Yes! Family members are always encouraged to attend.
YES, Service Dogs For Veterans is a non-profit organization and a public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
The cost to train a service dog team is held as low as possible with a scholarship covering 98% of the program cost enabled through the generosity of our donors and support of our community.
SD4V’s program is provided for Veterans and active military regardless of the era in which served. Applicants must have a verified clinical diagnosis of PTSD, TBI, or MST to qualify for the program.
We are located in Greenville S.C. and currently serve Veterans in the the Upstate of South Carolina and Western North Carolina.
A detailed explanation of the program can be found under the <a href="https://www.sd4v.org/veteran-info#application-request">Veteran Information</a> page. Veteran contact form can be found under Contact Us page. Intake paper work will be sent to the email address provided in the contact form submitted by the Veteran.
Apply immediately and start the process within a week of applying and classes start monthly.
Yes! The Veteran’s dog will be considered. This will be discussed during the intake process. We provide a complete wellness check-up by our veterinarian.
The Veteran will attend a weekly one-hour evening group class. Family members are welcomed to attend as well. The Veteran will keep a daily training log. Companion Dog program is a duration of three months. The Service Program is an additional five months, for a total of an eight month program.
Our goal is to use 100% shelter and rescued dogs from North and South Carolina. Dogs are selected and vetted based on the individual training needs and lifestyle requirements of the Veteran. We provide a complete wellness check-up by our veterinarian.
A total of eight months. The Companion Dog program is a duration of three months and the Service Program is an additional five months.
We currently have two types of Fosters- Social and Training: The Social Foster will receive the dog directly out of the shelter and socialize them in a home environment before being placed with a Training Foster. This time frame could be as little as a week or two, possibly longer depending on class space, the Veteran’s needs, and arranging a suitable Training Foster. The Training Foster will then foster the dog through their Beginner Obedience class. Typically a Training Foster will have the dog for 8 weeks, 6 of those in class.
Yes! You will work with him/her and any family members who attend the 6-week Beginner Obedience Class.
Everything - All food, supplies, and any medical care needed.
We currently have two types of Fosters- Social and Training: The Social Foster will receive the dog directly out of the shelter and socialize them in a home environment before being placed with a Training Foster. This time frame could be as little as a week or two, possibly longer depending on class space, the Veteran’s needs, and arranging a suitable Training Foster. The Training Foster will then foster the dog through their Beginner Obedience class. Typically a Training Foster will have the dog for 8 weeks, 6 of those in class. You will need to commit to a 1 hour per week training class to train the dog during which time you will train the dog and meet the Veteran paired with your dog.
NO, thanks to our generous sponsors and other donations, there is no cost associated with fostering a dog. All supplies are provided, including food.
6-8 weeks, with a 6 week basic obedience class for the dog.
95% of every dollar goes directly to cover program costs.
Yes, all donations are tax-deductible and a receipt will be provided for any donation over $200.
Yes, contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Donations may be mailed to: SD4V Training Center 109 Woodruff Industrial Lane Greenville, SC 29607
1-800-514-0301 (Voice) and 1-800-514-0383 (TTY) / M-W, F 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. , Th 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) to speak with an ADA Specialist. All Calls are confidential.
For more information about the ADA, please visit our website or call our toll-free number. To receive e-mail notifications when new ADA information is available, visit the ADA Website’s home page and click the link near the bottom of the right-hand column.
No. The Air Carrier Access Act is the Federal law that protects the rights of people with disabilities in air travel. For information or to file a complaint, contact the U.S. Department of Transportation, Aviation Consumer Protection Division, at +1 (202) 366-2220.
No. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is the Federal law that protects the rights of people with disabilities to participate in Federal programs and services. For information or to file a complaint, contact the agency’s equal opportunity office.
The ADA applies to housing programs administered by state and local governments, such as public housing authorities, and by places of public accommodation, such as public and private universities. In addition, the Fair Housing Act applies to virtually all types of housing, both public and privately-owned, including housing covered by the ADA. Under the Fair Housing Act, housing providers are obligated to permit, as a reasonable accommodation, the use of animals that work, provide assistance, or perform tasks that benefit persons with a disabilities, or provide emotional support to alleviate a symptom or effect of a disability. For information about these Fair Housing Act requirements see HUD’s Notice on Service Animals and Assistance Animals for People with Disabilities in Housing and HUD-funded Programs.
