FSD Dog Programs
FSD Service Dogs, FSD Facility Dogs, FSD Skilled Companion Dogs, & FSD Pet Dogs Explained
At Freedom Service Dogs, we believe dogs can make a profound difference in people’s daily lives. Each dog in our program is purposefully placed where they can have the greatest impact, creating meaningful partnerships that benefit humans and dogs alike.
Since our founding in 1987, we’ve proudly placed hundreds of service dogs, facility dogs, and skilled companion dogs with veterans and first responders with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries, young adults with autism, people with mobility challenges, and professionals providing mental health or crisis support services.
But what’s the difference between the types of assistance dogs we provide? And what happens when a dog doesn’t quite meet the high standards required to graduate as an assistance dog? Let’s take a closer look at our programs and the incredible ways our dogs change lives.
FSD Service Dogs
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as a dog who is individually trained to do work or perform tasks directly related to a person’s disabilities. Service dogs are protected under the ADA and have full public access, meaning they are allowed to accompany their handler in places where pets may not be allowed to go, such as restaurants, stores, hospitals, and workplaces.
At FSD, we custom-train service dogs to meet the unique needs of veterans and first responders with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries, young adults with autism, and people with mobility challenges. These dogs can learn more than 65+ specialized tasks to assist individuals with disabilities, such as:
- Picking up dropped items
- Interrupting nightmares, flashbacks, and anxious behaviors
- Pressing automatic door buttons
- Retrieving medication
- Opening and closing doors and drawers
For those living with disabilities, FSD Service Dogs are a lot more than assistance animals—they’re everyday game changers who restore independence, happiness, and hope by assisting with daily tasks and providing love and companionship.
FSD provides service dogs at no cost and offers free lifetime support, including annual recertification, ongoing training assistance, and a successor dog when the time comes to retire a service dog. To learn more about the life-changing impact of an FSD Service Dog, read about how FSD Service Dog Tiki helped Adam heal and reclaim his freedom after a tragic motorcycle accident.
FSD Facility Dogs
FSD Facility Dogs (formerly known as FSD Professional Therapy Dogs) are specially trained dogs who are partnered with a mental health or public safety professional to provide therapeutic support in a residential or clinical setting.
These extraordinary pups are trained to perform specific, skilled tasks in a variety of situations with multiple clients within a facility environment, such as a school, hospital, clinical therapy office, or police or fire department.
Examples of clients we’ve placed FSD Facility Dogs with:
- School resource officers
- Licensed clinical therapists
- Police or fire departments
- Peer support professionals within hospitals
These special pups and their handlers receive expert training, along with ongoing handler support from FSD staff throughout the dog’s lifetime. Discover more about the profound difference FSD Facility Dog teams make through the story of School Resource Officer Brian and FSD Facility Dog Guster, who are changing the education experience for students at a Colorado middle school. Read more here!
FSD Skilled Companion Dogs
Intelligent and friendly pups, FSD Skilled Companions enjoy working but, for a variety of reasons, do not meet the strict requirements necessary to graduate as a service dog or professional therapy dog. Bred for optimal health and temperament, they have undergone months of basic training and have appropriate house manners and knowledge of basic cues, though the advancement of their training may vary.
These special pups are placed with veterans, first responders, active-duty military members and their families, and Gold Star families to provide love, comfort, and companionship in the home. While they are not trained to perform specialized tasks and do not have public access rights, they are friendly tail-waggers who make a lasting difference for the brave men and women who have served our country and their families.
FSD Skilled Companion Dogs are offered for a suggested donation to FSD.
Read about how FSD Skilled Companion Dog Flyer has transformed the lives of U.S. Air Force veteran TenEyck and his family to see how these dogs can make a difference.
FSD Pet Dogs
Because not every dog is destined to become an assistance dog, whether due to medical or behavioral reasons, some are better suited for life as a beloved pet. We take great care to ensure these dogs are placed in loving homes where they can thrive as cherished family members.
To ensure we place a pup with their PAWfect match, we carefully select situations that best suit the family and the dog rather than on a first-come-first-serve basis.
We ask for a placement fee for our FSD Pet Dogs, which helps defray the costs of any medical care (including spay/neuter surgery), training costs, and general care that incurred while the pup was in our training program. If you are interested in welcoming an FSD Pet Dog into your home, you can apply here!
Get an FSD Dog
If you are interested in applying to receive an FSD assistance dog, or if you have any questions about our programs, please visit our website, email [email protected], or give us a call at 303-922-6231.
Learn more about our custom-trained Freedom Service Dogs, Professional Therapy Dogs, Skilled Companions, and Pet Dogs.
Published 7/7/25
Contact Erin Conley at [email protected] for all media inquiries.