Sitemap for 4 Paws for Ability

4 Paws for Ability, Inc™ (4 Paws), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, provides specially trained service dogs for companionship and assistance with independent living to individuals with physical and hidden disabilities.

We're unlike other service dog organizations in that we do not discriminate or limit placements or applicant acceptance based upon age or disability, having approximately 90% of placements for children under the age of ten years. Based in Xenia, Ohio, 4 Paws has grown from a regional provider to an international organization placing service dogs in almost all 50 states and Canada. In addition, we often have interns from countries as far away as Japan, Poland, and Australia.

Types of placements range from companion dogs for emotional support to fully trained service dogs. Our growth has been substantial - from 1998 through 2006 we placed 203 dogs, with 54 of these 203 dogs being placed in 2006 alone. Following is a list of pages on this website, which we hope you will find of value:

• About Us  There are so many ways to describe this organization that strives to meet the needs of children with disabilities and their families. Perhaps the best way is to...



• All Dogs: Intro page  We have no eligibility requirements beyond a physician's statement that the person requesting a service dog has a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. We find creative, innovative means of assisting people with severe disabilities with solutions...



• Application for adult service dog. Download here...



• Assistance Dogs  Many of the families who come to 4 Paws do so asking if we can help their child who may have a disability not addressed by any of the service dog agencies they have located. At 4 Paws we understand and cater to the unique needs of each child...



• Autism Service Dogs  4 Paws was the first agency to begin placing skilled Autism Assistance Dogs and continues to be the largest organization in the United States and the only organization placing in other Countries Autism Assistance Dogs with tracking. While other smaller organizations are attempting to duplicate our services 4 Paws remains the organization that services such as the National Autism Center recommend to their families...



• Awards  Following is a partial list of the many awards bestowed upon 4 Paws for Ability: Volvo For Life Hero Award, Cincinnati Channel 9 WCPO, Dog Writer's Association of America, IAMS, Delta Society...



• Ben In 1987 I was a young person, going to school to become a social worker and taking life lightly. In addition to my full class schedule, I worked full time in the field of mental retardation. Like most college students, I existed on little sleep and was always tired...



• Calendar of 4 Paws Events  Calendar of 4 paws events and fundraising events throughout the country, most of which are to obtain a specila service dog for a disabled child...



• Application for a child needing a service dog. Download here...



• Childrens Gallery  Read more heartwarming stories about children and their dogs...



• Contact Us  Thank you for contacting 4 Paws for Ability! We have made provision for various types of communication with us, and look forward to answering your questions and visiting with you...



• Donations  Thank you for deciding to give to our tax-exempt organization! We are committed to helping as many children with disabilities as we can, and there are many ways to do so...



• Make A Dream Come True  Everyone has a dream or two, and this certainly applies to the children listed below. They (and their families) seek your help in a project that will bring life and vitality where there has been bleakness and despair. Courage is a keyword for these people. Read their stories. See if you can find a way to help make some worthwhile dreams come true. We are a 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax deductible...



• Our Facility  4 Paws took physical custody of the VFW Hall (6400 sq ft) in May of 2006 and went to work turning it into a first-rate, super center for our service dogs and their children! The training center which was built by Wilcon Corporation remains as our kennels...



• Frequently Asked Questions  We welcome families who may not fit the typical service dog concept and specialize in cutting edge placements and creative solutions for unconventional placements. Click here to learn about our multipurpose service dogs...



• Karen's children  I can still clearly remember the day I envisioned 4 Paws For Ability and began the journey toward a dream that would help people like me who had to live with disabilities. It was fall, and my service dog, Ben, and I sat behind our Ohio home watching the leaves drift lazily from nearby trees. My despair as a young woman with Myasthenia Gravis had finally disappeared because of this amazing dog's qualities. The struggle to get Ben was worth every shed tear and every gut-wrenching disappointment along the way...



• Foster a dog or pup  4 Paws depends on a large pool of volunteers to meet the growing demand for service animals. While the dogs are puppies and/or in the early stages of training they live in foster homes who help with their training. You can help! Foster one of our service dogs in training and watch the magic begin...



• Founders  4 Paws for Ability, Inc™, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded by Karen Shirk in 1998 in large part because of the inspiration of her service dog, Ben. Karen considers Ben to have been her co-founder. Karen has a BSW (Bachelors Social Work) degree. 4 Paws provides specially trained service dogs for companionship and assistance with independent living to individuals with physical and hidden disabilities...



• Fundraising  We all remember the daunting feelings we had at the start of our fund raising, and even during. But we can help others overcome these feelings and help ensure their success in return. They gain through our success the knowledge that they too can do it! As a team we offer so much that others may not have...



• Hearing Dogs  Signal Dogs, also known as Hearing Ear Dogs, assist people with hearing impairments by alerting them to the presence of sound in the environment...



• Our Heroes  At 4 Paws, Christopher Reeve was a hero. He brought disability to light in a manner no one has ever done before, and the strides he made to bridge the gap between disabled and typical will never be forgotten...



• Our History  Many families with young children typically have no place else to turn as many organizations either have waiting lists or age specific requirements. Karen Shirk, the Executive Director, knows this from her personal experience. In the late 1990's, Karen was searching for a service dog but was turned down by multiple agencies during a very trying time in her life...



