PonderEthereal

There is no central registry of service dogs. There is no company or organization or government department that you are required to register your service dog with. That said, it is polite and safe to provide your service dog with some form of public identification.

There are several companies and organizations who offer you an identification kit and ‘registration’ with their company or organization for a few hundred dollars. There are also websites who will sell you customized identification cards for your dog for anywhere from $10 to $20 apiece, with shipping. It’s tempting to think that these offer some sort of validity to the dog and that is what you are purchasing… but it doesn’t and you aren’t.

In fact, you can very easily make your OWN identification for your service dog, make it look exactly like you want it to look, make it say what you want it to say, have it in your hands in minutes and pay no more than $3, all told. I paid $1.

So, here is a how-to. It makes a great DIY project or a cost effective alternative. This tutorial includes template files to make it easier for you to do yourself. If you are unable to modify the files required to create your identification, that’s covered too.

How to Make a Service Dog ID Card

1. You’re going to create your card on your computer as an image file and then print the image. To do this, use a graphics program such as photoshop or printshop to create your graphic. If you don’t have these programs, try the open source (free) comparable program, gimp.
2. With your graphics program (see #1), create a new, blank image that is 300 pixels per inch and is 2.13 inches by 3.38 inches (or approx 638 x 1013 pixels). This size card will fit into any card carrier and the resolution of 300 pixels per inch will print at a very high quality, giving it a very professional look. If you need to make the file size smaller for any reason, decrease the pixels per inch, not the measurements. If you are not sure how to create an image to these specs, here is a blank jpg to start with. (right click and save as)
3. Once you have created your blank image (or opened the one provided in your graphics program), you need to add information about your dog, a picture of your dog and information about you. What you add to your card is up to you. However, There are quite a few good examples out there to take your cue from. I recommend adding at LEAST your dog’s picture, his/her gender, weight, color and breed and your name. you might also consider adding the year the id was created and your dog’s age, his or her local registration numbers, if any, or any other identification information.
4. Now that you know what you want on it, it’s time to actually design the card. You can also look at other types of identification cards you might have to get ideas. Some examples might be your insurance card, your library card, your drivers license etc. DO NOT COPY any one source or create a ‘fake id’… just get inspiration from them. What information do they include or highlight? What impression do you get when you look at them? What elements do you like or not like, want to change or use?

   As a graphic designer, here are a few tips for creating a quality looking service dog identification card :

   • use one or two solid, basic (blues, reds, yellows) colors rather than several, secondary or pastel colors
   • use only one font
   • Give it a very clear, clean crisp look by minimizing the amount of information and using a sans serif font. Give it a very full look by adding lots of information and using a serif font (a font with tails on the letters).
   • use squares and lines to define the space in a very precise looking way

   And just in case you’d rather have a template to start with, here they are :
   Editable PDF service dog identification template (not compatible with early versions of PDF readers
   PSD (photoshop CS3) service dog identification template

5. Once you are happy with your ID, you have a couple of options to get it printed. If you have a high quality printer, you can print it yourself on the highest quality setting, on white card stock. Otherwise, you can save your file to a memory stick, disc or cd and take it to your local Kinkos or Staples and ask them to print it on card stock for you. It will cost you less than a dollar.
6. Once it’s printed, you can either purchase an identification card sleeve with a clip for a dollar or so or you can get it laminated at your local office supplies store. I got mine laminated (pre cut for an identification card clip) at Staples for a dollar.

If You are Unable to Create Your Own Image

I will use my template (see the image at the top of this post) and plug your information and picture in and email it to you. Leave a comment on this post and I’ll email you back. You will then save the image I send you and pick up with step 5.

Optional Informational Card

Each time you enter a business and any time you are in public with your service dog, you could be asked questions about your dog.

On the back of my identification card, I printed an informational card geared towards a business owner or manager. You might also create one geared towards service dog etiquette. Optionally, you might want to print these cards separately so that you can actually hand them out.

At any rate, no matter what approach you decide to take, create the cards in the very same way as you created your identification card - but with different text. I recommend using the service dog FAQ found at the Department of Justice ADA website, which may be reproduced at will. I have included my template which you may reuse without modification :

Also See
How to Make a Service Dog Vest