Jenni Mahnaz admits she’s not much of a dog person. She’s mildly allergic, and the only pet she had as a child was a hermit crab. But once she learned that specially trained dogs could help her daughters with their medical needs, she was willing to do anything to make it happen.
“This is very expensive for us, but I am my girls’ parent, and it is my job to do whatever I can to make their standard of living as good as I can,” Mahnaz said. “It is a need for them, and it will make a big difference in their lives.”Demand for service dogs has exploded in recent years as dogs have proved adept at helping children and adults with a growing range of disabilities.
“There’s a big opportunity for people who are dog trainers to say, ‘Oh, I will sell you one for tens of thousands of dollars,’” she said. “It’s a kind of a Wild West issue.”“Sometimes they’re sold a bill of goods,” said Sheila O’Brien, the chairperson of the North American board of. The group accredits service dog trainers, but the accreditation is voluntary, and only nonprofit organizations are eligible. The group has 80 accredited members and 25 candidate programs in North America.
“Clients can get dogs that aren’t prepared, and sometimes, when dogs are prepared, they end up with families who don’t follow through,” Arnold said. “It’s difficult on both sides, but families get taken advantage of a lot more than the other way around.”