Holly Matkin is a native Montanan
who lives with her husband at the foot
of the Elkhorn Mountains. She covers
a wide variety of topics as a freelance
writer for multiple local and national
publications, and especially enjoys
writing travel, history, and human
interest pieces.
SIGNATURE MONTANA | 65
How to Evaluate the Quality of Training Programs
DTB is currently the only training program in Montana
working towards fulfilling the gold-standard requirements
set forth by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), Dee De
says. DTB is also a member of the Association of Service Dog
Providers for Military Veterans (www.servicedogs4vets.org),
which has standards that meet or exceed all ADI standards.
"ere are a ton of sites that sell 'service dog registrations,'
and those are a scam," Dee De says. "Anyone can go online,
buy a vest with service dog patches, and put it on an untrained
dog, and the public has no way of knowing what is going on."
Due to DTB's sky-high standards, the organization
has been accepted as a candidate for ADI accreditation
(www.assistancedogsinternational.org). If approved during
the minimum two-year process, DTB will have to renew
accreditation every five years moving forward.
Dee De encourages everyone looking into the possibility
of having a service dog to thoroughly vet the training
programs they encounter to ensure they're actually delivering
on their claims. All too oen, the opposite is true.
"Make sure that if you are looking for a service dog for a
disability, you are looking for standards and accreditation and
that you and the program know and understand what 'service
dog' really means," Dee De says.
To learn more about DTB or to make a donation, visit
www.dogtagbuddies.org or call (406) 969-1227. You can
also donate to the organization's Amazon Wishlist, or
through Amazon Smile.
How You Can Help
S
MT
Photo
by
Eric
Visocan
This rescue dog's life now has a whole new meaning.
