Let’s Help Those that Have Given Up so Much For US!
Our Mission
Paws Assisting Wounded WarriorS
PAWWS
Paws Assisting Wounded WarriorS is dedicated to providing trained service dogs to our United States military veterans afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We are committed to provide these service dogs and all related expenses at no cost to our veterans.
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
We are devoted to helping our United States military veterans afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
PTSD and TBI are the “invisible wounds” that many of our veterans will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Our dogs aid the veteran in the process of re-entering civilian life and help them cope with these challenges so they can live more independent and prosperous lives.
How the program works
Paws Assisting Wounded WarriorS is based in Palos Heights, IL. Our staff is comprised of professional dog trainers dedicated to the training of all our service dogs. Our canine candidates come from a variety of sources, including rescue dogs.
The first step on the program is to pair the wounded warrior with a dog. All canine candidates must pass a series of temperament tests in order to be eligible to enter into the program. In addition, all dogs must be at a pre-determined level of obedience before being handed over to the veteran. The ‘pairing process’ between the veteran and dog is critical because the ‘bond’ that develops between them is an essential element of the program. They will live together from that point forward. All placement and training fees are at no cost to the veteran.
Our service dogs are trained for a series of standard commands however depending on the individual needs of the veteran, the dog will undergo additional training for these specific tasks. The canine will then become an official ‘Certified Service Dog’.
A Certified Service Dog is allowed by law to enter public places such as the veteran’s work place, restaurants, buses, stores etc. These are rights set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Our program runs approximately 6 months in length and is comprised of several training stages, most of which are catered to the individual requirements of each soldier / canine team. These stages include individual and group sessions focusing on canine behavior, canine care and hygiene, training techniques, dog-whispering techniques, obedience, public access and socialization, specialized service tasks and more. Each team shall satisfy a minimum of 80 hours of specific service-training and public access.
The skills learned in our program can also aid in new career paths for some of our veterans. These include but are not limited to canine behaviorist, trainers, veterinary technicians, professional dog handlers, groomers and more.
All funding is derived from charitable donations. Please help our cause and donate today.
Paws Assisting Wounded WarriorS is in the process of filing our Application for Recognition of Exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code February 2012. We are operating within IRS Compliance for Non-Profit Public Charities before Exempt Status is recognized.
