Requirements for Application to the Paws of War Program
Applicants shall be considered for partnership with a Paws of War Dog regardless of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), marital status, sexual orientation, or other categories protected by law.
StEp 1
MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS
Be honorably discharged from the service;
Be able to provide your own transportation to and from training sessions;
Be able to meet the physical, mental, and emotional needs of a dog, and have an adequate support system in place to do so when you are unable to yourself;
For applicants requesting assistance with any mental health condition, be current and remain in treatment with a mental health practitioner;
Be willing and able to commit to the training program and schedule;
Be able to provide financial support for the dog after ownership has been signed over.
STEP 2
Attend 2 consecutive weeks of classes without a dog (Once approved the schedule will be provided)
Attend weekly training classes once you obtain a dog.
Continue dog training for one year. Service dogs will require continual training and/or updates of videos.
APPLY
If you are still interested and meet these minimum qualifications, fill out the application below. Once received we will require medical information, a copy of your DD-214, your living situation and information gathered from your references and medical provider(s).
If your application and documentation lead us to believe that one of our dogs can assist you we will schedule a phone interview and consultation. The interview and consultation allows us to ask any further questions to ensure a good fit with our program and will allow us to confirm that you have realistic expectations of how a companion or service dog can assist you. This gives us the opportunity to explain what an average day with a service dog will be like by going over the details of a regular day for you and the different tasks the service dog would need to be trained in to assist you.
If you, your medical provider, and Paws of War still agree that a service dog is in your best interest, we would then write out a customized contract going over all the details for you to review. This is when we would ask you to take your time and discuss all of your options with friends and family. We want to make sure this is the right decision for you. You can take days, or even months to weigh your options. A service dog can bring life-changing assistance to a veteran – but it is a decision that will affect you for the life of the dog.
Please note, not all our dogs qualify to be a service dog, so when filling out an application for a service dog please keep this in mind
