The paws4people_TM concept was initially conceived by our then 12 year-old daughter, Kyria, who insisted that we use our Golden Retriever, Riley, to help other people "who don't have a dog." The concept was further refined and formulated based on having observed the effects two different canine "pets" had on their respective human owners. In both cases, two elderly family members obtained dogs shortly after the death of their husbands. The positive effects that these dogs had on the lives of their owners were remarkable and profound. Both had a renewed sense of happiness, a zest for living, a focus for affection, a purpose for being; all of these traits seemed to emanate from these individuals within a short period of time after obtaining their dogs. Both

family members seemed to begin their "recovery" from the grief process much faster than others in a similar circumstance. In 1999, Kyria began using Riley to visit local nursing homes. In the spring of 2002, I resigned from my job as the Director of Logistics for an international telecommunications company, taking a part-time trucking job (to put food on the table) providing the time to develop and implement paws4people_TM to which my wife Debbie, daughter Kyria, and I, have dedicated our hearts, our souls, and our lives.

Terry L. Henry
Chairman and Executive Director
paws4people_TM

paws4people_TM, Inc. was incorporated in July, 1999. It received its 501(c)(3) charitable foundation status from the IRS on March 2, 2000. On August 9, 2006, it was re-classified by the IRS as a public charity with (501)(c)(3) tax exempt status under Code section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi). The organization's EIN is: 54-1948479; its most current IRS DLN is: 17053274781095.

The Mission of paws4people_TM foundation is to enhance the lives of special and regular education students, seniors, and the seriously ill or disabled, by utilizing the "Special Powers" of canine companionship displayed by highly trained Assistance Dogs; including Service, Educational Assistance K-9s and Social Therapy dogs in specialized educational, private placements and therapeutic visitation programs.

While there are many organizations that share our goal to enhance human lives with canine love, we have found that no other training program matches the selectiveness, variety and qualifications of the paws4people_TM programs. Most organizations focus on either hospitals, nursing homes, private placements or schools. Our mission's multiple aspects are unique in providing diverse groups of citizens with a menu of programs from which they can select the one that best meets their needs.

The paws4people_TM Educational A ssistance K-9 [pEAK_TM] Program:

Our "I Care Dog_TM" program is designed specifically for children with physical, mental or behavioral disabilities in special education classrooms. The motivational capabilities of the dogs are coupled with the students' Individual Education Plan (IEP). Each student's IEP is developed by the student's case manager, in concert with numerous other educational specialists, as a plan for the student's educational goals and objectives. The inclusion of the dogs has aided many students to accomplish or surpass specific IEP goals and objectives while providing a unique, stimulating and rewarding learning experience.

Our "Students Achieving Success in Education" (SASe_TM) educational enrichment program is designed specifically for 2nd - 4th grade students in regular education classrooms. The program teaches these students how to care for and handle therapy dogs; incorporates the motivational capabilities of the dogs to Standards of Learning (SOL) goals and objectives and advanced (by grade level) math curriculum; teaches the responsibility of saving the SASe_TMBucks (play money) they have been awarded for completing projects with which, at the end of the school year, they can purchase educational materials; and how to learn from and interact with seniors when taking the dogs on visits to nursing homes, using the dogs as a "bridge" between the generations.

Our "Private Placement" Program provides companion therapy dogs or service dogs to physically or mentally challenged adolescents, spouseless seniors and disabled veterans. These dogs, trained specifically for their new owners, may be simply companions, or service dogs, that can turn on lights and perform other specialized tasks to enhance and ease the lives of their owners. The demand for these dogs is very high and there can never be enough such dogs to meet their need in society.

Our "General Visitation" Program provides therapy dog visits to the seriously or terminally ill, the physically or mentally challenged, seniors in nursing/assisted living homes, pediatric and geriatric hospitals, Hospice facilities, as well as animal-assisted private therapy sessions in the privacy of the patient's own home. Often the lives of these special citizens are painful, bleak and routine. The simple presence of the dogs brings them smiles and hope that improve their lives in ways we may never totally understand.

All paws4people_TM services are provided free-of-charge

paws4people_TM foundation
110 East Gambier Street, P.O. Box 1186, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050
540.338.7580 / 540.882.3327
www.paws4people.org

MAKING A DREAM COME TRUE

I have a dream, that sometime in the very near future, I will make an afternoon visit to a paws4people_TM canine placement volunteer. She will proceed to tell me about the calls she has received so far that day from people seeking the services that paws4people_TM has grown to offer:

. . . The father of a wheelchair-bound teenager from Charleston, South Carolina, is in need of a companion and service animal for his child.

. . . The son of an elderly woman in Savannah, Georgia who has lost her husband, desiring a canine companion to help his mother cope with and recover from her loss.

. . . The mother of a mentally challenged young adult from Baltimore, Maryland, is seeking a secure and independent life and career opportunity for her daughter.

. . . A newly retired woman in South Riding, Virginia, is hoping to acquire a dog so that she may implement an "I Care Dog" program at her granddaughter's school to provide motivation to struggling and special needs children.

. . . A senior citizen couple from Greensboro, North Carolina, looking for a home where they are free of the burdens of maintenance but where they can keep their pets and participate in volunteer projects to remain active.

Our paws4people_TM volunteer was able to direct each of these calls to departments just footsteps away, and all of the above individuals were set up with appointments to meet their new therapy dog at the paws4people_TM foundation Complex.