No. Religious institutions and organizations are specifically exempt from the ADA. However, there may be State laws that apply to religious organizations.
No. The ADA does not override public health rules that prohibit dogs in swimming pools. However, service animals must be allowed on the pool deck and in other areas where the public is allowed to go.
No. Seating, food, and drink are provided for customer use only. The ADA gives a person with a disability the right to be accompanied by his or her service animal, but covered entities are not required to allow an animal to sit or be fed at the table.
Generally, the dog must stay on the floor, or the person must carry the dog. For example, if a person with diabetes has a glucose alert dog, he may carry the dog in a chest pack so it can be close to his face to allow the dog to smell his breath to alert him of a change in glucose levels.
Individuals who believe that they have been illegally denied access or service because they use service animals may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice. Individuals also have the right to file a private lawsuit in Federal court charging the entity with discrimination under the ADA.
No, the dog must be under the handler’s control at all times.
If a service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, staff may request that the animal be removed from the premises.
The ADA requires that service animals be under the control of the handler at all times. In most instances, the handler will be the individual with a disability or a third party who accompanies the individual with a disability. In the school (K-12) context and in similar settings, the school or similar entity may need to provide some assistance to enable a particular student to handle his or her service animal. The service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair may use a long, retractable leash to allow her service animal to pick up or retrieve items. She may not allow the dog to wander away from her and must maintain control of the dog, even if it is retrieving an item at a distance from her. Or, a returning veteran who has PTSD and has great difficulty entering unfamiliar spaces may have a dog that is trained to enter a space, check to see that no threats are there, and come back and signal that it is safe to enter. The dog must be off leash to do its job, but may be leashed at other times. Under control also means that a service animal should not be allowed to bark repeatedly in a lecture hall, theater, library, or other quiet place. However, if a dog barks just once, or barks because someone has provoked it, this would not mean that the dog is out of control.
In most settings, the presence of a service animal will not result in a fundamental alteration. However, there are some exceptions. For example, at a boarding school, service animals could be restricted from a specific area of a dormitory reserved specifically for students with allergies to dog dander. At a zoo, service animals can be restricted from areas where the animals on display are the natural prey or natural predators of dogs, where the presence of a dog would be disruptive, causing the displayed animals to behave aggressively or become agitated. They cannot be restricted from other areas of the zoo.
The ADA does not require covered entities to modify policies, practices, or procedures if it would “fundamentally alter” the nature of the goods, services, programs, or activities provided to the public. Nor does it overrule legitimate safety requirements. If admitting service animals would fundamentally alter the nature of a service or program, service animals may be prohibited. In addition, if a particular service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, or if it is not housebroken, that animal may be excluded.
No. Municipalities that prohibit specific breeds of dogs must make an exception for a service animal of a prohibited breed, unless the dog poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. Under the “direct threat” provisions of the ADA, local jurisdictions need to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether a particular service animal can be excluded based on that particular animal’s actual behavior or history, but they may not exclude a service animal because of fears or generalizations about how an animal or breed might behave. It is important to note that breed restrictions differ significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In fact, some jurisdictions have no breed restrictions.
No. A service animal may not be excluded based on assumptions or stereotypes about the animal’s breed or how the animal might behave. However, if a particular service animal behaves in a way that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, has a history of such behavior, or is not under the control of the handler, that animal may be excluded. If an animal is excluded for such reasons, staff must still offer their goods or services to the person without the animal present.
Yes. The ADA does not restrict the type of dog breeds that can be service animals.
Yes. Colleges and other entities, such as local governments, may offer voluntary registries. Many communities maintain a voluntary registry that serves a public purpose, for example, to ensure that emergency staff know to look for service animals during an emergency evacuation process. Some offer a benefit, such as a reduced dog license fee, for individuals who register their service animals. Registries for purposes like this are permitted under the ADA. An entity may not, however, require that a dog be registered as a service animal as a condition of being permitted in public places. This would be a violation of the ADA.
No. Mandatory registration of service animals is not permissible under the ADA. However, service animals are subject to the same licensing and vaccination rules that are applied to all dogs.
Yes. Service animals are subject to local dog licensing and registration requirements.
Yes. Individuals who have service animals are not exempt from local animal control or public health requirements.
No. Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry. However, there are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.
Generally, yes. However, if the space in the ambulance is crowded and the dog’s presence would interfere with the emergency medical staff’s ability to treat the patient, staff should make other arrangements to have the dog transported to the hospital.
