Social Dogs

Social Dogs are trained to assist children and adults who can benefit from the therapeutic value of a dog, but are not able to assume total responsibility for its care and training. A third party facilitator (parent, guardian or PCA) will help wit the dog's daily needs and learn to assist in public situations. The third party facilitator must accompany the social dog recipient for the training period at NEADS. Social dogs may also be trained to assist a therapist or counselor in settings such as nursing homes, halfway houses and psychotherapy centers. Those who are eligible to receive a social dog must spend five to seven days at the NEADS campus in Princeton, MA learning how to work as a team with their new dog. Other students will be in your training class and be in residence in this totally accessible facility.

You will need to pay a fee before you will be matched with a dog. This money may be fund raised, or someone can sponsor you for that amount. Please see our funding page for information about the cost of funding your dog.

Individuals seeking to obtain an Assistance Dog will complete and submit an application to NEADS. The application process is as follows:

Fill out the application form. You may fill out this application on-line and submit it to us by clicking on the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the application.

We will e-mail a confirmation as soon as we receive your completed application. Our appointment secretary will then contact you to set up a personal interview at our Princeton, MA office. If travel to Princeton is a problem, please contact us to discuss alternative arrangements.

After your interview, we will let you know if we think we can train a dog to help you. We will also let you know what the wait time is at that point. Presently there is a three to six month waiting period for most applicants.

If you are accepted as a future client, we will notify you and place your name on our waiting list for an assistance dog. When we think we have a dog in training that would be a good "match" for you, we will alert you and provide possible training dates.

To graduate with an Assistance Dog, you will stay at our Princeton training campus for a two week training course with your Assistance Dog. Travel to and from the campus, along with meals during your stay are your responsibility. You MUST complete this training program successfully in order to receive your Assistance Dog. A graduation ceremony completes the training process. Friends and relatives may attend the happy occasion. Graduation ceremonies are open to the public.

When you receive your dog, there will be a $1000 charge for which you are responsible. Arrangements can be made for time payments. While this is not the total cost of the dog, this amount is what you need to provide and we will help you in fund raising the remainder. We will keep you constantly informed of the balance.

Again, thank you for your interest in obtaining a NEADS dog. If you have any further questions please contact our appointment secretary at (978) 422-9064, or by e-mail at info@neads.org.