Demand for Service Dogs Creates an Unregulated ‘Wild West’ Market

Everyone wants a service dog and the demand for these helpful pups has led to the rise of an industry with almost no regulation and it can be pricey. Organizations can charge anywhere from $15,000 to $40,000 for a fully trained service dog depending on the type of ailments they are supposed to help with. Trainers for their part do incur a lot of costs for boarding, training and feeding and must also account for some 60% of dogs that don't make it through the training process. Some families in desperate need of these services opt for buying their own dog and then getting them trained which could be a gamble. Markian Hawryluk, senior Colorado correspondent for Kaiser Health News, joins us for the 'Wild West' market of service dogs.

Next, like many industries, the pandemic has taken the plant-based food industry on a rollercoaster ride. Early on, regular meat prices rose by about 40% which led to sales of plant-based meat as an alternative rise by 65%. However, by the end of last year sales were down leading many to think that maybe the novelty had worn off and the industry had peaked. The reality is that there is still a lot more to come, whether it be in the form of more fast food launches or other products beyond meat alternatives such as chicken, seafood, and bacon. Kenny Torella, reporter at Vox, joins us for the pandemic highs and lows of the plant-based food industry.

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