RAPID CITY, S.D. — A Rapid City-area nonprofit is using Service Dog Awareness Month to highlight the role trained service dogs can play in the lives of disabled veterans while raising concerns about training costs, inadequate programs and fraudulent service animals.

Guardian Shepherd Service Dogs provides trained German Shepherds to veterans who are 100% disabled at no cost to the handler. The nonprofit says service dogs can assist veterans facing mobility limitations, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and medical episodes. Trained dogs can perform mobility tasks, interrupt PTSD symptoms and provide emotional grounding, giving handlers greater independence in their daily lives.

Providing that assistance comes with a significant price tag. According to Guardian Shepherd Service Dogs, fully training a service dog can cost between $17,000 and more than $40,000. Those expenses include professional training, specialized equipment, daily care and veterinary services.

The organization is operated by an unpaid, volunteer-based board and says donations are directed toward the dogs, their training and the veterans they serve.

Guardian Shepherd Service Dogs is also drawing attention to problems veterans can encounter when seeking a service dog. The organization says some veteran-focused programs have lengthy wait times, poor communication or provide dogs that are not adequately trained for a veteran’s individual needs. Guardian Shepherd Service Dogs says its approach focuses on transparency, veteran-centered training and continued support after a dog is placed.

Another concern is pets being falsely presented as service animals in public places. Untrained animals can create potentially unsafe encounters for legitimate service dog teams and make it more difficult for handlers who rely on trained animals.

South Dakota lawmakers addressed the issue through Senate Bill 82, which makes falsely representing a pet as a service animal to gain access to businesses and other public accommodations a Class 2 misdemeanor. Violations can carry up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine or both.

The organization is also celebrating one of its recent graduates. Odin, a service dog trained through the program, is now assisting his veteran handler in Colorado. Another dog, Astrid, is currently in training.

Guardian Shepherd Service Dogs is encouraging disabled veterans who may need assistance, prospective volunteers and community organizations interested in supporting its work to reach out. Donations to the nonprofit are tax deductible and help cover the expenses associated with training and caring for service dogs.

More information about Guardian Shepherd Service Dogs, its training program and ways to donate is available through the organization’s website.