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Unlike emotional support animals (ESAs) that simply provide comfort, service dogs must go through advanced training to both provide assistance to and perform tasks for their owners.
The Americans With Disabilities (ADA) Act states that you can train a service dog on your own, but many people opt to get one through a professional training organization.
If you’re considering buying or training a service dog, service dog loans or other financial options might help you cover the cost.
Here are three ways to buy a service dog:
- Check out grants for service dogs
- Investigate your health plan benefits
- Use a personal loan to fill in the gaps
1. Check out grants for service dogs
A trained service dog can cost up to $60,000, which could be prohibitive for people with disabilities. However, some organizations offer grants and scholarships to help individuals cover the cost.
Here are a few of the organizations that offer financial assistance programs:
- Assistance Dog United provides vouchers to people with disabilities to help them pay for service dogs from partnering programs. Depending on the type of assistance the dog provides, the vouchers can be worth up to $5,000.
- Canine Companions for Independence is geared toward helping people with physical disabilities and veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Unlike other nonprofits, it doesn’t charge any fees for its service dogs. Instead, you’ll only have to pay for transportation and accommodations during the two-week matching and training period.
- Canines for Disabled Kids is a nonprofit organization for children with physical or psychological disabilities. It offers scholarships ranging from $250 to $5,000 to help eligible children get a service dog.
- Doggie Does Good is a nonprofit organization that connects individuals to trained service dogs. If you complete its financial assistance application, you might be able to have a portion of a service dog’s cost covered by Doggie Does Good’s fundraising efforts.
- The Seeing Eye trains seeing-eye dogs for people with vision impairment. Thanks to donations from the public, The Seeing Eye provides guide dogs at a low cost: $150 for an individual’s first dog, then $50 for each dog afterward. Military veterans pay only $1 for a seeing-eye dog.
Learn More: How to Get a $20,000 Personal Loan Fast
2. Investigate your health plan benefits
There are two types of health plans that you might be able to use to pay a portion of your service dog costs:
- Health Savings Account (HSA): If you have a high-deductible health plan, you can use an HSA to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified medical expenses. Unspent HSA funds roll over from year to year. For 2021, the maximum you can contribute to an HSA per year is $3,600 for individuals or $7,200 for families.
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA): An FSA is another tax-free savings option that’s available through some employer-sponsored health plans. You can contribute up to $2,750 per year — though unlike HSAs, you typically have to use all of your FSA funds by the end of the year.
Guide dogs or service dogs are generally considered qualified medical expenses under both HSAs and FSAs.
However, be sure to consider how much the loan will cost you over time so you can prepare for any added expense.
You can estimate how much you’ll pay for a loan using our personal loan calculator below.
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With a $ loan, you will pay $ monthly and a total of $ in interest over the life of your loan. You will pay a total of $ over the life of the loan.
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3. Use a personal loan to fill in the gaps
While grants, donations, or health savings could help pay for a service dog, you might still need to borrow money to fully cover the cost.
If this is the case, a personal loan could be a good option to fill any financial gaps so you can get your dog right away.
You can get a personal loan from a few types of lenders, including online lenders, banks, and credit unions. With a personal loan, you might be able to borrow up to $100,000 or more.
Repayment terms generally range from one to seven years, depending on the lender — meaning you can spread the cost out over several years.
If you’re struggling to get approved for a loan, another option is applying with a cosigner. Not all lenders allow cosigners on personal loans, but some do.
Even if you don’t need a cosigner to qualify, having one could get you a lower rate than you’d get on your own.
If you decide to use a personal loan to pay for a service dog, be sure to consider as many lenders as possible to find the right loan for you. Credible makes this easy — you can compare your prequalified rates from our partner lenders in the table below in two minutes.
