Facility Dogs
Facility dogs are working dogs specifically trained to help more than one person in facilities like schools, universities, hospitals, and other community settings.
Your Team's New Best Friend
Through our Animal Assisted Services, PAWS places professionally trained facility dogs with a designated handler or trainer to serve multiple individuals—unlike assistance dogs, which are trained to support just one person. These individuals benefit from the social interaction, recovery motivation, comfort, and sense of safety our facility dogs provide.
Facility dogs work well in the following environments:
- Schools & Universities
- Health Care Facilities: Doctors' Offices, Hospitals, & Mental Health Care Facilities
- Courthouses
- Emergency Response Offices
- Child Advocacy Centers
- Senior Living & Memory Care Facilities
- Funeral Homes
Why a PAWS facility dog?
Choosing a facility dog is about more than finding the right dog. It’s about choosing the right partner. At Paws With A Cause, we combine decades of experience, nationally recognized standards, and a personalized approach to ensure every facility dog is prepared to make a meaningful impact from day one.
What Sets PAWS Apart
- PAWS is a proud member of Animal Assisted Services International (AASI) and accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), meaning every facility dog is bred, raised, and trained to meet the highest industry standards.
- All PAWS facility dogs are tasked-trained before placement and arrive ready to finish their training with their new team and serve with confidence.
- Dogs are placed at a more mature age to support their physical and mental development, allowing them to better absorb the training provided by PAWS trainers and through our Prison Partnership Program.
- Through our National Breeding Clinic, we carefully track lineage, health, and temperament, allowing us to purpose-breed dogs for long-term success and stability in working environments.
Setting You Up for Success
Your partnership with PAWS doesn’t end at placement; it’s just the beginning.
- The one-time placement fee covers hands-on training at your facility, ongoing certifications, and continued support for the working life of the dog.
- Up to 12 hours of in-person training with you and your dog, conducted both in the handler’s home and within the facility.
- PAWS regional field representative travels to you, ensuring your dog is trained in the real-world setting where they will work every day.
- Training includes up to four handlers, helping build consistency, confidence, and continuity of care.
Together, these elements create a facility dog program that is comprehensive, intentional, and designed to set both your team and your PAWS facility dog up for long-term success.
What to Expect
Facility Dog Qualities
PAWS facility dogs are specifically selected based on their temperament and love of working with people. They possess a calm, steady, and friendly disposition, along with the ideal characteristics needed for work in public settings.
These dogs are well-suited for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, providing therapy and comfort alongside school counselors and teachers, supporting medical and group home caregivers, and assisting police department crisis response teams.
Facility Dog Matching
Following our custom placement model, PAWS staff meet with the primary handler and other facility staff to learn about the individuals they serve, the facility’s needs, and the specific environment where the dog will work.
Using insights from this site visit, along with information from the application, PAWS carefully selects a dog that is well-matched to both the facility and the handler. The handler is the person the dog will primarily work with at the facility. In most cases, the handler also cares for the dog, and the dog lives with them outside of the facility. To ensure consistent support for the dog and the people it serves, up to three additional staff members may be approved to handle the dog while it is on‑site, each receiving the training necessary to work seamlessly as part of the team.
Skills Training
The dog will be approximately 18 to 24 months old and will have completed PAWS’ foster puppy obedience and public access training, as well as advanced training through the PAWS prison partners program.
After returning from the prison program, the dog will be evaluated for suitability as a facility dog. The dog will then undergo an average of eight additional weeks of assessment and skills.
Team Training
Once the dog is placed with its handler in a facility, a PAWS field representative will be assigned to support the new team. Over the course of eight to twelve weeks, the field representative will work closely with the handler and the dog, both privately and within the facility, to provide on-site placement support.
The field representative guides the handler in working effectively with the dog and integrating the dog into the facility community. When the team is ready, they will undergo testing and certification by PAWS to ensure they have the skills and temperament required for a successful facility dog placement.
Our Current Animal Assisted Services Placements
Animal Assisted Services Conference Sponsors
DoubleTree by Hilton
Life EMS
Ruffwear
Varnum LLP
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Accreditations
Apply for a PAWS Facility Dog
PAWS facility dogs can only be placed within the United States. Please complete the following application, and a member of our staff will be in touch.