Helping those with PTSD, TBI, and other disabilities

Service Dog Express, LLC, started in “Military City, USA” or as it’s formally known – San Antonio, TX in 2012.  The CEO and founder, Laurie, saw just how many wounded warriors and veterans there were that could greatly benefit from the assistance of a properly trained Service Dog.  Our first clients were all wounded warriors, but then we started realizing the need for Service Dogs for so many other people in Texas with different disabilities.

Many large Service Dog organizations that exist throughout the country offer excellent quality dogs, but they are far from San Antonio and can end up costing the client up to $25,000 dollars for a Service Dog who they are usually given approximately two weeks to bond with.  Their waiting lists can run up to five years. These dogs are raised from puppyhood and trained for two years to perform many Service Dog functions.  However, our CEO felt that although these dogs could do many amazing tasks, there was not enough bonding time between the client and the Service Dog – which she feels is the most crucial aspect of the process.  In addition, these dogs came from long breeding lines to weed out unwanted behaviors – but it was not helping with the overwhelming problem we have in our country with countless dogs in rescues and shelters that have amazing Service Dog potential.  Our business was thus established so that we prefer to work with the client who either:  1) already has a dog with whom they have an established bond or 2) we have assisted in assessing and choosing a dog from a local shelter, rescue group.  This greatly decreases the cost to the client and training can begin quickly. In addition, all training is done with the client and the Service Dog together – so they can learn and grow through the training process as a team.

Service Dog Express is always available for public and private speaking engagements, keynote speeches, and panel discussions. Laurie speaks about many Service Dog topics such as Service Dog etiquette, how and what Service Dogs can do, how to enter the Service Dog career field, how to integrate Service Dogs into schools and the workplace, accessibility rights, how to travel by flight with your Service Dog, and what to do if you are denied access.  She offers a progressive insight into some of the greatest trends that affect the Service Dog community as she is constantly trying to stay on top of new related research and topics.  Laurie also is in continuous contact with local Congressmen and State Senators regarding revisions that she believes need to be made to protect those with Service Dogs.