CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - It takes more than a year to prepare a dog to partner a veteran with post-traumatic stress or to work with an autistic child.

Carmichael breeder and trainer Jan Lopez – who began the nonprofit Breeding Education Service and Training for service dogs six years ago – estimates $25,000 is needed for the process. Expenses mount beyond the cost of the puppy itself: specialized training, food, vet bills and health clearances add up.

A September 25 fundraiser will support Lopez’s operation. Guests at her open house will meet canines in training and be offered a chance to bid on art. Paintings by famed Carmichael painter Earl Boley are among auction items. Other artists include Helen Plenert, S.R. Jones, Susan Leith, Grey Lux, Euan Rannachan and Gabriel Teague. The event will be staged on Lopez’s ranch-style Carmichael property.

Lopez’s Labrador Retrievers (a favored breed for service training) have been placed with national agencies like Paws for Purple Hearts, Joyful Paws Service Dogs and Good Dog Service Canines. “You can’t have service dogs without puppies,” she says. “My puppies go to experienced groups that provide dogs for people who desperately need them.

“One of my dogs is in Connecticut; others are in Detroit, San Antonio, Nebraska and New York. These are all good Carmichael dogs – but they go to work where they are needed.”

Training starts with basic obedience skills and works towards public access. “This includes trips to stores, restaurants, parks,” she says. “They train anywhere where their eventual partners might want to take them.”

When dog-lovers see a trainer and student out shopping, they are gently reminded that a working team should not be distracted. “It’s understandable people want to approach them,” says the trainer. “But they need to do their work. Service dogs will eventually be paired with people who want to lead normal lives.”

Her breeding operation produces one or two litters per year and puppies are placed with service agencies at about nine weeks old. “It’s tough to part with a puppy you’ve raised with love,” says Lopez. But it’s my philosophy to be happy. They’re going somewhere they’ll be loved. They’ll change someone’s life for the better.”

Learn about the art show/fundraiser at www.bestservicedogs.org or call (916) 277 5189.