I was originally introduced to Paws With A Cause (PAWS) in December by a coworker. I was doing some preliminary planning for the trip and he suggested that I start a fundraiser for PAWS. Soon after, coincidentally, I met a very kind person with a service/guide dog, and became very involved with the fundraising efforts.

About PAWS
Paws With A Cause trains Hearing Dogs, Service Dogs, and Guide Dogs. The sponsorship to breed/rescue, raise, train and place an Assistance Dog ordinarily exceeds $18,000. PAWS has been rescuing dogs to train as Assistance Dogs for nearly 25 years and the statistics have continuously shown that only 1 out of 8 rescues successfully complete training. PAWS has taken in over 5,000 dogs for training and only 625 have been successful in the program. They test over 1,000 dogs annually and only an average of 6% can pass the preliminary temperament test. The ones that pass are then put through another, more comprehensive test at the Training Center, along with a complete medical exam by a Veterinary Staff. These tests, which include x-rays of hips, elbows and shoulders, can be expensive. Often there are additional shipping costs for returning the dog if it was rescued from a shelter or rescue group in another state.

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.

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.

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.