How Much Does a Psychiatric Service Dog Cost?

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If you’ve been struggling with a mental health illness, then you may have heard about Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSD). These are service dogs specifically trained to help those suffering from psychological rather than physical ailments. Unfortunately, just like other service dogs, they can cost a pretty penny.

In some cases, you may be able to benefit from an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) instead. These animals won’t break the bank and can still be helpful to those struggling with their mental health. We’ll be sure to cover how ESAs are different from PSDs so you can make an informed decision about which might be right for you.

Though PSDs are very expensive, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you to get one. In this article, we’ll explain the average cost of a PSD and provide information on financing options.

Luckily, there are charitable organizations that do their best to lower or eradicate the cost of their service dogs. We’ll share some of these organizations and give you the resources to find more.

What Is the Difference Between a PSD and an ESA?

Before we get into the costs of Psychiatric Service Dogs, we’d like to talk about the differences between PSDs and ESAs. This way, you’ll know for sure whether a PSD is the best option for you or if an ESA might benefit you if you cannot afford a PSD.

Psychiatric Service Dogs

As their name suggests, PSDs are a type of service dog. They are trained to perform tasks that mitigate their handlers’ disabilities. In the case of Psychiatric Service Dogs, the disability may be anxiety, PTSD, depression, OCD, bipolar, or other mental health disorders.

Some examples of tasks that Psychiatric Service Dogs can perform include (but are not limited to) are:

Waking their handler up from nightmares
Providing stimulation via touch
Providing grounding during moments of fear and anxiety
Creating a safe space by using their body as a physical barrier between the handler and their surroundings
Retrieving medication
Reminding their handler to take medication at a specific time
Interrupting anxious or repetitive behaviors
Interrupting self-harming behaviors
Applying deep pressure therapy

As you can see, PSDs must undergo extensive training in order to learn these and similar tasks. This is what sets them apart from other assistance animals.

Psychiatric Service Dogs are also protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) which allows them in public areas and prohibits landlords from charging renters a pet fee. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) allows PSDs to accompany their handlers on flights.

Emotional Support Animals

Though Emotional Support Animals can be beneficial to those struggling with mental health disabilities, they are not considered service animals like PSDs. In fact, emotional support animals don’t even have to be dogs. They can be any animal that provides their handler with comfort or relief.

Emotional Support Animals do not have to undergo any training and do not perform specialized tasks the way that PSDs do. Instead, they help mitigate symptoms of mental health conditions with their presence alone.

Due to their lack of training, they are not allowed in public spaces, nor are they protected by the ACAA. They are, however, protected by the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which states that landlords must make reasonable accommodations for assistance animals and cannot charge a pet fee for these animals.

The Average Cost of a Psychiatric Service Dog

As you may have guessed, service dogs (including PSDs) aren’t cheap. Though the cost will vary depending on where you get your PSD, the average cost is between $20,000 and $30,000.

There are a few reasons why Psychiatric Service Dogs cost so much. First, these dogs undergo extensive training starting when they are puppies and lasting for up to two years of their lives. That’s right, it can take up to two years before a service dog is considered fully trained and ready to be sent to a new home.

Within that time, the organization has to pay its trainers for their work as well as provide for their dogs’ needs in terms of veterinary care, food, toys, and sometimes housing. Not only that, but dogs that are being custom-trained for a specific person may also have a higher cost.

Aside from the costs of raising successful service dogs, organizations take losses whenever a dog is deemed unfit to become a service dog. Though these dogs can be sold as companion animals, the organization may not make back the money they originally spent on the dog’s training and wellbeing.

How to Get a Psychiatric Service Dog

Service dogs are meant to aid those that have a disability —that is, any condition that limits a person’s ability to perform one or more major life activities such as sleeping, working, and caring for oneself. If you have a mental health disorder that limits you from living your life, then it may be considered a disability, and you may benefit from a Psychiatric Service Dog.

If you’re interested in getting a PSD, it can be helpful to start by speaking with a licensed psychiatrist. Your therapist may be able to help connect you with organizations that train Psychiatric Service Dogs.

Though you don’t need a prescription to get a PSD, some organizations may require a recommendation from your doctor before they will consider pairing you with a dog. They want to make sure these dogs are going to those who truly need and could benefit from a PSD.

If your therapist agrees that a Psychiatric Service Dog would benefit you, you can start searching for organizations that train PSDs. You will then want to get in contact with these organizations to ask any questions you have. Many organizations have websites where you can fill out an application online.

How to Afford a Psychiatric Service Dog

Even if you and your therapist are certain that a PSD would be a life-changing investment, it isn’t easy for many people to afford this type of investment. As we mentioned, the average cost of a service dog can be up to $30,000.

Some organizations do help with funding, but even then, you may still be looking at $10,000 for a dog. Let’s look at some financing options available to those who are hoping to get a Psychiatric Service Dog.

