Apply for A Service Dog

Apply for a Service Dog

The Application Process.
Carolina Canines for Service serves the southeastern region of the United States, from Virginia to Florida, and east of the Mississippi River for civilian applicants and nationally for Veteran applicants.

The application process helps us to determine the best possible match for a service dog with the person. A video is required as part of the application and is essential to determine the very specific skills the service dog will need to serve the person it is matched with. Carolina Canines reserves the right to accept or not accept an applicant based on the information provided in the application and additional information that may be obtained through the review process.

In the civilian population we serve individuals with mobility issues.

For our service members and Veterans, we serve individuals with mobility issues, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder.

We do not serve the visually or hearing impaired nor do we serve children under 10 years of age.

If you are not a Veteran and are located outside of this area, we cannot accept an application at this time.

Recipients of our service dogs must travel to Wilmington, NC or Charleston, SC at their own expense for up to 14 days of training with their Carolina Canines Service Dog. This team training is the key to forming a life-long bond between human and dog, as well as for the recipient to learn how to utilize his/her canine partner’s skills.

If you have a disability and feel you could benefit from the assistance of a Service Dog, please complete an application.

For an application for a service dog from our Civilian Program, click here. Please note there is a $25 application fee.

For an application for a service dog from our Veterans Program, click here.

The Matching Process.
Matching is the most important step in the process. It begins once a dog has been appointed to a service category. During the matching process, we review the applicant’s needs, personality and lifestyle to determine the dog that best fits their needs. Each dog receives the same basic skills training for its service category. From there the dog can be trained to meet specific needs its partner may have, such as needing support on the left or right side or needing a bottle of water from the fridge. Once the dog completes advanced training, an individualized team-training schedule is developed. This intense training spans 1-2 weeks during which the partner learns how to utilize the dog's skills and initiates the life-long bond with their service dog.

Due to the extensive, personalized training for each service dog, it can take years to find the perfect match. Our current waiting list is 2-4 years for civilians and up to 1 year for Veterans.

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Service Dog Recipient Follow-Up.

We strive to make the best possible match between the recipient and service dog. But our job doesn’t end there. We establish a follow-up program for each new service team. Periodic check-ups via phone and home visits may take place during the first year to ensure that the dog and recipient are adjusting to their new lives together.

A proper fit is crucial to the new team in creating the best relationship between the team. A strong relationship between the two will result in the partner achieving the greatest amount of independence. The experience must be positive for the recipient, as well as service dog, for the new team to work together and do so efficiently.

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