After years-long search, Norfolk vet may have found his service dog. But the process is harder than one might think.

VIRGINIA BEACH — After more than two years searching, Byron and Darcy Hendrix have a new friend who’s already brightening the family’s home.

Jeff, a 13-week-old sheepadoodle and service dog recruit, traveled to Norfolk from Arizona free of charge last weekend via a network of people and organizations united by a concern for the well-being of veterans. But Jeff’s path to becoming a certified service dog is uncertain as the Hendrixes struggle to find an affordable way to get him trained.

Darcy Hendrix, like Byron a disabled veteran, said she’s made searching for a service dog for her husband her full-time job. She said she’s spoken with more than 200 organizations, including at least 20 in Hampton Roads area, about getting a service dog for Byron.

The roadblocks have come down to cost and time: The Hendrixes need to have a dog with a certain level of certification or get on a waiting list for training that is 2-5 years long, said Darcy, 53.

The organizations Darcy has spoken with have been unwilling to put them on a payment plan, as well.

“I haven’t gotten anywhere, I just get a number to call another number,” she said.

Byron’s physicians with the Department of Veterans Affairs, who his wife said have been “amazing,” recommended a service dog based on his condition. But the process has been arduous.

“The problem is you get a lot of roadblocks ... by the time you get there you’ve already wasted so much time that technically you could have already had a dog here working with him,” she said.

According to Assistance Dogs International, an assistance dog — guide, hearing or service — is trained to perform at least one task for an individual with a disability. In contrast, an emotional support dog provides only emotional support for a mental health condition or emotional disorder.

James Moss, Veterans of Foreign Wars assistant director for health policy, said the VA requires that veterans seek a referral from orthotic and prosthetic services, who will connect them with a service dog provider.

This is done at little to no cost to the veteran, and the VA will even cover veterinary bills throughout the canine’s lifespan. But the department will only mitigate the costs for service dogs provided by organizations accredited through Assistance Dogs International.

While dozens of providers serve Virginia veterans, Hampton Roads has just one accredited facility — Virginia Beach’s Mutts with a Mission. The next closest facility, Paws for Purple Hearts, is two hours away in Ruther Glen.

Mutts with a Mission receives roughly 50 applications a year, but typically accepts 15. Those selected wait about two years before taking home a dog trained to their unique needs. But the two-year wait is not unique to Mutts with a Mission, said Brooke Corson, director of the nonprofit.

Accredited service dog providers, Corson said, do not allow a dog to go home with its veteran until the dog has been systematically exposed, socialized, and trained to complete tasks that mitigate the veteran’s disabilities. The process takes 18-24 months.

Mutts with a Mission also requires that the dog and its matched veteran participate in two-week class, with annual recertifications, before the dog graduates. The training focuses on bonding the veteran and the dog, teaching the veteran what the dog is trained to do and working the pair through various scenarios. Such programs do not allow veterans to provide their own dogs.

“They aren’t just getting a pet — they are getting a highly trained and skilled dog that will change their life and with that comes responsibilities to the public and the dog,” Corson said.

The two-year wait can discourage people from seeking certified service dogs from accredited organizations.

“Unfortunately, many people want a service dog now,” Corson said.

Because the Hendrixes received Jeff through non-credentialed provider, the VA will not cover the cost to train him, which Corson said runs about $60,000 for two years of intense weekly training and custom-made gear for the dog. And training programs that would be covered by the VA typically do not allow veterans to provide their own dog.

In December, frustration sent Darcy to Facebook for help. She posted on the “Veterans Claims Assistance Group,” with more than 54,000 members across the country, and got connected to Dan McSparran, director of retiree services for the Arizona chapter of the nonprofit AT&T Veterans, and Bridgette Bollinger, a dog breeder and co-founder of the Arizona-based Asgardian Doodles.

McSparran, a disabled veteran, and Bollinger have partnered to provide 20 future service dogs to veterans across the country for free over the past 12 months, according to McSparran. They were accepting applications for puppies from a litter purchased by McSparran’s mother, Mary Jane, around the holidays. Darcy wrote a letter describing Byron’s situation.

Within a week they received a call saying they were approved — all it took was some heroics by Kim Whiles, a volunteer with Southwest Airlines’ Southwest Animal Transport Team, to get Jeff where he was needed.

“We’re looking to change veterans’ lives and make things better,” McSparran said. “It changes everything in your household, for your kids, your family — it changes everything for everybody.”

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Byron, 55, served in the Gulf War on the carrier USS John F. Kennedy and USS Nassau as an aviation boatswain’s mate. He was seriously injured in two accidents on board that left his body in shambles. Byron also suffers from diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep apnea, among other issues.

Jeff, a 13-week old sheepadoodle puppy and service dog recruit, travelled to Norfolk from Arizona to be paired with Byron Hendrix, a disabled veteran. (Kristine Hendrix, Kristine Hendrix Photography)

To the Hendrixes’ amazement, Jeff already seems to know his role. In the first week, Jeff was bouncing on Byron’s feet to help him realize his blood sugar had gotten low — which service dogs are trained to sense. If Byron gets upset, Jeff will nudge him and try to sit on his lap, Darcy said.

At night, Jeff already is cuddling up to Byron in bed and waking him when he has issues with apnea-related blockages. Because of his PTSD and difficulty hearing, Byron is easily startled. But Jeff and their other dog, Penny, serve as extra eyes and ears: they will sit up or look around when they sense someone coming.

“It helps you kind of smooth out the bumps in your life,” Byron said.

Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com

Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com