Generally, yes. Service animals must be allowed in patient rooms and anywhere else in the hospital the public and patients are allowed to go. They cannot be excluded on the grounds that staff can provide the same services. What happens if a patient who uses a service animal is admitted to the hospital and is unable to care for or supervise their animal? If the patient is not able to care for the service animal, the patient can make arrangements for a family member or friend to come to the hospital to provide these services, as it is always preferable that the service animal and its handler not be separated, or to keep the dog during the hospitalization. If the patient is unable to care for the dog and is unable to arrange for someone else to care for the dog, the hospital may place the dog in a boarding facility until the patient is released, or make other appropriate arrangements. However, the hospital must give the patient the opportunity to make arrangements for the dog’s care before taking such steps.
Generally, yes. Some people with disabilities may use more than one service animal to perform different tasks. For example, a person who has a visual disability and a seizure disorder may use one service animal to assist with way-finding and another that is trained as a seizure alert dog. Other people may need two service animals for the same task, such as a person who needs two dogs to assist him or her with stability when walking. Staff may ask the two permissible questions about each of the dogs. If both dogs can be accommodated, both should be allowed in. In some circumstances, however, it may not be possible to accommodate more than one service animal. For example, in a crowded small restaurant, only one dog may be able to fit under the table. The only other place for the second dog would be in the aisle, which would block the space between tables. In this case, staff may request that one of the dogs be left outside.
No. Hotels are not permitted to charge guests for cleaning the hair or dander shed by a service animal. However, if a guest’s service animal causes damages to a guest room, a hotel is permitted to charge the same fee for damages as charged to other guests.
No. A guest with a disability who uses a service animal must be provided the same opportunity to reserve any available room at the hotel as other guests without disabilities. They may not be restricted to “pet-friendly” rooms.
Yes. Service animals must be allowed to accompany their handlers to and through self-service food lines. Similarly, service animals may not be prohibited from communal food preparation areas, such as are commonly found in shelters or dormitories.
The handler is responsible for caring for and supervising the service animal, which includes toileting, feeding, and grooming and veterinary care. Covered entities are not obligated to supervise or otherwise care for a service animal.
No. The ADA does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag, or specific harness.
In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.
No. Under the ADA, the dog must already be trained before it can be taken into public places. However, some State or local laws cover animals that are still in training. South Carolina is one of those states.
No. People with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service dog training program.
It depends. The ADA makes a distinction between psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals. If the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a service animal. However, if the dog’s mere presence provides comfort, that would not be considered a service animal under the ADA.
No. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. However, some State or local governments have laws that allow people to take emotional support animals into public places. You may check with your State and local government agencies to find out about these laws.
The dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability. For example, a person with diabetes may have a dog that is trained to alert him when his blood sugar reaches high or low levels. A person with depression may have a dog that is trained to remind her to take her medication. Or, a person who has epilepsy may have a dog that is trained to detect the onset of a seizure and then help the person remain safe during the seizure.
Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
The entirety of the code regarding animals in public places is provided, as follows. Please pay strict attention to Sec 4.9.d as this is the line exempting Service Dogs from the code. Sec. 4-9. – Prohibitions and restrictions of animals in public places. (a) No owner, keeper or other person having control or supervision of an animal shall permit an animal, whether restrained or not, to be in an area in which a special event is being held pursuant to a special event permit issued under this Code, unless the event permit specifically authorizes the presence of animals. (b) Any owner, keeper or other person having control or supervision of an animal must remove promptly all feces left by the animal upon any place where people congregate or walk upon, including, but not limited to, any street, sidewalk, plaza, public park, playground or upon any public property whatsoever within the city.(c) No owner, keeper or person having control or supervision of an animal, shall permit the animal, whether restrained or not, to walk, run or stand on the premises of a cemetery.(d) This section shall not apply to a guide, hearing or service dog or other dog which has been trained to accompany a person with a disability while being accompanied by a disabled person or to any dog or horse in the custody or control of a law enforcement officer while the officer is in the performance of official duties. Nor shall it apply to an animal which remains, at all times, within the confines of a motor vehicle.(Code 1997, § 4-9; Ord. No. 98-39, § 1, 6-8-1998; Ord. No. 2005-87, exh., 10-10-2005; Ord. No. 2009-92, exh., 11-23-2009)
