Why do you charge for your dogs? I see other organizations give their dogs to clients.

We are a non-profit organization and the "price" of our dogs reflects the actual cost to obtain, train, place, and follow-up on each dog. We offer our assistance dogs on a sliding scale of 25% to 100% of the dog's price, based on the client's income. Our business model reflects our mission to empower our clients. Additionally, our business model respects and values our donors' contributions. Asking clients to be financially involved...

• empowers clients by giving them a stronger and more influential voice in the outcome and quality of the placements.
• encourages clients to value their assistance dog placements.
• ensures clients have the resources and support system to care for their assistance dogs.
• encourages Eyes Ears Nose and Paws to remain client-focused.
• makes the full cost of training and placing an assistance dog readily apparent to everyone.
• carefully manages our donors' dollars by offering need-based subsidies to clients.

We recognize that our clients are quite likely to be in financial distress, and that a significant percentage of our clients will require subsidies. We also offer payment plans to help clients spread the initial expense of their assistance dog over time.

Individuals who feel they are unable to afford the minimum 25% payment are still encouraged to contact us to discuss options. It is not necessary that the client's portion of the cost come directly from the client. We can receive donations earmarked for a particular client, and we can offer help with fundraising and grant ideas that clients can use to raise money toward their payment for their assistance dog.