Frequently Asked Questions

Yes!  Our Registered Charity number is: 765390299RC0001 

If you donate by e-transfer, ensure that you email us with your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address to donations@K9PAD.org so that we may issue an official donation receipt.

All of our Service Dogs undergo 18-24 months of training with K9PAD plus team training and followups for the working life of the Service Dog. We re-certify our dogs annually.

In addition to routine veterinary care, we ensure our dogs have more than one exam per year, health checks at training sessions with our Instructors, and we have OFA Hips and Elbows performed. Our dogs' health is a priority to us. We spay/neuter our dogs between 18-24 months of age. 

Our primary veterinary clinic is HAMMONDS PLAINS VETERINARY HOSPITAL.

Check out this link to learn more about applying for a K9PAD Service Dog. Applying for a K9PAD Service Dog involves supporting medical documentation, an application package, and interviews. The process is quite involved to ensure that a K9PAD Service Dog is the right fit for you. This is a decision that should not be taken lightly. We want to ensure that we can best assist each client.

Not all applicants will be eligible for a K9PAD Service Dog. K9PAD wants to ensure that we can provide the client with a suitable Service Dog and that we can support the client for the duration of the working life of their Service Dog. 

Our Service Dogs and Service Dogs in Training are very important to us. Each one has spent around two years with us! Our commitment to our clients is to ensure that we can care for the Service Dog if the client becomes unable to for any reason. If at any time that the client is unable to care for their Service Dog, the dog is returned to our Instructors. This ensures that we are able to care for them and provide support. We also have agreements with our approved breeders that we will retain ownership. This shows our breeders that we are committed to our Service Dogs for their entire lives! When a Service Dog retires, the client will be able to keep the dog as a pet. If the client is unable or unwilling to keep them as a pet, we discuss with our breeders what the best possible home will be. This may mean the dog retires with one of our volunteers, or it may mean that the breeder assists in finding a retirement home. All of our clients become part of the K9PAD family. Because we offer training classes throughout the year to our graduate Service Dog teams, our clients become family.

Dogs participating in the Client-Trainer program remain under the ownership of their handler.

Our clients are our family.  Each one of our graduate teams is required to attend training sessions every year. They are welcome to attend more than the minimum required lessons. We provide support for any issues that may arise. We help troubleshoot problems if they occur, tweak training as needed, provide care instructions, annual re-certification. Our Instructors are available to our clients for assistance when they need! K9PAD has annual re-certification requirements such as mandatory training lessons, re-testing, and reports. We want to keep our teams working as long as possible.

Yes! In order to run smoothly, we need volunteers for a variety of positions that include administration, fundraising, events, etc. Check out the Volunteer page for more information. Feel free to email us at Info@K9PAD.org to discuss potential opportunities if you do not see something listed.

Service Dog:

• Trained extensively for up to two years to assist a specific client daily by mitigating symptoms with trained tasks.
• Granted public access. 
• Wears a vest or harness to identify the dog as a Service Dog. These may vary between programs.
• Regulated in Nova Scotia.

Therapy Dog:

• Usually undergoes some training or certification through individual programs.
• Used in settings where many people may benefit from the interaction with a dog, such as nursing homes, shelters, airports, and schools. Often works for a short period of time. Is not granted public access unless permitted for the session.
• Sometimes wears a cape or bandanna to identify them as a Therapy Dog.
• Not regulated by government bodies.

Emotional Support Animal/Dog:

• May not have any training. Some people do choose to train their ESA.
• Not regulated by government bodies.
• Often permitted on airlines and in housing.
• Not permitted public access.
• Not extensively trained or trained for disability mitigating tasks.

Note: Having a disability and a dog that provides comfort or eases emotions is not automatically considered a Service Dog.  The dog must undergo extensive training and is recommended to pass the Nova Scotia provincial test through the NS Service Dog Act. Providing comfort or feeling safe does not constitute trained tasks.  Service Dogs that are trained for specific tasks to assist clients with PTSD are NOT Therapy Dogs as this is often mistaken. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.

Yes. All volunteers, clients, and other participants must follow our policies, regulations, and code of conduct. In short, everyone is required to treat each other with kindness and respect. Any inappropriate behaviour, conduct, or activity is not tolerated.  In addition, clients are not permitted to disclose trauma, health information, or discuss disability benefits at K9PAD events, including lessons. This is to create a comfortable and safe space for everyone.  Discussions of these topics can be very triggering to other clients and volunteers. Our training staff are not medical professionals nor mental health professionals.  These topics can also distract from our lessons. If clients are in breach of policy and removed from the program, no refund will be give.  All fees paid to K9PAD are non-refundable.

No. The use of tools such as prong collars and e-collars/shock collars is not permitted on any K9PAD dog. This includes any dog that is participating in our program.  All clients are subject to this policy.