| Lender | Fixed rates | Loan amounts | Min. credit score | Accept cosigners? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 View details | 9.95% - 35.99% APR | $2,000 to $35,000** | 550 | No |
*If approved, the actual loan terms that a customer qualifies for may vary based on credit determination, state law, and other factors. Minimum loan amounts vary by state. **Example: A $5,700 loan with an administration fee of 4.75% and an amount financed of $5,429.25, repayable in 36 monthly installments, would have an APR of 29.95% and monthly payments of $230.33. |
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 View details | 5.99% - 29.99% APR | $5,000 to $35,000 | 600 | No |
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 View details | 6.99% - 24.99% APR | $2,500 to $35,000 | 660 | No |
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 View details | 7.99% - 29.99% APR | $10,000 to $35,000 | Not disclosed by lender | Yes |
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 View details | 10.68% - 35.89% APR | $1,000 to $40,000 | 600 | Yes |
LendingClub personal loans review †Based on a majority of borrowers from LendingClub's marketing partners who were issued loans between 1/1/19-12/13/19. The time it takes for your loan to be funded may vary. |
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 View details | 15.49% - 35.99% APR | $2,000 to $25,000 | 580 | No |
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 View details | 3.99% - 19.99% APR | $5,000 to $100,000 | 660 | Yes |
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 View details | 6.99% - 19.99% APR1 | $3,500 to $40,0002 | 660 (TransUnion FICO®️ Score 9) | No |
1Rate reduction of 0.25% when enrolled in autopay. 2You may be required to have some of your funds sent directly to pay off outstanding unsecured debt. 3After making 12 or more consecutive monthly payments, you can defer one payment as long as you have made all your prior payments in full and on time. Marcus will waive any interest incurred during the deferral and extend your loan by one month (you will pay interest during this extra month). Your payments resume as usual after your deferral. Advance notice is required. See loan agreement for details. 4Your loan terms are not guaranteed and are subject to our verification of your identity and credit information. To obtain a loan, you must submit additional documentation including an application that may affect your credit score. Rates will vary based on many factors, such as your creditworthiness (for example, credit score and credit history) and the length of your loan (for example, rates for 36 month loans are generally lower than rates for 72 month loans).Your maximum loan amount may vary depending on your loan purpose, income and creditworthiness. Your verifiable income must support your ability to repay your loan. Marcus by Goldman Sachs is a brand of Goldman Sachs Bank USA and all loans are issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Applications are subject to additional terms and conditions. |
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 View details | 18.00% - 35.99% APR | $1,500 to $20,000 | None | Yes |
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 View details | 5.99% - 24.99% APR | $5,000 to $40,000 | 640 | No |
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 View details | 5.99% - 17.99% APR | $600 to $35,000 (depending on loan term) | 670 | No |
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 View details | 6.95% - 35.99% APR | $2,000 to $40,000 | 640 | No |
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 View details | 5.99% - 18.83% APR | $5,000 to $100,000 | Does not disclose | Yes |
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 View details | 5.94% - 35.97% APR | $1,000 to $50,000 | 580 | No |
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 View details | 8.27% - 35.99% APR4 | $1,000 to $50,0005 | 580 | No |
4The full range of available rates varies by state. The average 3-year loan offered across all lenders using the Upstart platform will have an APR of 25.79% and 36 monthly payments of $37 per $1,000 borrowed. There is no down payment and no prepayment penalty. Average APR is calculated based on 3-year rates offered in the last 1 month. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be approved. 5This offer is conditioned on final approval based on our consideration and verification of financial and non-financial information. Rate and loan amount are subject to change based upon information received in your full application. This offer may be accepted only by the person identified in this offer, who is old enough to legally enter into contract for the extension of credit, a US citizen or permanent resident, and a current resident of the US. Duplicate offers received are void. Closing your loan is contingent on your meeting our eligibility requirements, our verification of your information, and your agreement to the terms and conditions on the www.upstart.com website. Your loan amount will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will qualify for the full amount. Loans are not available in West Virginia or Iowa. The minimum loan amount in MA is $7,000. The minimum loan amount in Ohio is $6,000. The minimum loan amount in NM is $5100. The minimum loan amount in GA is $3,100. 6If you accept your loan by 5pm EST (not including weekends or holidays), you will receive your funds the next business day. Loans used to fund education related expenses are subject to a 3 business day wait period between loan acceptance and funding in accordance with federal law. |
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Service dog loans: Frequently asked questions
Here are some answers to a few commonly asked questions about service dog loans:
How much does a service dog cost?
The cost to get a service dog — either through an agency or training one yourself — can be quite high. It takes about two years to train a service dog and typically costs between $10,000 and $60,000, depending on the type of tasks the dog is trained to perform.
However, keep in mind that getting the dog is only the first expense. Typically, owners spend about $2,100 per year to care for their service dogs. These costs can include veterinary care, dog food, heartworm and flea preventatives, pet insurance, and more.
Learn More: How to Build Credit Fast
Are service dogs and ESAs the same?