Grants

Grants are funds that one does not have to pay back and are usually given to benefit the public in some way. We commonly see grants provided for college students, but there are many organizations that give grants for all sorts of causes.

Some organizations offer grants directly to charities that raise service dogs. Other grants may be available to individuals looking to adopt a Psychiatric Service Dog.

Fundraising

We’ve probably all been part of a fundraiser at some point in our lives, whether it be selling cookies on behalf of Girl Scouts or a more personal goal such as paying for a loved one’s medical bills.

You can start your own fundraiser by using platforms like GoFundMe or by reaching out to local charities, businesses, and churches and seeing how they could help. Many of the organizations that train PSDs also help the recipients with fundraising.

Flexible Spending Accounts

If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) as part of your insurance policy, then you may be able to use it to purchase a service animal. Usually, insurance providers will require a letter of medical necessity from your doctor before they let you spend the money in this manner.

Personal Loans

If none of the other options are available to you, you can always take out a personal loan. Of course, unlike grants or fundraising, personal loans do have to be repaid and will have an interest rate.

While there are some companies offering personal loans even to those with poor credit, the interest rates tend to be steeper. We would suggest getting a personal loan only if you are unable to qualify for other types of financial assistance.

Programs Providing Free or Affordable PSDs

Because Psychiatric Service Dogs are so expensive, there are a number of organizations that use donations to offset the cost. Psychiatric Service Dogs can be life-changing for people with disabilities, which is why it’s so important that charities exist to offer them at a reduced cost.

In this section, you’ll find organizations that provide service dogs to veterans at no charge. We’ll also offer resources for how you can find organizations that use donations and fundraising to provide dogs at a reduced price.

For Veterans

There are many different organizations dedicated to providing service dogs to veterans to aid with both physical disabilities and PTSD. These organizations hope to give back to those who have served by providing a dog that can help them manage and overcome their disabilities.

Service dogs from the following organizations are given to qualifying veterans at no cost.

Assistance Dogs International

The Assistance Dogs International website is a helpful tool for finding non-profits that train and place service dogs. This website will allow you to search for organizations in your area that place Psychiatric Service Dogs. You can filter your results, making it easier to find organizations that cater to veterans, children, or those in need of PSDs.

The website will show you all of the organizations that match your search criteria and will provide contact information as well as website addresses. You can visit their websites to learn more about the organization and the financial aid they offer to those seeking to adopt Psychiatric Service Dogs.

Training Your Own Psychiatric Service Dog

It is possible to train your own Psychiatric Service Dog and still have it be recognized legally as a service dog under the Americans With Disabilities Act. This can often be cheaper than purchasing a service dog, especially if you are unable to get one from a non-profit or do not qualify for financial aid.

You may be able to train a dog you already own. Otherwise, you can adopt a puppy to train. Puppies are blank slates which makes them easier to train as they have not learned any undesirable behaviors. However, it is not impossible to train an adult dog to be a PSD.

You have a couple of options for training your own service dog. You can attend classes in person or take online courses.

In-Person Service Dog Training

You can work with a professional trainer or service dog training school that will teach you how to train your dog. This is a great option for inexperienced trainers, and many organizations offer continued support even after you and your dog have “graduated” from their training courses.

In-person training services tend to be more expensive than their online counterparts. However, you’ll have a professional modeling training techniques in real-time and be able to ask questions in the moment. Many trainers also include group training sessions so that your dog can learn in a more distracting environment, which is vital for Psychiatric Service Dogs.

You can use the Assistance Dogs International website we mentioned before to find non-profits that offer owner-trainer courses in your area or do a Google search. You can also check out the US Service Animals website to find service dog training in your state.

Online Service Dog Training

You can take online Psychiatric Service Dog training courses. These tend to be cheaper than working with in-person training schools. Many courses will also offer individualized support so you can reach out to professional trainers with any questions you may have.

Sometimes, online courses can be custom-tailored to suit your needs. Other times, the classes provide generalized training for Psychiatric Service Dogs.

While online classes are convenient and budget-friendly, you won’t always have the same real-time support you would with in-person training. You’ll also miss out on the benefits of group training sessions. It’s important to consider the pros and cons of each type of training and choose the best option for you.

Affording a PSD Isn’t Impossible

Psychiatric Service Dogs are incredibly beneficial to those suffering from mental health disabilities. They can perform tasks that provide relief and security, and are also a comforting, loving presence.

Of course, these dogs are highly trained, which makes them expensive. Luckily, there are charitable organizations that do their best to offer PSDs at reduced costs or even for free, especially to veterans.

If you’re unable to qualify for a dog from a charity or can’t find any financing options that work for you, you can train your own Psychiatric Service Dog. Though this isn’t without expense, it can be a more budget-friendly option.