Dogs with the personality and temperament to be emotional support companions are selected and adopted by Paws for Heroes from local shelters and rescue groups. To qualify for the Paws for Heroes program, a dog must be friendly with all people and animals, self-confident and human-focused. The dogs cannot have negative or aggressive traits such as resource-guarding, thunderstorm anxiety, or a strong prey drive.
The dogās training begins by living with a foster family for a month, where it learns āhouse manners.ā After that, the dog spends at least another month at a board-and-train facility, where it receives positive-reinforcement basic training until reaching the Good Canine Citizen equivalent.
After training is completed, Paws for Heroes presents the dog to the veteran along with a crate, crate-liner, bed, leash, collar, bowls, toys and a starter kit of healthful food and preventive medication. At this point, veterans and their Paws for Heroes dogs start their new life together. Paws for Heroes maintains permanent contact with the veteran, and if there is a circumstance in which the veteran can no longer care for the dog, Paws for Heroes will find another home for the dog.
The expenses incurred for veterinarians, trainers, and other miscellaneous costs average around $10,000 for each veteran-and-dog match. Paws for Heroes is honored to provide these services because they love dogs and have profound respect for veterans.Ā
To hear some of the stories from veterans served by Paws for Heroesā volunteers, visit the Battle Buddies page on the website or visit the Paws for Heroes YouTube page.
4Knines is proud to shine a light on the work of Paws for Heroes, and we hope you will consider joining us to support their mission. Donating is easy via the Paws for Heroes website, and they are always in need of reliable volunteers.