Apply | Saint Francis Service Dogs

Saint Francis Service Dogs raises, trains, and places service dogs and facility dogs in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the area within a three hour driving radius of our facility at 8232 Enon Drive, Roanoke, VA 24019, at the time of application and final adoption. Learn more about our services.

If you have questions regarding your ability to utilize a service dog, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@saintfrancisdogs.org or 540-342-3647.

Whether you are interested in a service dog or a facility dog, there is a screening process to be sure that Saint Francis can provide you with a dog that fits your needs and that you can provide a safe, healthy, loving, and nurturing home for a dog. Find out more about what to expect from the process here.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A SAINT FRANCIS SERVICE or FACILITY DOG, THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET

  • Applicant/Facility must reside in the Commonwealth of Virginia and/or in the area within a 3 hour drive of our facility at the time of application and final placement. The immediate family of the applicant must agree to this placement and to the conditions surrounding this request.
  • Service Dog Applicants must have a fenced in yard with minimum dimensions of 36’ x 12’ x 4’.
  • Applicant’s home must be a safe, healthy and loving environment for a dog to live in.
  • Applicant must demonstrate ability to provide for dog’s care monetarily, including feeding high quality dog food, providing for regular check-ups, purchase of flea and tick control, heartworm preventative and any other medications, treatments or surgeries that may be needed.
  • Applicant must demonstrate ability to provide for dog’s health needs, including regular exercise, feeding, check-ups, immunizations, flea and tick control and heartworm preventative.
  • Service Dog Applicants may not have a pet dog in the home, unless an exception is made due to age or sickness of the pet dog. This guideline does not apply to service dogs already in the home.
  • Applicant must show ability and willingness to keep the dog under control at all times.
  • Applicant must show ability and willingness to travel to Roanoke for screening, classes, interviews, 5-day training and regularly scheduled certification and recertification tests.
  • Applicant must be able to pay for all travel expenses, including overnight stays during 5-day training (this includes in-town applicants).
  • Applicant can interact with the dog and provide for the dog’s emotional, physical and financial needs.
  • Applicant desires independent living and/or an improvement in the quality of his/her life through the use of a Saint Francis Service Dog OR to utilize a Saint Francis Facility Dog to enhance the programs at their healthcare/education/or courtroom facility.
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