AD4A's Challenge: An Outdated Business Model
Despite the growing number of charitable organizations training service dogs, the demand far outweighs the supply. This means longer waiting lists and increasingly restrictive eligibility criteria to qualify for a certified Assistance, Therapy, Veteran, or Psychiatric Service dog. Assistance Dogs For All (AD4A) has analyzed the business model for service dog organizations and identified the limiting factors that create this situation:
In order to mitigate these limiting factors and make more service dogs available for more people, we created a new business model. Currently, Assistance Dogs For All is one of very few organizations in the nation offering trained Assistance, Service, and Veteran Dogs for those who do not meet the stringent eligibility criteria of the non-profit organizations.
Due to this difference in ideology, AD4A chose not to be certified by Assistance Dogs International (ADI). Instead, AD4A's trainers are certified by the International Society of Canine Trainers and Assessors (ISCTA), an organization that does not limit itself to service dogs, but works with all breeds and mixes.
- Not-for-Profit Business Model
- In-house Breeding Concept
- Pre-Defined Breed and Temperament Selection Requirements
- Unyielding Certification Tests which do not allow for the specific needs of the client or the traits of the dog
In order to mitigate these limiting factors and make more service dogs available for more people, we created a new business model. Currently, Assistance Dogs For All is one of very few organizations in the nation offering trained Assistance, Service, and Veteran Dogs for those who do not meet the stringent eligibility criteria of the non-profit organizations.
Due to this difference in ideology, AD4A chose not to be certified by Assistance Dogs International (ADI). Instead, AD4A's trainers are certified by the International Society of Canine Trainers and Assessors (ISCTA), an organization that does not limit itself to service dogs, but works with all breeds and mixes.
A NEW Business Model for Service Dog Training:
Less expense in obtaining/training dogs means more dogs available to more people, sooner!
Assistance Dogs For All keeps costs down by:
- Rejecting the notion that "one breed fits all": AD4A believes that Labrador Retrievers are not the only breed capable of outstanding performance as service/assistance dogs, and that organizational reliance on one or two breeds unduly limits patients' choice and preferences. Special considerations such as activity levels, size limitations, shedding preferences and allergenic properties cannot be taken into account if there are only a few breeds to choose from. It is intuitively more productive and beneficial to all concerned to identify a patient's specific needs and find a dog that fits them, yet the largest service dog organizations in the world continue to utilize only a few breeds.
- Rejecting the concept of an in-house breeding program as the only source of qualified service dog candidates -- breeding and raising dogs is expensive and getting more so everyday. There are many good dogs already out there; all we need to do is find them. Less time and money spent on in-house breeding, training and evaluation programs means more time to spend on finding the ideal temperament dog for a specific client's needs then training and integrating that dog with that handler faster. Not raising a dog from a puppy requires identifying well-socialized canine candidates, but it also means less volunteers' time, and significantly less costs required to raise candidates to a year old.
- Rejecting the concept of a Not-for-Profit organization -- the requirements imposed at the federal level on not-for-profit organizations mandate an enormous expenditure in resources and time, thus ensuring that large budgets, a volunteer staff, and huge fund-raising efforts are required to operate. This is counter-intuitive if the objective is more dogs to help more people. Spending less efforts on fund-raising means more effort can be spent on finding the right dog, training it, and moving it into its service position.
- Utilizing the client's dog whenever possible.
- Training the client to train their own dog whenever possible.
- Leaving fund-raising to the client (guidance is provided).
AD4A believes it shouldn't be so hard to get a certified Service, Veteran, or Assistance Dog, and requires only a referral from a medical or mental health professional and a home visit to qualify.
~~~ Keeping costs down means more dogs available for more people who need them ~~~
