Service Dogs for America (Great Plains Assistance Dogs Foundation, Inc)

Thank you for your feedback and your remarks. Our staff does their best.

Thank you for your participation in our Volunteer Day. The Fargo Roamers 4x4 Lions provided our volunteers with a delicious steak fondue and homemade potato chips! <br><br>Thank you to all the volunteers and Fargo Roamers 4x4 Lions for assisting with our spring projects, in spite of the rain. Your dedication ensures we can complete our mission!<br><br>We have two volunteer days per year. It is always the first Saturday in May and the first Saturday in October. We hope to see you at the next one!

Thank you for your feedback. The staff at SDA are instructed to not discuss whether or not an applicant is appropriate or not on phone calls. We encourage ALL PERSONS who feels they meet the criteria (clearly outlined online) to apply. The independent medical review board carefully and thoroughly review all applicants for medical necessity and medical benefit.<br><br>All applicants that receive a denial letter, indicating we are not able to assist, also receive information directing them to an organization/s that may be better suited for their needs. <br><br>As a general rule, service dog training programs provided skilled task training for different skill sets/specialties to mitigate an individual’s disability. Example: Not all service dog training programs train dogs for diabetic alert, although some programs specialize in such skill set.

Thank you for your feedback.

This is not an accurate representation of the conversation that occurred via telephone.<br><br>The caller asked (repeatedly) if a dog for PTSD was a service dog or an emotional support animal. It was explained by the Service Dogs for America (SDA) representative that a person with PTSD may qualify for a service dog if the person had a disability (PTSD related). It was explained there is a difference between a diagnosis and a disability. It was explained a service dog must be trained in assistive tasks specific to a handler’s disability.<br><br>The caller kept referring to an issue they were having with their catholic church. It was explained that churches fall outside of the ADA regarding service dog accessibility. The representative from Service Dogs for America attempted to explain churches exempt from Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, in many cases if the handler speaks with a representative from the church, access is usually granted. The caller hung up on the representative from Service Dogs for America.<br><br>The caller was not asked if they were calling from South Dakota. The caller was asked if they were calling from North Dakota. We care where a person is calling from because laws regarding service dogs vary greatly from state to state. The representative from Service Dogs for America was not rude. The caller kept interrupting and yelled at the representative from Service Dogs for America. The representative from Service Dogs for America said, "there is no reason to yell, I am just trying to help you."<br><br>Anyone who has questions regarding accessibility with their trained service dog should call the DOJ ADA Information Line 800-514-0301 (Voice) and 800-514-0383 (TTY)