About American Veterans Service Dog Academy

<h2>A service dog program for veterans, not a general training school</h2>

<p>American Veterans Service Dog Academy (AVSDA) describes itself on its site as "a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization" whose mission is "Saving Veterans…One dog at a time." The site is explicit that it is not a conventional obedience school: "This is Not Just a School for Service Dogs… We train people!" Places are taken through an admissions and registration process rather than by booking a class, and the program is offered "In collaboration with : Kankakee Community College."</p>

<h3>What the program covers</h3>

<p>The academy describes "Our 18 month program" as "more than obedience school," and says admitted students are guided through "a comprehensive education including learning theory, dog development, care and management, applied training skills and drills, and customized service dog tasking based on your specific medical needs." Classes are hands-on, "working with AVSDA service dog puppies-in-training or your own approved service dog candidate," and cover "learning theory, dog care and management, applied training skills and drills, public access training, and medically necessary tasking basics." The site says "We offer full scholarships covering 100% of tuition for qualifying veterans" and that veterans who apply and meet criteria "will be offered the opportunity to adopt one of our puppies upon graduating the program."</p>

<h3>Method, partners and reach</h3>

<p>The stated method is that "Our methods are fear-free, force-free, and reward based," and that "Service dogs are respected partners viewed as social subjects and treated with love and care." The academy states the reason it exists in the terms the Veterans Administration uses, saying that an average of twenty veterans a day take their own lives in the United States and that "AVSDA's mission is to bring this number down using the proven, positive effects of service dogs." The site says "Peggy Moran's School for Dogs, LLC has partnered with AVSDA to offer the highest level of training and educational support to Veterans diagnosed with PTSD who have been prescribed a service dog," and gives that partner's address as Manteno, Illinois. Alongside the academic program the site lists an educational outreach and comfort dog tent, a student guide, a virtual library, donor honor rolls and published student evaluations. Ask about any costs when you apply.</p>