maintain or upgrade that training), and assisting in medical care for them. I never once thought about feeding them, even though I order Itzl's special food online and supplement it with a few special people foods. A lot of the more physical service animals, especially the ones for the mobility impaired, require supplements to maintain their health and strength and those supplements aren't cheap.

The Mardi Gras Krewe never got off the ground - mostly because I live in Oklahoma and Oklahoma just doesn't do Mardi Gras.

I still want to do something like this - part of the reason Itzl has a FaceBook account is to show what it's like to be a service animal and to live with a service animal.

Training for a service animal is an ongoing thing. They can't be trained and then expected to execute that training like a robot for the rest of their life. They have lapses, they forget lessons, they have "off" days, they get sick, they get hurt, their handler's needs change and so their skill set has to change to accommodate that. Itzl learns new sounds to alert on every year. Since I'm rather active and travel a lot, he has to learn a number of sounds he only encounters under special circumstances (light saber battles in hotel hallways, for instance, or lots of golf carts at MedFair) and he often needs a refresher on those sounds before the events. When we encounter totally new sounds, I often have to rely on the people around me to identify the "new sound" Itzl is alerting on and then teach him what the sound is and whether he needs to alert on it or not.

I know from first hand experience just how important a service animal is - and how attached we become to our service animals. I can all too vividly imagine how nerve-wracking and upsetting it is to be unable to provide the basics for our service animals: food, vitamins, vet care, let alone all the things I consider essential: booties for protecting their feet because service animals often have to accompany their handlers in all weathers and conditions, coats for the same reason, harnesses, leashes, portable food and water dishes because service animals are on special diets ad can't eat just anything, goggles to protect their eyes, hearing protectors to protect their ears - and these things wear out and need replacing.

Outfitting a service dog (for example) with all I consider essential costs:
vest - $50.00 - $100 (a minimum of 2 - needs replacing every 2 years)
patches for vest - between $8.00 and $25.00 (needs 4, usually can be transferred to new vest several times, so may last 8-10 years)
bandanas - $12-$15 each (a minimum of 4, for laundering and keeping stashed at work and in the car as well as the one the dog is using, and replacement every 2 years)
Mobility harness - these are custom made and usually cost between $150-$300 and it needs replacing every year, may need more than one
ID tag - $15.00
Collar - $15.00 - needs replacing every year
Leash - $25.00 - $50.00 - needs replacing every 3-4 years, may need more than one
Hands-free leash - $30.00 (may need several, needs replacing every 2-3 years, may need more than one)
First Aid Kit - $150.00 - refills as needed
Paw cream - $12.00 - I use 2 -3 tubes a year, larger dogs will need more
Tugs and pull trainers - $15.00 each - needs depend on disability - I don't need any
Tote for dog's supplies - $20.00
Car seat or harness for dog - $20.00 - $100.00 (lasts the life of the animal unless in an accident)
Photo ID card - $30.00
Dog back packs (for those who need them) - $30 - $100 (replace every 2-3 years)
Car decal - $7.00 - $30.00 (one per vehicle animal common rides in)
Dog weight training tools - $3.00- $100.00
Snow and Ice Booties - $100.00 a quad (needs replacing every 2-3 years, may need 2 or 3 quads if in a heavy snow area)
Hot Pavement Booties - $40 a quad (needs replacing yearly)
Snow goggles - $20.00
Towel - $5.00 (may need several to dry dog off in rain or wipe muddy paws before entering businesses)
Service Dog License Plate - $20.00 (not necessary but often gets you better parking at the vet's office)
Hanging Car Tag - $20.00 (not necessary, either, but can help get better parking - hangs from rear view mirror)
On Site Sign - $20.00 (useful to put on your office door or window to alert visitors there's a service animal inside)
Dog diapers/potty pads - essential when you can't take your service dog outside for potty times - $50.00 a month
Advantage/Front Line - $150.00 - $200 a year
Pooper Scooper - $15.00 (may be unneeded for dogs on restricted and controlled diets)
Grooming brush - $10.00
Groomer visits for nail trims, toothbrushing, shampoo - $60.00 a month - $100.00 a month
Training toys - $100.00
Packs of ADA cards - $12.00 (essential to give business owners who try to prevent you from entering with your service animal)
Hearing protector - $60.00
Mesh Eye protectors - $10.00
Sun goggles - $15.00
Hotel Door Hanger - $5.00
Snap on halter handle - $30.00-$90.00
Dog Collar Pouch - $15.00
Girth Protectors - $30.00 (replace yearly)
Reflectors and clip on LED lights - $25.00 (replace as needed)
Wrist clicker - $10.00
Collapsible water bowl and food bowl - $10.00 - $20.00
Travel bed - $20.00 - $60.00 (replace every 2 - 3 years)
Cooling Mat - $80.00 (replace every 2 - 3 years)
Vet bills - $200.00 (as long as the dog is healthy and only needs check-ups and vaccinations)
Training - varies
Food - $35.00 - $40.00 a month
Dog health insurance - $10.00 - $60.00 a month

