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PAWS & Applause

PAWS & Applause is an annual fundraising event that brings together the Paws With A Cause community in southeast Michigan for an evening of celebration and impact.

2026 Event recap
People mingling at the Paws Applause event, with a screen displaying details and tables adorned with flowers.
Man and woman speaking at an event, holding a microphone and bouquet, with a dog image projected in the background.

Come for the Cause, Stay for the Community

Raise a glass, lift your spirits, and get ready to applaud what’s possible. PAWS & Applause is our signature southeast Michigan celebration where our community comes together for an evening of hors d’oeuvres, craft drinks, inspiring stories, and a silent auction—all in support of life-changing working dogs. 

Paws & Applause logo with elegant lettering and a light green paw print background.
Woman speaking at Paws with a Cause event, holding microphone and smiling, with branded podium visible.

The Independence Impact Award

Sara C. Osterman, 2026 Recipient  

Sara C. Osterman’s commitment to PAWS has spanned from raising puppies to leading our Board of Directors.

As Director of Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability at Masco Corporation, Sara continues to champion the PAWS mission with heart, passion, and purpose. We are deeply grateful for her extraordinary impact and pleased to celebrate her with this inaugural Independence Impact Award at PAWS & Applause.  

Celebrating Medical Alert Dogs

At PAWS & Applause 2026, we celebrated the launch of our new program, Medical Alert Dogs. These dogs will be trained to support clients with type 1 diabetes and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The dogs will be able to alert their clients to changes in their blood sugar, blood pressure, and/or heart rate, often before the clients recognize the symptoms themselves.  

Golden retriever assistance dog walking beside a person outside a building, wearing a blue service vest.

Have Questions? Please contact our events team at events@pawswithacause.org or 616-877-7297.

Thank you to our 2026 event sponsors!

Raymond James logo in dark blue bold text on a transparent background.
MASCO logo in dark gray font on a transparent background.
John and Judy Krieman
Plymouth Lions Club
The Von Voigtlander Family Foundation
BEL Environmental Engineering
Impact Events

Alan and Margo Osterman

Butzel Long Charitable Trust

David and Kristi Rymph

Frank & Gina Schremser

Kelly Knight, Realtor

Kevin and Rosann Roose

Lorri A. Wallet

Mark and Linda Behrens

Mary and Tom Centlivre

Mitchell and Jessica Schwartz

People Driven Technology

The Holst Family

Interested In Sponsoring?

Join us for a fun and impactful event, supporting PAWS’ mission and the life-changing partnerships we help create.

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