4 Paws For Ability

1. Mission

1.1. The program aims to "enrich the lives of children with disabilities by the training and placement of quality, task trained service dogs to provide increased independence for the children and assistance to their families"

1.2. Educate the public to accept the use of service dogs in public places

2. Inclusion

2.1. - This program does not have a minimum age requirement and it does not require that families give up an existing pet like several other programs do - Families can receive a dog regardless of the severity of the child's condition - it's for everyone! - This program  has an incredibly high success rate with families, "We have a 98% success rate in placements: we have a 90% success rate with the first dog placed in the home and an overall success rate of 98%"

2.2. One of the many goals of 4 Paws For Ability is to include as many children as possible in the program so that they may be given the opportunity to grow and learn with the dogs. They aim to provide children with a specially trained dog that is capable of being a comfort to them while at the same time teaching them to be as independent as possible.

3. Access to the program

3.1. To become a part of the program, parents must fill out an application that asks several types of questions to ensure that the family will be able to handle the responsibility of a dog.

3.2. Some questions on the survey ask about the child's needs and how the dog will help them to be more independent Other questions focus on making sure the parents realize they are essentially "adopting a child". In some cases program is most effective when the child with the disability is the primary caregiver and therefore the only one to feed, handle and play with the dog. The survey asks if siblings of the child will be able to adhere to these rules should they be necessary (if the child has autism, this will need to be implemented)

4. Services & Programs

4.1. There are several types of service dogs in the program: 1. Autism Assistance Dog 2. Child Application 3. Diabetic Alert Dog 4. FASD Assistance Dog 5. Hearing Ear Dog 6. Mobility Assistance Dog 7. Multipurpose Assistance Dog 8. 4 Paws for Veterans 9. Seizure Assistance Dog

4.2. Each dog is specially trained for a specific condition. They are raised by families and undergo a rigorous training regiment to ensure that they have the personality to be a service dog.

5. Interested in learning more??

5.1. 4 Paws For Ability 253 Dayton Ave. Xenia, Ohio 45385 Email: [email protected] Phone: (937) 374-0385

5.2. They can also be contacted online through the website: http://4pawsforability.org/contact/