Helping Paws Foster Home Open House

Helping Paws needs more volunteer foster homes to train service dogs and provide a life-changing gift that furthers the independence of individuals with physical disabilities. Helping Paws is expecting two litters of puppies that need to be placed with foster homes in the upcoming months.

Helping Paws will host a Foster Home Open House on March 10 at the Helping Paws Training Center in Hopkins. Attendees can learn more about the rewarding aspects of the foster home volunteer experience and speak to current foster homes. This year, Helping Paws is celebrating 25 years of providing service dogs to people with physical disabilities.

Fostering a Helping Paws puppy takes commitment, compassion, and a love of dogs – no experience is needed. It is an enriching heartwarming experience for foster homes and the service dogs.  Foster homes volunteer their time and training to make a difference in the life of a person with a disability.

Volunteer foster home trainers are the heart and soul of Helping Paws.  These volunteers take puppies from the Helping Paws breeding program into their homes and hearts for approximately 2½ years.  As foster home trainers, they attend weekly training classes at the Helping Paws training facility where they learn how to teach their fostered dog the skills necessary to work as a service dog. They regularly practice the lessons they learned in class, oversee the dog's health, and socialize the puppy/dog to everyday places and situations.

The Helping Paws mission is to further the independence of individuals with physical disabilities through the use of service dogs.  Since it was founded in 1988, the nonprofit organization has been training and placing service dogs with people with physical disabilities.  These dogs (Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers) allow their human partners to live more independent lives and achieve an enhanced quality of life. 

 Helping Paws allows individuals with physical disabilities to lead independent lives.  According to one graduate, “Because of Pride I can stay in my own home, live independently, have a job and go out in the community.”

Visit www.helpingpaws.org or call 952-988-9359 to learn more about Helping Paws’ programs and how to become involved.

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If you go …

• When: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, March 10
• Where: Helping Paws Training Center, 630 12th Ave. S., Hopkins