If you are interested in a Paws for Purple Hearts (PPH) Facility Dog, reach out to us online through the “FACILITY DOG APPLICATION REQUEST FORM“. Our team will connect with you to learn more about your Facility’s needs and if a PPH Facility Dog may be appropriate for your Facility. We will also work with you to identify who may be the most appropriate person to care for and handle the dog in the Facility (known as the Caregiver).

If we feel our dogs may meet the needs of your Facility, the designated Caregiver will be invited to fill out our application, which helps us to better understand the Caregiver, the Facility, the population, how the dog will be used, and if any additional people will handle the dog in the Facility.

A completed application includes the following:

The Caregiver’s photo (4×6).

The Caregiver’s resume.

The completed Facility Dog Application.

The Handler Information Form, if anyone other than the Caregiver will handle the dog in the Facility. All Facility Dog Handlers must attend formal training with Paws for Purple Hearts in order to qualify as an alternate handler.

A personal letter of reference from someone other than a family member, such as a friend, colleague, or teacher of the Caregiver.

A professional letter of reference from a colleague, teacher, supervisor, or any other professional with whom the Caregiver has contact.

A one-page letter stating the Caregiver’s reasons for wanting a Facility dog and how the Facility population would benefit from a Facility dog.

To send your application:

Mail a hard copy to:

Paws for Purple Hearts

Client Program Facilitator

10201 Old Redwood Hwy

Penngrove, CA 94951

or Email a scanned copy to: servicedog@pawsforpurplehearts.org

After a successful application review by our staff, the next steps in the process begin as we send you six social style forms (to be completed by people you select), request photos & videos of your home and work, more information on any household pets (if applicable), as well as any additional documentation needed from you or your Facility. Once we receive these items, we will schedule an interview.

Shortly after the interview, we will notify you if your Facility is accepted for a Facility dog placement. At this time, you will be placed on the Waitlist*. It may take up to two years or more to match your Facility with a dog due to the high demand for Facility dogs and the necessity of matching each dog carefully to the needs of the Facility population and the personality of the Caregiver.

*Note: there will be routine follow-up with staff to update the application after acceptance to the waitlist in order to keep all information up to date.

Once a potential Facility Dog match has been identified, you will be contacted to begin paperwork and invited to attend the team training course with the dog. At this time, we will conduct a home visit too. Our intensive training course is required for the Caregiver and any additional handlers. Training will be conducted at a PPH site, with field trips and training sessions at your Facility (depending on the circumstances).

Our Facility Dogs and training are provided free of charge; however, other expenses the Caregiver may need to plan for include: transportation, housing, food, and entertainment expenses while attending the training course.

After the Caregiver graduates with the dog, the Caregiver or the Facility will be responsible for the ongoing costs of caring for the Facility Dog, which may include, but is not limited to: food, grooming, toys, other supplies, annual veterinary exam, vaccinations, and other incidental expenses.

Once a dog is placed with you, we provide ongoing support for the remainder of the working partnership. We work in partnership with you to support the dog’s health, behavior, temperament, and training through written, phone, video, and in-person follow-up. We have a staff member dedicated to client services available to communicate with you whenever you need advice, and we are ready to deploy our local professional trainers to consult with you and support your needs on an ongoing basis.

At a minimum, we proactively reach out for regular follow-up each month for the first nine months of placement, and then annually thereafter. We do require in-person visits post-graduation, which is the financial responsibility of the client. In addition, we are proud to offer our clients the opportunity to become full owners of their dog, depending on the specifics of each case. We also know that when a dog approaches retirement, it can be an uncertain and stressful time for our clients, so we give priority to our existing clients who seek a successor dog when their dog approaches retirement.