© 2024 Give Us Paws
HOUSTON 501(C)(3) PROVIDING FREE SERVICE DOG TRAINING FOR VETERANS AND
PAID TRAINING FOR CIVILIANS SUFFERING FROM PTSD AND OTHER DISABILITIES
Task training is customized to the needs of each individual handler. Some of the tasks available include:
The cost for a disabled handler to train their own Service Dog in our program is $3,000.00-$4,500.00, but we do everything we can to provide training services free of charge for our disabled veterans. For civilians, if financial eligibility requirements are met, this amount can be subsidized in part or whole according to your family’s combined countable yearly income, if funds are available. Please see our eligibility and pricing to see if you qualify for subsidized services.
In Give Us Paws’ training program, the primary trainer of the Service Dog is the dog’s disabled handler with the instruction, coaching and guidance of a qualified dog trainer supported by our staff. Each training session will last 1 hour. The handler will be required to log training sessions each week. At completion of the program, a handler/service dog team will have passed the Public Access Test and have full control of at least three tasks that mitigate the handler’s disability. The handler will have training skills and the dog will have foundation behaviors to help develop further task behaviors as needed.
The cost to train a Service Dog in our program is $2,400.00-$4,800.00, but we do everything we can to provide training services free of charge for our disabled veterans. For civilians, please see our eligibility requirements and pricing to see if you qualify for our services.
Any disabled American Veteran can apply to Give Us Paws to train their existing dog that’s over 6 months and less than 6 years old. This service is also available to other Americans with disabilities. Please view our eligibility requirements. Once an application is accepted, an evaluation interview will be conducted and every attempt will be made to acquire funding for candidates.
All of the money and supplies needed for our training programs are donated through private or corporate sponsorships and gifts.
Check eligibility requirements, go to the Service Dog Application and fill out the application form!
The Give Us Paws training program generally takes 8 months to a year.
We DO NOT provide services for the following disabilities:
Other disability qualifications determined on a case-by-case basis.
We leave breed choice up to our clients, although we consider ease of care, increased veterinary and grooming costs for large or long-haired dogs, and size requirements for certain handlers or tasks. We recommend our clients choose a type of dog they like with these qualities in mind. First and foremost, our evaluation of a dog’s temperament before being accepted into our training program is our main consideration.
If you have an existing dog or cat in the household other than your Service Dog, we will make determinations on a case-by-case basis as to whether our program is right for your household. Other animals can present distractions which detract from the efficiency of the training schedule. Once accepted into the Service Dog training program, we do not allow fostering or ownership of any new animals into the household until the training program is completed.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” It also specifies that “organizations that serve the public must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally allowed to go.”
That’s why it’s important to differentiate Service Dogs from therapy dogs, emotional support dogs or companion animals (pets): Service dogs and their handlers are granted special access rights that don’t apply to other types of animals.
Therapy dogs visit patients and residents in hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, schools, and shelters to provide solace, affection, and stress relief. Their interactions tend to be short duration. Therapy dogs have very stable temperaments to tolerate other animals and occasionally intense situations without becoming upset, nervous, or dangerous. These dogs can be extremely helpful to those they visit, but they are not the same as Service Dogs who form a long-term team with their handlers. Handlers of therapy dogs are not permitted public accommodation and access like handlers of service dogs.
An Emotional Support Animal is a dog or other common domestic animal that provides theraputic support to a disabled or elderly owner through companionship, non-judgmental positive regard, affection, and a focus in life. If a doctor determines that a patient with a disabling mental illness would benefit from the companionship of an emotional support animal, the doctor may write letters supporting a request by the patient to keep the ESA in “no pets” housing. ESAs are not task trained like service dogs are. Handlers of ESAs are not permitted public accommodation and access like handlers of service dogs.
Give Us Paws is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation based in Houston, Texas. We provide subsidized and free training of eligible candidates’ dogs as service animals.
Tax ID# 46-3527671