Our Mission:  We are People and Animals Who Serve in community settings by providing emotional support with specially trained animal/handler teams.

   About PAAWS : PAAWS is an affiliate of Delta Society Pet Partners.  We are based in Eugene, Oregon and were created by a group of 5 women in 2003.  PAAWS will be a non-profit organization with  501c3 tax status in Summer 04.  PAAWS teams provide the health benefits of the animal-human bond in educational, residential, medical and other community settings.

The founding board of PAAWS consists of:   Cindy Ehlers (founder of Hope Crisis Response, the original Animal Assisted Crisis Relief Agency created in the late 90's after the tragic school shooting at Thurston High School); Diane Nichols; Anne Kraft; Ina Dunlap & Elaine Pray.  photo courtesy of Brad & Ina Dunlap   

Volunteer Opportunities include:  Visit a local hospital or retirement center with your registered Therapy Animal; join the Valley River Holiday Mall Walk;  staff the PAAWS booth at Greenhill's "Bark-in-the-Park" annual fundraiser; help out at Pet Partner Evaluations; join the R.E.A.D. Program; sit with patients thru N.O.D.A. (No One Dies Alone); write a grant for PAAWS; speak about Animal Assisted Therapy at local schools; visit Camp-Quality kids who are dealing with the effects of cancer; mentor a new PAAWS team at their first visitation; and much, much more!

Support PAAWS:  PAAWS is a non-profit, local, all volunteer organization with 501c3 tax status (Summer 04).  Your  tax deductible donation  will help make a difference in the lives of many people who need our special services.  Please remember us when preparing your will; remembering a human's or animal's birthday; celebrating a holiday, or other special occasion.   We are supported only by your  tax deductible donations.  To make a donation, please e-mail Ina Dunlap, PAAWS Treasurer, at:  inapugmom@aol.com     photo courtesy of Brad & Ina Dunlap                                                                                                                                                   

The History of PAAWS Crisis Relief Work:                                                                                                                                            

Although the healing and therapeutic power of animals has been utilized for hundreds of years, the first documented case of animals assisting at the scene of a crisis happened fairly recently.   In May 1998, in Springfield, Oregon a shooting spree by a Thurston High School student left 25 people injured and 4 dead.  Survivors and witnesses struggled to cope with their horror and shock.  The National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) were called in and 2 registered Delta Society Pet  Partners, Sandy Arrington and her dog, Garth and Cindy Ehlers and her dog, Bear were asked to respond and work with the NOVA team.  Mental health counselors and NOVA teams that were present watched in amazement as "Bear" a Keeshond, worked her way through the crowd to help some of the students who were withdrawn and not responding to the traditional methods of the human counselors.

Bear's owner and handler, Cindy Ehlers, came away from the Thurston High School crisis with the realization that animals can also bring hope, and help in the emotional rescue, recovery and on-going support in large scale, critical incidents and disasters, and are a beneficial resource in the healing process.  With new insight and a powerful conviction she was determined to bring this awareness to others.  

You can Become a PAAWS team:  We are currently accepting certified local Delta Society Pet Partner teams for membership to become a PAAWS team.  Annual cost is $25.   PAAWS teams are insured for $1,000,000 by Sportsmen's Hanover, Worcester, MA.

Crisis Response Training:

 

Teams who pass certification will be qualified as Crisis Relief working dogs able to respond to local and national tragedies.  Contact Cindy Ehlers at pawspet@comcast.net

                                  What is Animal Assisted Crisis Response?                                                                                            

Animal Assisted Crisis Response Teams are trained and certified to provide animal assisted emotional support (AAES) when partnering with Disaster Mental Health and Emergency Response Agencies who provide emotional rescue, recovery and on-going support to individuals who have been affected by crisis and/or disaster.  

The Mission: To instruct, train and prepare animal/handler teams to assist in the safe and effective emotional rescue, recovery and on-going support, to individuals and responders who have been affected by crisis and disaster.  The Commitment: To educate and prepare all people regardless of race, religion, citizenship, economic status or sexual orientation, how to alleviate and manage the effects of critical incident stress on ones self and animal and all others who care for the emotional needs of mental health workers, disaster response personnel, medical response personnel and other such individuals or family members seeking our services.  

GOALS of Animal Assisted Crisis Response Team Training: 

©  To develop and maintain a nation-wide network of highly trained, qualified and certified animal/handler teams to meet the needs of those affected by crisis and disaster.  Cindy Ehlers, lead Instructor for Animal Assisted Crisis Response Team Training, founded HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response in 1998 after responding to the Thurston High School shooting in Springfield, OR.  She identified that animal assisted therapy (AAT) teams need special training to provide safe and effective AAT services in crisis and disaster situations. HOPE Crisis Response became a National non-profit organization in November 2001. Formal training and certification protocols for Animal Assisted Crisis Response were then developed. 

©      ©   To successfully interface with and support existing organizations that work to meet  the mental health needs of survivors, responders and all others affected by crisis and disaster. Animal Assisted Crisis Response trained teams have interfaced with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), NOVA   (National Organization for Victim Assistance) and the American Red Cross. 

 

©  To share our expertise in animal assisted crisis response through providing high-quality training in animal assisted crisis response to other certified animal assisted therapy teams.              

                                                                               Advantages of Animal Assisted Crisis Response Trained Teams 

©       First certifying group for Animal Assisted Crisis Response     ©       National recognized     ©       Participation with local disaster groups

©       On-going training and skills development of teams     ©       Trainers have experience with multiple crisis and disaster situations

©       Certification based on skills and aptitude of the animal/handler team     ©       Trains teams in stress management, both animal and human

©       All teams also carry a nationally recognized certification in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT)

AACR Training Courses Offered  --  Animal Assisted Crisis Response Team Training Workshops offer basic training courses, certification training courses and advanced certification training. All courses offer the same 3 day intensive training. All courses involve both human and animal crisis response training as well as practice of handler/animal skills in a simulated trauma/crisis and/or disaster situation. Each course is designed to inform, teach and prepare Animal Assisted Activity/Animal Assisted Therapy teams to provide emotional and psychological support and comfort during and/or after a crisis or disaster.   

Certification training courses  involve both human and animal crisis response training as well as practice and evaluation of handler/animal present skills in a simulated disaster situation. There is one Evaluator per every four teams. The evaluators evaluate the teams throughout the course. Teams are certified based on the evaluation of skills and experience. Passing the evaluation allows Animal Assisted Crisis Response certification with varying levels of skills and experience.

 3 day (30 hour) basic training -- 

There are two components; a pre-screening application and 3 day intensive training. In the 3 day 30 hour basic training, each team receives a certificate of training but is not certified to respond to a certain level of crisis or disaster. This does not mean that they cannot respond, it just means that they have not been evaluated.

 3 day (30 hour) basic certification training -- 

There are two components; a pre-screening application and 3 day intensive training and evaluation.

 4 day (40 hour) advanced certification training -- 

The 4 day course consists of three components, a prescreening application, 3 day intensive training and evaluation and 1 day in-field practice.  The 4 day advanced course includes familiarization and evaluation of present skills with emergency personnel and equipment; police, fire, ambulance, airport, etc. during in-field practice.