Paws With A Cause - PAWS Dogs

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	*I'm interested in Foster Puppies* !** HEARING DOGS >Hearing Dogs learn to alert individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing of basic sounds such as a smoke alarm, a ringing telephone, a crying baby or a doorbell. The dog is trained to bring the individual to the noise. While PAWS Dogs are not trained as protection animals, Hearing Dogs are trained to alert their partner to the sound of an intruder, as people with hearing related disabilities are often targeted by burglars. SERVICE DOGS 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. PAWS is also the largest provider of Service Dogs trained to deal with seizure disorders. A dog can be trained to (among other things) push life-alerts, help and/or comfort a person during a seizure and get help or 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, for reasons still not fully understood, developed the ability to alert their master of an oncoming seizure. PAWS trains Hearing Dogs only for individuals 18 years of age and older and Service Dog only for those 14 years of age and older. If you or your child are much younger than the minimum age, we recommend that you visit the website of Assistance Dogs International at www.adionline.org for a listing of member programs, some of which train for younger children. 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. Our clients pay no fee to apply for or receive their Assistance Dog Partner. PAWS allows and encourages clients to participate in fund raising activities if they are able. Our most successful clients are those who played an active role in the entire placement process and their quest for independence. If you would like to apply for an Assistance Dog, please call our office at 800-253-7297, or email PAWS at paws@pawswithacause.org and include your full name, age (if a minor), home mailing address and daytime telephone number. Please also indicate whether you would like to apply for a Hearing Dog, Service Dog, Seizure Response Dog or a combination of these. The sponsorship to train and place an Assistance Dog through PAWS is $20,000. SERVICE/GUIDE DOGS A Paws With A Cause Service/Guide Dog is an Assistance Dog that can help a person who is blind or visually impaired and has a physical disability requiring the use of a manual wheelchair for independent travel. A Service/Guide Dog is trained to do both Service Dog and Guide Dog tasks. Service Dog tasks may include opening and closing doors, turning lights on and off, dressing and removing articles of clothing, picking up and retrieving objects and pulling a wheelchair. Guide Dog tasks involve curb work, being sensitive to changes in elevation, guiding around clearance issues (pedestrians, overheads, etc.) and guiding a person safely around and through street traffic. People with multiple disabilities typically rely on assistance from family members, volunteers or paid personal aides. A Service/Guide Dog could help them achieve greater independence and enhance their quality of life. A Service/Guide Dog may enable them to do the following: increase their ability to travel independently decrease the client's need for outside personal care increase the client's participation in vocational/employment activities expand the client's involvement in community and social events increase the client's ability to function more self-sufficiently A Service/Guide Dog would be trained to assist the client with daily living activities and to guide them when they choose to travel independently. A PAWS Service/Guide Dog will give a client the potential to maximize their independence and mobility through training techniques and procedures desinged specifically for the client. Qualifications for the Service/Guide Dog program: Prospective Service/Guide Dog clients: are 18 year or older have had a Guide Dog in their life are blind or visually impaired with physical disabilities have the need to use a manual wheelchair for independent travel have completed orientation and mobility training are in a daily environment conducive to a Service/Guide Dog live in an area with a qualified PAWS Field Representative be willing to participate in evaluation of the program have a combined weight with wheelchair less than 250 lbs. The Service/Guide Dog program is able to place dogs in limited areas throughout the country. Please contact our office for additional information.


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