PAWS With a Cause train their service dogs for children with autism to act as constant companions and help them improve social interactions and relationships, expand verbal and nonverbal communication, teach life skills, increase interest in activities and decrease stress within the family. Applicants must be in an ongoing education program, as well as a speech, physical, occupational or recreational therapy program. To date, more than 3,000 Assistance Dogs have been placed with PAWS clients nationwide.
PAWS assistance dogs are typically 18-24 months old. Service Dogs for children with autism are primarily Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and crosses of the two breeds.
PAWS’s goal is to make the strongest possible match for each child in the “waiting pool.” Many factors are considered when evaluating a possible child-dog pairing including the individual’s needs, temperament, and lifestyle. Once a child is matched, the custom designed training program starts and continues for 3-6 months at PAWS Headquarters. Over the next 4-8 months, PAWS works with the child and their family to learn how to work with their assistance dog in their home, workplace, school, etc. When the client and PAWS dog are working well together, they are certified and ownership of the PAWS dog transfers to the client. Owners are required to train with their dog a minimum of one hour a day during team training. Teams are tested and recertified every 24 months to ensure they continue to work well together.
Not everyone who applies will be selected to receive a PAWS assistance dog. A child on the autism spectrum needs to demonstrate that an assistance dog will enhance their independence or their quality of life in order to qualify for application. PAWS only accepts a limited number of applications per year. PAWS selects individuals where the tasks provided by PAWS’ highly trained dogs will be of the greatest benefit. Children on the autism spectrum applying for a service dog with PAWS must be between 4-12 years old. Their application must be received by their 7th birthday and complete a needs assessment completed before their 9th birthday with placement prior to their 12th birthday.
PAWS With a Cause application requests will be available for a $25 fee starting Monday, January 9, 2023. Currently PAWS With a Cause dogs are available in parts of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