Most service animals that are trained by special agencies come with a beginner's pack of supplies: harness, leash, bandana, ID card, tag, and may also come with toothbrush, shampoo, nail clippers, food and water dish, a week's worth of food, and a tote bag.

If the dog is owner-trained, it usually comes with nothing. So, that first year will cost about $2,000. Over the course of the dog's service life (on average 8-10 years and excluding training refresher, vet bills, and food), it will cost another $17,000 if the dog is hard on its supplies.

There is insurance available for service dogs that costs $10.00 a month that covers routine care and vaccinations, and if the handler adds emergency care, that's another $40.00+ a month. If the handler carries dog health insurance, then add another $6,000.00 for the working life of the dog. Trainers also vary widely in price and need, so no predicting that. Food varies according to the size of the dog, but expect it to cost about $5,000.00 over the working life of the dog.

Over the life of a working dog, s/he will cost about $25,000.00 - $30,000.00 in supplies, leashes, harnesses, preventive care, grooming, vet care, travel essentials, training tools, working tools, and food.

That doesn't include the cost of acquiring a service dog. Most places provide the trained dog either free or at low cost to the disabled, but it still costs on average about $20,000.00 - $40,000.00 to train up a dog for service use.

Obviously, if you travel and stay in hotels a lot, as I do, your travel supply needs will be higher. If you have a mobility dog, you'll need more leashes, tugs, pulls, harnesses, and so on. This is just a ballpark figure on what it costs to have a service dog.

When a disabled person gets into financial trouble, the last thing they want to do is short their service animal. Many are living on just a disability check and can't afford to keep their service dog as well as they'd like.

I think we need to do something about this. Provide a pool of gently used supplies that can be passed on to service animal owners in need is one thing someone could do. Another would be to start a Service Animal Food Stamp Program for service animals. Maybe a Sponsor a Service Animal program that helps people on low incomes who have service animals take care of those animals. (Don't go telling me people on low incomes don't need a service animal - they already have a disability, and low income, they need that animal more than anyone else to help them .) Definitely make the public more aware of the varieties of service animals out there.

There's been a lot of articles lately on service monkeys at airports. Truth is, people disabled enough to need a service monkey generally don't travel by air and don't travel far by other means. But dogs and monkeys aren't the only service animals out there. Cats (not big travelers), ferrets, parrots, and ponies also serve disabled people. We need to get service animals out in the public eye much more, raise awareness of them, and end access discrimination.

We also need to provide toileting facilities for service animals. Human toilets just plain don't work. Most hotels in large cities lack decent toileting places for service animals. For me, it's not a problem. Itzl is small enough to keep using disposable potty pads. It's not very "green", but it is very handy. I've heard of a few hotels that have built grassy dog walks that are wheelchair accessible where the dogs can be toileted without hunting for miles in strange cities for a suitable place.