Founded in 2004, Brigadoon addresses the great need for assistance dogs in the Pacific Northwest by creating and supporting world-class service dog teams. Fully accredited in 2012 by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), we operate in accordance with ADI’s highest standards of excellence for the global assistance dog industry.
Our shared passion for service dogs and the assistance they provide is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. Through an intentional and ... Read More
Founded in 2004, Brigadoon addresses the great need for assistance dogs in the Pacific Northwest by creating and supporting world-class service dog teams. Fully accredited in 2012 by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), we operate in accordance with ADI’s highest standards of excellence for the global assistance dog industry.
Our shared passion for service dogs and the assistance they provide is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. Through an intentional and compassionate approach to animal assisted interventions (AAI), our focus is on harnessing the therapeutic potential and healing qualities of each match. Our use of positive reinforcement and force-free training methods maximizes the success and welfare of the dogs in our care.
The demand for a well-trained service dog far exceeds the industry’s ability to provide them. The collective capacity of the two internationally recognized coalitions dedicated to producing only the highest quality trained assistance dogs, Assistance Dogs International and International Guide Dog Foundation, cannot keep up with the ever-growing requirement for service dogs. While demand has certainly increased with the broadening acceptance and recognition of invisible disabilities, that is not all that hinders capacity from meeting the need.
The reality of what is required to create a safe and effective service dog team can be daunting. It takes approximately two years and more than $40,000 to raise and train a service dog to the point they are ready for placement with a client. Costs include those that any business owner would experience like rent, utilities, insurance, etc., but also routine and specialist veterinary care, food, treats, collars, leashes, kennels, specialized transportation, kennel operations, and most importantly the labor and professional development of those supporting and training the dogs. Those qualified and experienced enough to train dogs of this caliber are hard to come by and in high demand.
As one of the very few ADI-accredited organizations in WA state, we are contacted daily by those in search of a service dog. We have to grow the capacity of our organization to help meet that demand, and our goal is to never ask any client to pay for the service dog they so need.
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