APPLICATION CHECK LIST

BEFORE APPLYING: THINGS TO KNOW

Freedom Service Dogs trains dogs for the following types of clients:

Individuals 12 years and older with mobility disabilities such as paralysis, multiple sclerosis, stroke, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), amputations, etc.
Veterans who have been formally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress (PTS), TBI, or a physical disability.
- Veterans who are diagnosed with PTS and also have anxiety or depression are welcome to apply.
Individuals 5 years and older who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and/or other neurocognitive disabilities.

Freedom Service Dogs is unable to provide service dogs at this time for the following conditions:

Low vision or individuals who are blind.
Individuals looking for a medical alert dog for a diagnosis such as diabetes, seizures, or severe allergies.
Individuals who are deaf.
Individuals with a mental health diagnosis such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, etc.
Non-military civilians diagnosed with PTS.
Non-military civilians with anxiety and/or depression as their primary diagnosis.
Dogs for elopement or tracking.
Individuals with a primary diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or obsessive–compulsive disorder; however, these conditions may be comorbidities of diagnoses listed under Section 1 above.

Types of Service Dogs We Provide

Service Dog: A service dog is trained to perform a minimum of three custom tasks for a person with a disability. The dog is granted full public access. A service dog can be placed with a client that is at least 16 years of age or older and is capable of handling the dog in public without assistance.
Service Dog – Third Party: A third-party service dog is trained to perform a minimum of three custom tasks for a person with a disability. The dog is granted full public access providing that a parent or guardian is with the client at all times when in public. Third-party service dogs are available to clients that are under the age of 16 or unable to handle a dog in public without assistance from a guardian or caregiver.
Skilled Companion Dog: A skilled companion dog is trained in basic obedience skills and some custom tasks to assist a client with a disability. The dog is not granted public access and is trained to assist the client only in the home
Skilled Companion Dog – Third Party: A third-party skilled companion dog is trained in basic obedience skills and some custom tasks to assist a client with a disability. The dog is not granted public access and is trained to assist the client only in the home. A third-party skilled companion dog is available to clients that are under the age of 16 or unable to handle a dog in the home without assistance from a guardian or caregiver.
FSD Training Models
Traditional training is for any type of client 12 years of age or older and requires clients to attend two weeks of on-site training at the FSD facility and agree to one week of in-home training.
Disco’s Dogs is for individuals on the autism spectrum or with other neurocognitive disabilities 5 years or older and requires clients to participate in one class per week for 12 consecutive weeks at the FSD facility. Must live in the Denver metro area or temporarily relocate to be able to attend required training.
Operation Full Circle (OFC) is for veterans with post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and/or a physical disability and requires clients to participate in one class per week for 16 consecutive weeks at the FSD facility. Must live in the Denver metro area or temporarily relocate to be able to attend required training.’

BEFORE APPLYING: COLLECTING DOCUMENTS

In order to complete the online application, you will need to obtain the following documents:

Two completed Emergency Support Contact forms, signed by a family member or friend
Two completed Letter of Reference forms, filled out and signed by non-family members
One Medical History form, signed and submitted by your primary care provider or mental health professional
Your own basic financial information to fill out our finance worksheet and proof of one month's income
DD214 for veteran and active duty military applicants only
A photo of yourself

All of the above documents are required.

THE APPLICATION: WHAT TO EXPECT

The application is lengthy, so please allow 1 - 3 hours for completion. There will be sections in which you will be asked to download and upload files. If needed, please seek technological assistance from friends and family.
If you are completing the application on behalf of an individual under the age of 12, please complete it as the individual receiving the dog.
You do have the ability to save your progress on the application and resume later. Doing so will require you to save a password and email; if you forget your password, please use the “forgot my password” feature in the system. FSD is not able to reset your password for you.
Once your online application has been submitted, FSD will not review it until we have received the completed Medical Reference form from your practitioner. You are responsible for ensuring your practitioner sends the form to FSD.

AFTER APPLYING: WHAT’S NEXT?

Upon submission of your application, we will begin reviewing it. Any outstanding items that are required for the application will delay this process.
Once we have all items, we have several processes to conduct, including a background check of all adults over the age of 18 who live in your home. Please allow time for those processes to be completed.
If you are found to be an appropriate candidate, you will receive a request for an interview. In this interview, we will continue to ask questions pertaining to you, your needs, and your preferences.