oct 24 2022
lynn and i had the grand tour of holly's in process / new kennel-- and it is a thing of beauty... i hope i have the numbers right--- kennels are against a wooden back with stainless 3 sides she had 8 kennels not yet installed --- plus teh absolutely perfect guillotine type door--- with a swinging door added totalled about $3000 per kennel. we have about 30 kennels. so to replace what we now have with what she is doing is close tp $100,000 for just those hardware items......and that is without the heated floor-- which she thinks her solar will pay for... holly is a scientist type... and i would have confidence in her calculations.
she is a friend of my daughter gwen's-- the friendship is based on the fact that both their mothers are more than slightly nutty.
AND.... she told of a friend of her's who's kennel was considered "commercial" because she once earned $500 at some dog show. that made me wonder... if i have not earned even $1 with the dogs does that make us NOT commercial? SO WHAT ARE WE???? everybody can now refresh my memory... but..... i don't think i ever sold a dog or pup.
.once i stopped charging to make pictures/ movies i don't think i ever made money with my dogs/ i always strictly avoided the "puppy farm". title---dogs we "produce" are donated free of charge... dogs who do not make the program are donated to good homes.. usually with people who volunteer here... no money has ever been involved... if people like what we do they donate to the cause....people have donated to me to speak which is not all service dog topics... i sell monkey fists and things like that.... but i do not remember any time after 2000. when i sold a dog/pup.------- is that correct????
i have said before--- proving a negative can be difficult.. but if we are not a commercial kennel... we are strictly charity.. i think there are a few other service dog
facilities that do not "charge" for thier dogs...i know of many who have some complicated arriangement about earning money for the facility -- which frankkly is just too complicated for me..
plus i know... these people with the disabilities with which we deal already have their hands full and pockets often empty. HAVING ANY CHILD IS AN EXPENSIVE COMPLICATED DEAL.... the details of having an handicapped child just boggles my mind.
aiding the handcapped... especially veterans... has tremendous public interest...so our "following" has always made it possible for us to donate-- free of charge....
neither i nor my relatives draw any salary from SDP activities as i see in the 990 forms filed by other service dog facilities...
i think we are pure..... BOY AM I GOING TO CATCH IT IF I NEED TO BE CORRECTED.
MY INTENTIONS ARE PURE IS THE WAY SOME POLITICIANS WOULD PHRASE IT !!
to find a good home for any pups we can not use is a huge relief---
i have never paid anyone to take one - but i think that is more probable than charging someone...