• How Can I Help?  There are many ways you can help at 4 Paws for Ability! We have families who want you to help make their dreams come true. We need you to sponsor a dog (autism, multipurpose, mobility assistance, hearing, and seizure assistance). We need sponsors for dogs and items. We have an active Wish List. We need foster care puppy raisers. We need volunteers. And we have administrative and facility costs. The ways that you can help be a part of this program are almost without limit...



• Home page  Did you know that 4 Paws for Ability specializes in service dog placements with people who are turned away by many other agencies. Our commitment is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities by training and placing service animals that provide them with companionship and promote independent living. We welcome families who may not fit the typical service dog concept and specialize in cutting edge placements and creative solutions for unconventional placements...



• Foreign Internships  Over the past three years 4 Paws has offered internships to dog trainers from other countries to come to the United States and learn how to train some of the dogs unique to our agency. It has been a wonderful experience to meet with and train several interns from Asian and Slavic Countries and we look forward to working with several trainers from Australia in...



• Media Page  Tail Wags, News & Events, Videos, Childrens' Gallery, Our Heroes...



• Our Mission and Goals  Our mission at 4 Paws for Ability is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities by training and placing service animals to provide them with companionship and promote independent living. We specialize in placements with people who are turned away by many other agencies...



• Mobility Assistance  Mobility Assistance Dogs increase the independence of a person who uses a wheelchair, has trouble standing, and/or with ambulating. They perform tasks such as retrieving dropped items and opening doors. These dogs are valuable assets for the person returning to the work force or school because they decrease dependence on other people. When the dog-human team is out and about in the community, a definite change is readily seen in the way the general public perceives disability...



• Multipurpose Assistance Dogs  Many of the families who come to 4 Paws do so asking if we can help their child who may have a disability not addressed by any of the service dog agencies they have located. At 4 Paws we understand and cater to the unique needs of each child...



• News & Events  Press releases, charity events, interviews...



• Memorials  Read these touching memorial tributes to precious people and dogs...



• Newsletters  Once a year, Karen Shirk takes time out to compile a comprehensive newsletter covering the scope of activities at 4 Paws for Ability. It's a "not-to-miss" publication...



• Online Family Support Network  This group helps so much. Especially when you're having a bad day and everything seems impossible. There are so many people here who are willing to just listen. And so many people here who are proof that it IS possible. When no one else in your community seems to know or understand what's going on it's great to be able to talk with other families and parents who are living it the same as you...



• Photo Gallery  Picture Stories of events revolving around 4 Paws for Ability...



• Donate A Puppy  When a breeder contacts 4 Paws For Ability to donate a puppy, they have questions and we have questions. We have a plan to begin the process of doing both. Along with this handout, which we hope will answer your questions, is a question and answer form we need you to complete and return to answer ours...



• Rover Rehab  A Collaborative Effort With Warren Correctional Institution, Franklin Pre-Release Center, and Lakin Correctional Facility For Women. At 4 Paws For Ability, Inc. we are proud of our collaboration with prison systems in Ohio and West Virginia. We all know of the healing powers of animals. They are our best friends, our constant companions, and they live their lives for us. However, day after day they are killed by the hundreds because the people they lived for couldn’t be bothered by them any longer. 4 Paws For Ability, Inc. is dedicated to assisting in the war to end this unnecessary destruction of life by selecting many of our Service Animals from local shelters and rescue groups...



• Seizure Assistance Dogs  At 4 Paws we have two main categories our training falls into Seizure Assistance Dogs and Seizure Assistance Dogs with facilitated Alert Training. These are discussed below. The seizure Assistance dog provides emotional support, and physical help to a person who has a seizure disorder...



• Be A Sponsor  We would love to count on you to be a sponsor. There are so many ways you can make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities...



• Online Store  All proceeds from this store will go to 4 Paws for Ability...



• Tail Wags  Tail Wags for the following veterinary practices for caring for our Service Dogs In-Training, Service Dog Puppies, and GSD Rescues. and for the people and organizations who donated funds, equipment or sponsored some of the many needs...



• Testimonials from Families & Dog Breeders   How much do I love this dog? Let me count the ways! Fundraisers, keep going. It's beyond worth it. Karen and Jeremy, there are not enough words on the planet to thank you for this... I hope this is just the beginning because Bo really gave me a glimpse into some freedom for our family tonight...We also have taken Zach out for ice cream and sat outside on Main Street of the town we live in. It was great we able to sit there without worry about Zach running in the road...



• Videos  We have a variety of videos for you to watch, from Ben, the Miracle Dog, who inspired Karen Shirk to start 4 Paws for Ability to training assistance dos, as well as a video on Paws With A Cause! And with the unprecedented jump in autistic children, you'll want to see the video on Autism Assistance Dogs. Inspiring...



• Be a Volunteer  We need help, and if you're not too busy, consider being part of our volunteer task force! This is a highly rewarding way to become involved in community service! Some of the types of needs we have at 4 Paws for Ability headquarters include (but are not limited to) the following...



• Wish List  A computer for the kids to use and small computer desks for them, Commercial size heaters - New (URGENT NEED), A Computer desk, Large toy boxes, A swing for a child in a wheelchair, Rope swing for children with Autism (sling type), and the list goes on...



• Web Ring  Autism Web Ring...

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