The paws4people_TM Foundation Complex, located on 200-300 acres of beautiful countryside, will be alive with the golden magic of a never-ending staff of paws4people_TM dogs. Here, our loving canines will thrive in abundance, and bless the many on-site facilities with their constant presence. The ultimate result of this complex will be to create a network of people and canines, a family of people joined by the indescribable power of dogs, the paws4people_TM family.

The complex will house several carefully planned facilities. Each facility will fulfill a particular niche within the overall paws4people_TM mission, while all interacting with each other.

They will include:

Two Kennel facilities, home for the dogs, while they are undergoing various stages of training. Here, the dogs will enjoy lounging indoors on couches and will be lovingly groomed frequently, just as they would in any home. They will also get to run and play in the outdoor exercise areas, full of trees, like their own backyards.

A K-9 training academy where the dogs will be trained from the age of six weeks to 15 months. Here, the paws4people_TM training syllabus will be taught by professional dog trainers in several different training rooms. The puppy kindergarten room, for example, will be relatively empty, a place for the youngest dogs to learn the "basics." Other rooms will simulate the environment of a hospital room, nursing home, or classroom, for more advanced training. Later, the dogs' training will be transferred to "on location" assignments at other facilities within the complex. Finally, the training will be transferred during classes with the therapy dog's new handler and/or family.

A veterinary hospital with a state-of-the art breeding and birthing facility. This will provide a home for the paws4people_TM puppy litters, ensuring the puppies are healthy and perfectly prepared for their calling. The vet hospital will be equipped to provide routine canine medical care as well as any surgical needs that may arise for the resident dogs of all ages. We will also have a staff of veterinarians involved in research to prevent and eliminate animal health problems-particularly those common to the paws4people_TM canine breeds. We hope to not only enhance the lives of the humans we touch, but the dogs we love and depend on each day. Eventually, we will also provide veterinary scholarships to students who wish to help fulfill the paws4people _TM mission.

Dual-Occupancy townhouse residences for paws4people_TM "special needs" staff members. These mentally or physically challenged individuals will serve as employees of paws4people_TM, and will reap the benefits of interacting with the dogs, while simultaneously having employment and independence. In addition, there will be a Staff Group Home for the slightly less independent "special needs" staff members.

Two-bedroom homes for independent retired seniors. These seniors will volunteer at any of the other facilities within the complex, thereby remaining active while being free from the responsibilities of the outdoor maintenance of their homes. Perhaps the best thing about these homes is that - unlike many other independent living facilities - the seniors won't have to leave their pets behind, but will be encouraged to bring them along to share their new home.

A senior assisted-living and rehabilitation facility whose occupants will benefit not only from the care and love provided in ordinary retirement facilities, but from the constant presence of paws4people_TM therapy dogs. There will be numerous "resident" dogs here, as well as visits from other paws4people_TM dogs of various ages.

A Special Education Academy to provide education for those students with special needs. These students will include, but will not be limited to: autistic, wheelchair-bound, mentally handicapped, emotionally disabled, learning disabled, Down's syndrome, and other very special children from the ages of pre-school to early adulthood. They will also benefit from the constant presence of paws4people_TM education therapy canines. In addition to their education being enhanced by canines, these students will also have a staff of highly qualified special education teachers. All of the Academy educators will complete a course to become paws4people_TM canine-assisted special education (CASE) teachers. Eventually, we will also provide scholarships to students wishing to become CASE teachers.

A Hospice Inn for those individuals in need of end-of-life medical treatment. The spirit of this facility will be brightened by the constant presence of paws4people_TM dogs providing end-of-life and grief therapy services. Their families will be comforted knowing that their loved one's final days are being spent with the tender affection of some of paws4people_TM's most special canines.

A third kennel facility will serve as a No-Kill dog rescue living facility as well as a home for the retired paws4people_TM service dogs. We will never have to turn down a dog for lack of space, and will provide a place of affection and comfort to those dogs who have never before had such a home. These rescued dogs will also have the opportunity to complete paws4people_TM training and become a source of placement animals for spouseless seniors. This kennel will also be a second home for dogs whose owners have passed away, so that no senior will have to worry about the future care of his or her dog. In addition, retired paws4people_TM therapy dogs will get to relax and enjoy the comforts of this homey facility.

The most remarkable aspect of this grand vision is that no facility will act independently. The senior assisted-living center, Special Education Academy, and Hospice Inn will provide real-life training locations for paws4people_TM dogs in the final stages of their training. This ensures they will be fully prepared for their work once placed with their therapy families. In turn, no staff member, resident, or student will ever be out of hands reach of the devotion and service of a paws4people_TM dog.

The vision of paws4people_TM is one of endless potential. It will serve people in need in all stages of life as well as allow those who are more fortunate to feed their hearts by serving others. Today, the promise of paws4people_TM lies in your hands. My dream is for paws4people_TM to have the ability to provide a qualified animal to each person desiring the amazing love of a canine. This complex is the simple yet indispensable first step of the dream; a place where people are not only being helped, but simultaneously helping countless others. It is my sincere plea, that should you be able to help us accomplish this mission in any way, please contact us at:

paws4people_TM foundation
110 East Gambier Street, P.O. Box 1186, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050
540.338.7580 / 540.882.3327
info@paws4people.org