We would love to share more about Susquehanna Service Dogs’ mission, and how our assistance dogs change lives! We encourage your group or community to consider joining us by volunteering!

Please read the descriptions below to determine which type of engagement best suits your needs. Our Ambassador Dog teams that participate in the Demonstration and Meet & Greet program are volunteers, so while we do our best to fill requests, at times we must ask you to choose a date farther in the future.

If you have questions regarding the information below, please contact Mel Harry at [email protected].

General requirements

• Requests are evaluated to ensure they complement our mission. We do not engage in fundraising events for the benefit of other organizations.
• Requests should be submitted a minimum of two months prior to the event. While we try to accommodate as many requests as possible, our capacity is limited and our calendar fills quickly.
• Locations must be within an hour’s drive of Harrisburg, PA area. (Limited opportunities are available in the Philadelphia and State College areas, based on team availability.)

What is a Demonstration?

A Demonstration is an educational opportunity that includes an Ambassador Dog Team that presents to a group, sharing information about SSD’s mission, types of assistance dogs, how they assist individuals with disabilities, and assistance dog etiquette. Our Ambassador Dog handlers enjoy having time for questions from the audience and time to interact with participants either before or after their presentation.

On occasion, and based on availability, additional Ambassador Dog Teams may be available to attend.

• Group size should be a minimum of 15 individuals.
• The majority of audience members must be at least 10 years old. Minors must have adult supervision. We are unable to accommodate groups of children younger than 10.
• Demonstration presentation length should be a minimum of 20 minutes and not longer than 1 hour. We have found that allowing additional Q&A time of at least 10 minutes is valuable for participants, along with mingling time prior to or following the demonstration.
• We ask for either a monetary or in-kind donation at the discretion of the requestor.

What is a Meet and Greet

A Meet and Greet typically includes multiple Ambassador Dog Teams and/or assistance dogs in training and their puppy raisers attending an event by having a table or station and being available to interact with attendees and share information about assistance dogs as well as SSD’s mission and need for volunteers.

• If a Meet and Greet is for a community event, no donation is required, but we ask for any entrance fee to be waived.
• If the Meet and Greet is for a business, school, community group, etc., a monetary or in-kind donation is requested based on the discretion of the requestor.

Do you offer Puppy Socialization (formerly Puppy Hugging) events? 

Depending on available litters, we occasionally offer opportunities for companies, organizations, etc. to host a Puppy Socialization Event. These events require a minimum donation of $2,500 and include parameters on the number of attendees and required rest periods for the puppies. For more information, please email Mel Harry at [email protected], and you will be connected with a member of our Development Team.

Request a Demo
Request a Meet and Greet

A dog that has been released from our program may make a wonderful addition to your family. We occasionally have dogs that are not well-suited for assistance dog work but will thrive as pets.

The adoption fee is $1,590.

Please note that the waiting time may be 4 years or longer. We will contact you only if a dog becomes available that fits into your lifestyle.

Apply to Adopt a Released Dog

Susquehanna Service Dogs trains primarily Labrador Retrievers with a limited number of Golden Retrievers and Lab Golden crosses. We have our own breeding program, which allows us to take a very scientific approach to our dogs. We are also part of the Assistance Dogs International (ADI) North America Breeding Cooperative (ABC), a collective of assistance and guide dog organizations that are accredited by ADI. Participation in ABC allows us to create, strengthen, and diversify our genetic lines so we can train high quality assistance dogs.

Our program has a limited number of partial need-based scholarships for assistance dogs. The scholarships are available based on federal poverty guidelines and total taxable household income, which can cover up to $4,200 of the $5,000 fee. When determining an applicant’s eligibility to receive a service dogs, we must also consider their ability to financially care for a dog throughout its entire life. We estimate that these costs average $200 per month. We recommend visiting the American Kennel Club’s website to learn more about the financial commitment of owning a dog. We require a $5,000 fee for service for an assistance dog. People living in Pennsylvania may be eligible for a sponsorship based on total taxable household income and the federal poverty guidelines, which can cover up to $4,200 of the $5,000 fee. We do assess whether the person has the ability to provide for the lifelong care of the dog, including food, flea/tick/heartworm medications, and routine and emergency veterinary care. More information is included in the formal application.

We do not have an owner-trained assistance dog program, and we are only able to provide training advice for dogs in our program.

It takes approximately two and a half years to fully train one of our assistance dogs. We start preparing our puppies from the moment they’re born by providing a rich environment with many opportunities for them to explore and learn. At nine weeks old, they join their puppy raisers, and they spend the next 15 to 18 months learning good house manners and basic cues and experiencing a variety of public settings. Once they enter advanced training, the dogs spend the next eight months with our professional trainers refining their skills and learning the specialized tasks they will need to assist their partner.

Our waiting list for an assistance or hearing dog is currently 3 to 4 years. Waiting time for a facility, in-home service, or companion dog may be shorter depending on the number of applicants.

We carefully evaluate each of our dogs throughout their training. If we decide that a dog cannot become an assistance dog because of a health or temperament reason, we find a suitable place for them. We have three options:

1. We can find a new career for that dog. Some of our dogs have become explosives detection K9s.
2. The dog’s puppy raiser has the opportunity to adopt the dog.
3. The dog can be adopted by a family who has applied to adopt a released dog.

All of our partners make a plan for what will happen with their assistance dog when the dog retires. Once an assistance dog is no longer working, they become a pet. Some partners are able to keep their dog. Others make arrangements with family or the dog’s puppy raisers to adopt the dog. We are always available to help partners find a loving home for their dog. We follow up with all assistance dogs placed through our program for the life of the dog.

Assistance dogs are working, even if it may not be immediately apparent. They need to stay focused on their partner, so they can respond to cues and provide assistance. Please do not distract assistance dogs by talking to them, petting them, feeding them, or otherwise interacting with them.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives partners or handlers public access with their assistance dog, meaning the dog can accompany them anywhere that’s open to the public. We encourage you to review the ADA for more information.

ADA Requirements for Service Animals
Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA