4 Paws for Ability Service Dogs
 The month of May holds two very important dates that recognize our Veterans: Armed Forces Day on May 19 and Memorial Day on May 28.
During the month of May, you can purchase a WOOF pro-cut vinyl decal for your car window or bumper, and $5 for each one sold goes as a donation to 4 Paws to support our Veterans Program.
The vinyl decals are $12/each and $5/each will go to 4 Paws when you choose us at checkout!
You can also purchase any Simple Dog bumper sticker, magnet or t-shirt and donate $5 to us too, when you enter your selection in the boxes at checkout. Your donations help us pair vets with lifesaving service dogs.
This special online fundraiser lasts until May 31 while supplies last, so get your WOOF sticker today. Here's how to order:
- Go to www.simpledog.org/pets4vets.
- $5 of every woof decal sold goes as a cash donation to 4 Paws when you scroll down to the blue box, choose your woof decal item, then choose 4 Paws from the drop-down menu.
- Add item to cart, then checkout.
- You can purchase t-shirts and other stickers too, by selecting the item(s) you would like to purchase by shopping the main catalog here www.simpledog.org/shop
- You simply select the item to purchase, scroll down to the blue checkout area on the item page, and enter 4 Paws in the box at checkout. You will see 4 Paws as the designated charity in the shopping cart. You can buy multiple items at once by adding items to your cart.
- There is a green shopping cart button upper right of the main menu on each page, that has your items ready for purchase.
Thank you for supporting 4 Paws Veterans Program!
| As of January 2012, 4 Paws for Ability has trained and placed over 650 service dogs! |
|
Happy Easter, Slugger
April 2012. Slugger & Cole celebrate Easter
Three 4 Paws Dog at the National Week for Epilepsy!
March 31, 2012. Three 4 Paws for Ability Dogs at the National Walk for Epilepsy today in Washington, D.C. Bo, Samba and Slugger! They are an important part of our team. See them in an Instagram.
Fundraising in memory of Brody Logan tops $40,000!
Although grieving at the loss of their son, Brody, who suffered from seizures, Brody Logan's family decided to raise funds for 4 Paws for Ability, so other children diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome would have a better chance at life. On March 17, the Logans and many friends raised over $40,000 for 4 Paws. Read the article in SouthShoreWoman.
USA WEEKEND features 4 Paws on cover and with article
March 9-11, 2012. "There are 52 million people with disabilities in the United States; only 1% use service dogs," says USA WEEKEND writer KCOUGHLIN. "Service dogs all have the same mission: to give love, companionship and assistance to their owner."
"4 Paws has no waiting list and turns no one away. They train and place dogs with children – regardless of the disability." Read the entire article on 4 Paws.
Juke calms Logan during severe meltdown
February 25, 2012, updated March 12, 2012. Tonight I decided to see if Juke would do what he was trained to do. Logan was having a major meltdown and I made Logan move to his room for fear that he would hurt me during a tantrum and told Juke to "go to your boy." Once in the room, I said the command "Lap" and pointed at Logan who was screaming and head-banging.
Juke jumped on the bed, backed up and sat on him, looking a little scared...It was a total transformation! Logan quit screaming and put his hand on Juke's back. I put my hand over his and helped him pet him. He cried and we petted Juke for about 10 minutes until Logan was happy.
Thank God for a good working service dog. I am forever grateful...from Logan's mother.
UPDATE: KTUU coverage called Revisiting Logan, and video of interview with Dee Dee Jonrowe, Iditarod musher, who called Donna Erickson as soon as she made it into Unalakleet on Sunday.
New service dog alerts sleeping family to son's escape
February 24, 2012. "Clifford saved Alex's life last night," says Alex's mother. "Earlier, we went to bed really tired, and were sleeping soundly when Alex got up and opened the back door. We didn't hear the alarm. That's when Clifford acted. He came into our bedroom and jumped into our bed licking my husband's face then licking my face back and forth until he woke us up.
"When I woke up I heard the alarm. Clifford took off running and led me to the back door where Alex was. I took Alex back to his room and Clifford jumped up into bed with Alex and laid over him without being told to and this was around 4:20 a.m.
My husband and I went back to bed after dealing with the alarm company. When we got up at 7, Clifford was still laying on Alex.
"How can you thank a service dog for saving your son from being outside at 4 in the morning and it's 27 degrees? And we just got Clifford in January!
"God Bless 4 Paws for putting Alex and Clifford together."
Top of Page |
 |
| Assistance
Dogs |
|
Make a Dream Come True |
 |
|
 |
| Does your child have disabilities that fall into two categories
of service dogs? Ask about our multipurpose service dogs!
We train our dogs case specific and
will work with you to meet your or your child's unique needs... |
|
Little three-and-a-half-year-old Chad has been on High Risk since birth, due to the fact that one parent is schizophrenic (plus autistic) and the other is developmentally disabled. Read more about how to make a dream come true for this little tot... |
 |
|
|
| Donate
to 4 Paws for Ability |
|
Online
Support Network |
 |
|
 |
| We rely on
the generosity of individuals, as well as corporations, and
accept donations for operating expenses, training, food, toys,
training supplies, medication, and our building fund. Learn
more about how your donation can change lives... |
|
"I was
always afraid to join a support
group, I thought all I would ever hear
was parents complain about their
special needs child, or why did God let
this happen to them. This
group has
blown me away with their love, friend-
ship, faith, and zest for life..." |
|
|
|
| Frequently
Asked Questions |
|
Our
Mission and Goals |
 |
|
 |
| How do
you decide who gets a dog? We believe service dogs should
be made available to any child with a disability who wishes to
have the love, companionship, and independence
that are the result of a service dog placement... |
|
We not only
serve the needs of children with disabilities, but we strive
to reduce the number of unwanted animals who would otherwise
be destroyed by obtaining the majority
of our animals from shelters and rescue groups... |
|
|
|
NH students walk the coast to raise funds for 4 Paws!
Hello Karen,
 My name is Don Barber and I am a teacher of a 4th-6th grade class at the Cornerstone School in Stratham, NH. This past Friday, 19 students from my classroom and another 19 students from a second 4th-6th grade class at our school walked 4 miles of the New Hampshire coast in order to raise money for "4 Paws."
I initially became aware of the organization when a friend mentioned to me that she had a cousin whose family was trying to raise money so he could get a dog through your group. Her cousin is Gabe Kakitis.
 I still do not know how much money we raised, as money will be coming in during the week, but I was in contact with Gabe's mom over the weekend, and she let me know that they have been able to raise everything that they needed for him.
That means we will be looking to make a different donation of some kind to your organization. Gabe's mom and I are thinking of it as a superabundance on behalf of Gabe.
Having just heard from a couple of the walkers, there are some who raised several hundred dollars each! Can you give me some guidance on how an over one thousand dollar donation from an enthusiastic group of 9-12 year olds might best be directed?
I see on your web site that it is possible to give to specific children, but any advice from your perspective on things would be helpful.
 Attached, please find some pictures from our walk. Note especially the T-shirts students made for their walk. Also, because we were walking at low tide, there were many students who were writing "4 Paws forability.com" in the wet sand along the way.
You had 6 hours of free beach front advertising! Some of the students were telling other walkers along the beach about the cause. It was especially neat to see people who were walking dogs take an interest.
I look forward to hearing from you, Don Barber
4 Paws for Ability Expands its Training Services
 January 2012. A new training center has just opened in Anchorage, Alaska! 4 Paws for Ability Alaska received its first 4 Paws puppies in December and is busy preparing them for placement. 4 Paws Alaska is a direct branch of 4 Paws for Ability: all dogs are being trained and placed to 4 Paws standards under the supervision of the 4 Paws Training Director, Jeremy Dulebohn.
Meet new Alaska Training Manager Peg Walsh Bernert. She's had a lifetime passion for all things pertaining to dogs, but it wasn't until her three-year-old autistic son Leo was lost and presumed drowned that she entered the service dog world.
"Autism is a rocky road," says Bernert. "Our service dog Halo evens out that road for us. She keeps our son safe, she comforts him, and she brings peace to our family. By training dogs in Autism Assistance, Seizure Alert, Hearing Alert, and Mobility Assistance, I hope to bring the magic of 4 Paws to other families and help to even out their rough roads."
For more details, go to our new Alaska Training Facility Page.
How much does a service dog cost?
At 4 Paws For Ability it costs $22,000 to train and place a service dog with a disabled child. However, our families engage in fundraising activities as volunteers for 4 Paws to qualify for a free service dog. Each family is asked to help raise at least $13,000. It costs about $1,500 - $2,000 to maintain a service dog each year...about $100 a month. Learn more about costs...
|
|
