As a national non-profit organization, PAWS relies heavily upon the generosity of donors who support the work we do for people with disabilities. Our clients pay no fee to apply for or to receive their Assistance Dog from PAWS. The sponsorship to train and place a PAWS Assistance Dogs is $30,000. PAWS allows and encourages clients to participate in fund raising activities. Our most successful clients are those who played an active role in their fund raising and placement process in their quest for independence.
Please note: It is PAWS policy not to place an Assistance Dog in a home with another dog under the age of 10 years. It has been our experience that a young dog in the home can interfere with the bonding and training process of the Assistance Dog team.
Hearing Dogs
Hearing Dogs learn to alert individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to basic sounds such as a smoke alarm, a ringing telephone, a crying baby or a doorbell. The dog is trained to alert the individual of a sound and then lead them to the sound. If the sound being alerted to is a smoke alarm, the dog then accompanies the owner out of the building. All PAWS Hearing Dogs are taught basic American Sign Language commands. Hearing Dog training takes approximately 4 - 6 months at the PAWS National Headquarters and Training Center. PAWS training Hearing Dogs for individuals 18 years of age and older.
If you would like to receive more information about applying for a PAWS Hearing Dog, please contact us.
Service Dogs
Service Dogs are custom-trained to assist people with physical disabilities or seizure disorders. Service Dogs can perform tasks such as opening doors, turning light switches on/off, or picking up an object as small as a dime. Should the client fall, the dog can even be trained to act as a brace so the person can regain position. Service Dog training takes approximately 6 - 9 months at the PAWS National Headquarters and Training Center. PAWS trains Service Dogs for those14 years of age and older.
If you would like to receive more information about applying for a PAWS Service Dog, please contact us.
Seizure Response Dogs
PAWS is the nation's largest provider of Service Dogs trained to deal with seizure disorders. A dog can be trained to (among other things) push life-alert buttons, help and/or comfort a person during a seizure and get help or retrieve the phone for the client. Although we do not profess to train dogs to detect seizures, several of our Seizure Dogs have, after several years with a client, developed the ability to alert their owner of an oncoming seizure. Seizure Response Dog training takes approximately 6 - 9 months at the PAWS National Headquarters and Training Center. PAWS trains Seizure Response Dogs for individuals 14 years of age and older.
If you would like to receive more information about applying for a PAWS Seizure Response Dog, please contact us.
Service Dogs for Children with Autism
Paws With A Cause has added a program to train Service Dogs for Children with Autism (SDA). Started in 2009, the program’s success has yielded incredible benefits for the program’s clients.
Who are the clients?
- Children with Autism
- 4 - 12 years of age (must receive application by a child’s 7th birthday; must have a completed Needs Assessment by a child’s 9th birthday; placement must occur prior to a child’s 12th birthday)
- In an ongoing education program
- In a physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy or recreational therapy program
- Excellent family support
- Can be “runners”
- Parent or guardian must be one of the trained facilitators
- Sibling facilitators will need to be at least 18 years old
- No other dog in the home (can have other animals)
- Qualifying families must live in an area that is serviced by a PAWS Field Representative (to be determined upon application)
How can an Assistance Dog help a family living with autism?
- Dogs can help with social interactions and relationships. They are non-judgmental and accept any affection and interaction the child may offer. They will also solicit interaction with the child. The dog keeps the child focused and gives them a job, so they are less likely to run.
- Dogs can help with verbal and nonverbal communication; they help the child use words. An example is the dog’s name, the commands, or the child may just tell the dog how their day is going or how they are feeling. Dogs in this situation are non-threatening to the child.
- Dogs can help increase a child’s limited interests in activities or play. The child has to brush their teeth, comb their hair, use the bathroom, and eat. So does their dog. The child can learn these basic tasks by doing these things for their dog, and in turn, do them for themselves. The child can take their dog for a walk or play fetch with their dog. This gets the child outside and exercising.
- Dogs can decrease stress overall within the family and home life.
If you would like to receive more information about applying for a PAWS Service Dog for a child with autism, please contact us.
While Paws With A Cause has established eligibility criterion for the types of Assistance Dogs we provide, we do not discriminate against any applicant based on race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, age, nationality, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, citizenship status, military service status or any other consideration as indicated by federal, state or local laws.
If you or your child are much younger than the above minimum ages, we recommend that you visit the website of Assistance Dogs International (www.assistancedogsinternational.org) for a listing of member programs, some of which train for younger children.