READ: Follow the steps outlined in How to Apply. If you have any questions, please reach out via phone or email.

EXCHANGE INFORMATION: Complete Part 1 of the application. We will contact you to schedule an informal preliminary interview and answer any questions. Due to the volume of applicants, please allow up to two weeks for us to reach out. During holidays or office closures, this response time may be longer. There is no fee for Part 1 of the Application.

PHONE INTERVIEW: If a service dog appears to be a suitable match after the preliminary interview, we will send you Part 2 of the application, either by email or traditional mail.

COMPLETE THE APPLICATION: Submit your completed portion of the application, along with the $100 non-refundable fee, to Service Dogs of Virginia, P.O. Box 408, Charlottesville, VA 22902 or you can ask for an upload link. You can also pay the fee online. You have 3 months to complete your portion of the application. Submit the medical release and history forms to your healthcare providers and the reference questionnaire to your references. They will send their responses directly to SDV at the above address.

IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL INTERVIEW: Once your application is complete, we will schedule an interview (in-person or virtual). The interview serves to get to know you better, introduce you to our dogs-in-training (if in-person), and answer any program-related questions. If you opt for a virtual interview, you may be asked to visit our facility to meet the dogs before we make a placement decision. Following the interview, SDV will contact your references and healthcare providers. Interviews for Autism and PTSD applicants are held on the third Wednesday of each month; interviews for all other applicants are on the third Tuesday.

HOME/FACILITY VISIT: SDV will conduct a home, workplace, and/or facility visit. Visits are grouped by region and may take up to 3 months to schedule.

SELECTION REVIEW: After the home visit, SDV will assess whether a service dog is a suitable match. We will notify you of our decision within 2 weeks of the visit.

WAITLIST: If approved, you may need to meet with several potential dogs before being invited to Transfer Camp. Transfer Camp takes place at our Charlottesville, VA training center for two weeks, and participants are responsible for their own food and lodging. While on the waitlist, SDV will send quarterly updates on dogs in training. lease note that our waitlist is currently 2 years long

We aim to match each client with the most appropriate dog. If Transfer Camp is not completed, the dog remains the property of SDV. Successful clients will retain ownership after one year and upon passing the annual re-certification test. Candidates who cannot complete Transfer Camp or the public access test will not be placed with a dog.

Please note, You may withdraw your application at any time, during or after the process, for any reason.

Step 5. Part 1 of the Application

Return to: How to Apply