The total cost to raise, train, and place one of our Hero Dogs with a veteran or first -responder is approximately $40,000, although there is no charge to the partner for either the dog or any associated training. If you would like to be involved in a puppy’s journey to becoming a service dog, please sponsor one of our Hero Dogs today. Your generosity will change the life of one of our nation’s heroes. If you are interested in becoming a Hero Dogs sponsor, please email hero@hero-dogs.org or call 1-888-570-8653.
Puppy Scholarship – $1,500
While Hero Dogs puppies live with puppy raisers, they attend weekly training classes together with our professional training staff. The puppies and their raisers also go on field trips accompanied by the trainers to work on their socialization, manners, and skills in public. A Puppy Scholarship helps offset the training costs (trainer hours, facility use, transportation, classroom supplies) during this critical period of the puppy’s learning and development.
Puppy Sponsor – $5,000
When you sponsor a puppy, you make a donation that covers the cost of purchasing the puppy (when applicable) and most of the puppy’s basic supplies and routine care (training costs for this period are covered by our Puppy Scholarship). Although this list is not exhaustive, these are the types of things that a Hero Dogs puppy needs and that your gift of sponsorship will help us pay for:
- crate, bed, mat, bowls, leash and collar(s)
- toys and chews
- grooming supplies
- Hero Dogs service dog vests
- specialized training equipment
- microchipping, licensing, and registration
- veterinary visits, vaccinations, and medications
- heartworm and flea/tick preventives
- spay or neuter surgery
- hip and elbow x-rays
- other health screenings
Team Sponsor
During the advanced training phase, we provide the dogs with room and board (including a staff member on site 24/7); food, medications, and supplies; routine and sick/emergency veterinary care; and daily private professional training as well as weekly group classes and training outings in the community. Training sponsors directly support these costs as well the intensive, one-on-one team training once the Hero Dog has been matched with a partner. Team training costs include:
- Creation of an individualized training plan and documentation for the team by the Program Director
- A minimum of 120 hours of private training, including the costs of trainer, assistant, and facility use
- Weekly field trips for training in public locations
- Food, supplies, veterinary care, and routine preventive medications for the dog during the training period and the six-month probationary period which follows certification
- Any specialized training equipment adapted for the partner’s needs
- Administration of the certification examination
- Six-month follow-up evaluation before ownership of the dog is transferred to the partner
Benefits to Sponsors
In return for your donation, you will receive recognition in our newsletter, on social media, and on the puppy’s personal home page, a link to the sponsor’s website (if applicable), a standing invitation to visit and observe the puppy/dog during any regularly scheduled training session, invitations to special Hero Dogs events, a certificate of appreciation, recognition at graduation, and a photograph of the graduating team.
Your gift, pooled with other support, will help us provide service dogs and other highly skilled canines to America’s heroes. Funds donated to a specific dog may be utilized to support general program needs.
Hero Dogs, Inc. is recognized as a tax exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Hero Dogs are deductible under section 170 of the Code. A copy of our current financial statement is available on request by contacting Hero Dogs, Inc. at P.O. Box 64, Brookeville, MD 20833-0064. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary of State for the cost of copying and postage.
