Helping Paws, Inc.
About Us
Helping Paws is a nonprofit organization. Our mission is to further the independence of individuals with physical disabilities through their partnership with our carefully trained dogs. We breed, raise, train and place service dogs. We follow up with matched teams for the dog’s life in service.Service dogs are trained to provide assistance with activities of daily living. They also help grow the self-esteem of their human partners. Service dogs like to work and they love unconditionally.
The work we do at Helping Paws is specialized and volunteer-intensive. It takes approximately two-and-a-half years and $15,000 to prepare each dog for service. The outcome is priceless. It literally changes the lives of recipients and trainers of our service dogs, and of the dogs themselves. We have an exceptional reputation, which is why we have a two-year waiting list of applicants for our dogs.
A few highlights from our successful 2006-07 program yeart:
• Follow-up services were provided to 75 active service dog teams (training, grooming, exercise, health maintenance and veterinary financial assistance).
•Seventeen service dogs were placed with individuals with physical disabilities.
•Eighteen new puppies were added to the service dog-training program, bringing the number of dogs in training to 51 for the fiscal year.
•Awarded the Charities Review Council “Meet All Standards” seal in May 2007
•Awarded Accreditation by Assistance Dog International.
•Moved into our new facility at 630 12th Avenue South in Hopkins.
•More than 110 volunteers donated upwards of 48,856 hours to our programs and services
Why We Need a New Website
The new website will enhance our brand identity; reach our target audience; maximize donationa; free up staff time and will make us more effective and efficient.Messages From Supporters
When the judges choose which non-profits will be selected to participate in this year's F1 Challenge they will take into account testimonials from beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, board members and other
Helping Paws, Inc.630 12th Avenue South, PO Box 634
Hopkins, MN 55343
Our Mission
The mission of Helping Paws is to further the independence of individuals with physical disabilities through the use of service dogs. The human/animal bond is the foundation of Helping Paws. We celebrate th mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals, honoring the dignity and well being of all. Helping Paws service dogs promote self-sufficiency and empower people with physical disabilities.In spite of challenges large and small, most people who have physical disabilities cherish the reality or the prospect of independent living. With the right kind of assistance, many of their challenges can be managed. What’s needed is a practical way to minimize danger and assist individuals who have physical disabilities with daily tasks. That is the specialty of trained service dogs. And it’s why requests for service dogs are numerous and waiting lists are long. Generally speaking, it takes more than two years to train a service dog. The cost for training and placing each dog is approximately $15,000. The end result is priceless.
Helping Paws got its start in 1985 as a pilot project of the University of Minnesota’s Center for the Study of Human-Animal Relationships and Environments (CENSHARE Program). Helping Paws became a stand-alone nonprofit in 1988.
At Helping Paws, we breed, raise, train and carefully match service dogs to applicants who have physical disabilities. This is specialized, volunteer-intensive work, and the outcome literally changes lives—of recipients and trainers of our service dogs, and of the dogs themselves. Helping Paws has an excellent reputation which helps explain our two-year waiting list.
Helping Paws is unique in two critical areas. We breed our own dogs (primarily Golden and Labrador Retrievers), ensuring their background and suitability to become service dogs. We also maintain a relationship with each graduate and dog for as long as the dog is in service.
We feature six program areas to accomplish our work at Helping Paws: Service Dogs, Foster Homes, Breeding and Puppy Acquisition, Applicants and Graduates, Public Education and Outreach, and Volunteers. Volunteers are the heart of our program.
