Apply for a Service Dog
For Canadian Military and RCMP veterans and serving members in Atlantic Canada living with an Operational Stress Injury (OSI) or PTSD.
Applications are open. Start with our short online intake screening form. For questions about successor dogs or general inquiries, email info.pawsfurthought@gmail.com.
Who can apply
- Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP veterans and serving members
- Diagnosed with an Operational Stress Injury (OSI) or PTSD as a result of military or policing service
- Living in, or moving to, Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador)
Exceptions may be considered for successor dogs. Please email us to discuss.
How the process works
Screening form
Complete our short online intake screening form so we can check the basic criteria.
Hear back
If you meet the criteria, we'll contact you within a week to start the full application.
Application package
Send us your complete application package (see below). Once it's complete, you're placed on our wait list.
Train together
When funding and a dog are available, we'll arrange your placement class: 5 days of training with your new dog at CARES in Concordia, Kansas.
Your application package
A complete application package includes:
- A referral letter
- A requisition describing the specific tasks you need your service dog to perform
- Information about your living environment, such as your home, whether you own or rent, and your family
- Information about your health, such as your activity level and any other conditions (for example, mobility concerns or diabetes)
We'll explain each part when we contact you after your screening form.
How long it takes
The typical wait from a completed application to your placement class is about 18 months. It can be longer, because placements depend on funding and on dogs being available. We work hard to keep the wait list as short as possible.
The training trip
Training is mandatory for both new and successor dogs. New handlers travel together in small groups, usually three handlers, and a Paws Fur Thought volunteer travels with the group to make sure everything goes smoothly throughout the trip and the training week.
What's covered
- Covered: your service dog, your flights, and your accommodation in Concordia
- Organized for you: rental vehicles for the drive from the Wichita airport to Concordia, about 2 hours 15 minutes. We carpool whenever possible.
- Not covered: meals