No. Service dogs and emotional support animals (ESAs) are very different.
A service dog has undergone extensive training to do work and perform tasks for an individual with a disability. For example, a service dog might:
- Alert someone with diabetes that their blood sugar is low
- Detect an oncoming seizure in a person with epilepsy
- Help a blind person navigate around obstacles
- Remind someone to take their medications
ESAs, on the other hand, aren’t trained to perform tasks. Instead, they provide comfort by being with their owner. ESAs aren’t eligible for most forms of financial assistance, and you can’t use HSA or FSA funds for their care.
If you’re interested in an ESA, you could use a personal loan to cover the cost of adopting and caring for the animal.
If you decide to get a personal loan for an ESA, remember to compare as many lenders as you can to find a loan that fits your needs. Credible makes this easy — you can see your prequalified rates from multiple lenders in two minutes.
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What other financial help is available for service dogs?
As a service dog owner, you might qualify for additional discounts and benefits. Here are a few accommodations that you could be eligible for:
Discounts
If you have a service dog, some organizations, professionals, and retailers offer discounts on necessary services, such as:
- Accessories: Some retailers offer discounts to service dogs on equipment, such as leashes, harnesses, collars, and dog boots. For example, you could get discounts through Ruffwear if you apply and are approved for the company’s Ruffwear Pro Purchase program.
- Food: Some dog food manufacturers, such as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, offer discounts to service dog owners on food and treats.
- Recovery program: If you join the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP), you can register your service dog for free in the Animal Recovery Program run by the American Kennel Club. This program can help you reunite with your service animal if the dog is ever lost or separated from you in an accident.
- Veterinary care: The IAADP has partnered with the Veterinary Centers of America (VCA) to offer members discounts on veterinary care. If you’re an IAADP member and visit a VAC facility, you could get 10% off veterinary services.
Housing
Owners of service dogs or ESAs are eligible for some protections through the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Under the FHA, housing providers must provide reasonable accommodations, such as:
- Allowing you to rent properties that have no-pet policies
- Potentially waiving pet fees or deposits
Tax deductions
If you itemize your deductions, you can deduct eligible medical expenses on your tax return. According to the IRS, you can deduct the following service dog expenses:
- The cost of purchasing and training a service dog
- Food
- Grooming
- Veterinary care
Keep in mind that this deduction only applies to service animals. ESAs aren’t eligible for tax deductions.
Travel
If you’re traveling with a service dog, the following protections could help you save money:
- Hotels: If you stay at a hotel, you’re not restricted to pet-friendly rooms. You also won’t have to pay a cleaning fee for your service dog, as hotels aren’t permitted by the ADA to charge fees for hair or dander shed by a service animal.
- Flights: Under the Air Carrier Access Act, people with documented physical or psychiatric disabilities who have a trained service dog can bring their dog in the cabin with them without paying an additional fee. As of December 2020, ESAs no longer qualify for these benefits.
Keep Reading: Best Personal Loans for Good or Excellent Credit
About Rates and Terms: Rates for personal loans provided by lenders on the Credible platform range between 4.99-35.99% APR with terms from 12 to 84 months. Rates presented include lender discounts for enrolling in autopay and loyalty programs, where applicable. Actual rates may be different from the rates advertised and/or shown and will be based on the lender’s eligibility criteria, which include factors such as credit score, loan amount, loan term, credit usage and history, and vary based on loan purpose. The lowest rates available typically require excellent credit, and for some lenders, may be reserved for specific loan purposes and/or shorter loan terms. The origination fee charged by the lenders on our platform ranges from 0% to 8%. Each lender has their own qualification criteria with respect to their autopay and loyalty discounts (e.g., some lenders require the borrower to elect autopay prior to loan funding in order to qualify for the autopay discount). All rates are determined by the lender and must be agreed upon between the borrower and the borrower’s chosen lender. For a loan of $10,000 with a three year repayment period, an interest rate of 7.99%, a $350 origination fee and an APR of 11.51%, the borrower will receive $9,650 at the time of loan funding and will make 36 monthly payments of $313.32. Assuming all on-time payments, and full performance of all terms and conditions of the loan contract and any discount programs enrolled in included in the APR/interest rate throughout the life of the loan, the borrower will pay a total of $11,279.43. As of March 12, 2019, none of the lenders on our platform require a down payment nor do they charge any prepayment penalties.
