PAWS AND EFFECT

What PAWS AND EFFECT does

Paws & Effect is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Eric and Nicole Shumate, headquartered on a hobby farm in Black Mountain, North Carolina, with a secondary office in Des Moines, Iowa. The organization raises, trains, and places service dogs with children and veterans with disabilities, and coordinates therapy animal visits through its Pet Partners of Central Iowa program. It operates across a service dog pipeline anchored by longstanding breeding partnerships with Formaro Labradors, correctional facility training programs at Missouri Puppies for Parole and North Central Correctional Facility, and a network of academic and professional affiliations including Pet Partners, IAHAIO, and ISAZ.

The organization's service offering is structured around three core programs: (1) service dog placement with pre-placement support via ten-week children's handling classes and post-placement support through Dog Scouts and Volkssporting; (2) Pet Partners of Central Iowa therapy animal coordination providing training, quarterly evaluations, and volunteer placement at colleges, universities, schools, performing arts centers, and hospice facilities; and (3) Hurricane Helene relief launched in 2024 that leverages the organization's 501(c)(3) status as a conduit for tax-deductible donations and supplies to large-animal owners in Western North Carolina.

Paws & Effect is funded through donations, special events, and grant writing, and places service dogs at little to no cost to recipients. Marketing and community engagement is delivered through community events (One Heart Four Paws gala, Dia De Los Muertos, Table & Tails, Fort to Flag, Center to Center at Asheville VA Hospital), earned media, and grant-funded projects such as the Humanities Iowa Grant-backed In Their Boots Film Festival. The organization employs 18 staff across two geographies and has accumulated industry recognition including American Humane Hero Dog Award partnerships (2010, 2014), Telly and ADDY advertising awards, and PRSA recognition.

Name

PAWS AND EFFECT

Legal name

Paws & Effect

Website

https://paws-effect.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paws & Effect is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises, trains, and places service dogs with children and veterans with disabilities, and coordinates therapy animal visits through its Pet Partners of Central Iowa program across Iowa and Western North Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Service Dog Training and Placement

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Service dog training
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Disability assistance programs
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Therapy animal visits

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on extensive fundraising, special events, and grant writing to support operations and place service dogs at little to no cost to recipients.
2. Service Dog Placement: Service dogs are placed at little to no cost to recipients, supported by donations and fundraising efforts.
3. Disaster Relief Coordination: Leveraging 501(c)(3) status to serve as a conduit for tax-deductible donations and supplies for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Paws & Effect is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises, trains, and places service dogs with children and veterans with disabilities at little to no cost to recipients. It provides pre-placement support through ten-week Children's Handling Classes and post-placement support through Dog Scouts and Volkssporting, and operates the Pet Partners of Central Iowa therapy animal affiliate program. The organization also coordinates disaster relief, including Hurricane Helene livestock recovery in Western North Carolina.

Product overview

Paws & Effect is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates as a unified service offering focused on raising, training, and placing service dogs with children and veterans with disabilities. The organization's core products include Service Dogs (training and placement), Pet Partners of Central Iowa (therapy animal coordination), Children's Handling Classes (pre-placement training for children), and Hurricane Helene Relief (emergency aid coordination). The organization leverages longstanding relationships with Formaro Labradors, Missouri Puppies for Parole, and North Central Correctional Facility to maintain consistent service dog production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Service Dogs Raises, trains, and places service dogs with children and veterans with disabilities, including increasingly complex disabilities. Backed by 12 years of experience and formal partnerships with Formaro Labradors (breeding), Missouri Puppies for Parole, and North Central Correctional Facility (training). Includes pre-placement children's dog handling classes and post-placement support through Dog Scouts and Volkssporting.
• Pet Partners of Central Iowa Therapy animal program affiliated with Pet Partners, providing Pet Partner Training Courses, quarterly evaluations, and coordination of volunteer opportunities at local colleges, universities, schools, performing art centers, and hospice care facilities.
• Children's Handling Classes Ten-week sessions designed to help children develop appropriate service dog handling skills, reduce frustration, improve confidence, and demonstrate ability to successfully handle service dogs in public.
• Hurricane Helene Relief Charitable initiative leveraging the organization's 501(c)(3) status as a conduit to solicit, coordinate, and redirect donations of money, feed, fencing, and other resources to large-animal owners affected by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, with on-the-ground partners including ABCCM Transformation Village, Warren Wilson College, Stable Relationships, Intrepid Acres, and Straightaway Cafe & Pub.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABCCM Transformation VillagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024On-the-ground partner for Hurricane Helene disaster relief in Asheville, N.C., providing distribution and support services.
• Stable RelationshipscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Horse training facility in Reidsville, N.C., partnering for Hurricane Helene livestock relief with expanded donation list.
• Warren Wilson CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024College in Swannanoa, N.C., serving as on-the-ground partner for Hurricane Helene relief distribution.
• Intrepid AcrescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Farm in Clyde, N.C., partnering for Hurricane Helene livestock and farm animal relief efforts.
• Straightaway Cafe & PubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Currently closed business in Black Mountain operating as community relief logistics point for Hurricane Helene response.
• Pet PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Pet Partners including Pet Partner Training Courses, quarterly evaluations, and coordination of volunteer opportunities for therapy animal teams.
• International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational professional organization focused on human-animal interaction research and practice.
• International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic organization dedicated to promoting the study of human-animal interactions.
• Dog Scouts of American TroopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-placement support program providing ongoing engagement through Dog Scouts activities and recreational events.
• Missouri Puppies for ParolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing service dog candidates through Missouri's correctional facility program.
• North Central Correctional Facility - Rockwell City, IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorrectional facility partnership for service dog training program providing inmates meaningful work and rehabilitation.
• Formaro LabradorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding breeding partnership providing Labrador service dog candidates.
• United WayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring partner supporting fundraising and community programs.
• HyVeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for events and programs.
• DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for In My Boots 5K Walk and Run and film festival collaboration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pet Partners: The national therapy animal organization that Paws & Effect is already affiliated with through Pet Partners of Central Iowa. Comparability is strongest on the therapy animal coordination and volunteer training side rather than service dog placement.

Direct peers

• K9s For Warriors: Nonprofit that rescues and trains service dogs specifically for veterans with PTSD and other service-related disabilities. Directly comparable in veteran-focused service dog placement and donation-funded model, with a larger national footprint.
• Canine Companions for Independence: One of the largest nonprofit service dog organizations in the U.S., providing trained service dogs to veterans, children, and adults with disabilities free of charge. Directly comparable mission, funding model, and recipient population to Paws & Effect, but at significantly larger scale.
• America's VetDogs: 501(c)(3) that trains and places service dogs with veterans with disabilities, including physical, emotional, and PTSD-related needs. Closely aligned mission and donation-based revenue model to Paws & Effect, with greater brand recognition through its affiliation with Guide Dogs for the Blind.
• Patriot Service Dogs: Nonprofit service dog organization focused on veterans with PTSD and physical disabilities. Directly comparable in veteran-focused mission and donation-funded placement model, though with smaller operational scale.
• ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities): Nonprofit that trains service dogs for individuals with physical disabilities and veterans. Similar service dog placement model with comparable size and donation-based funding structure.
• Southeastern Guide Dogs: Nonprofit that raises and trains guide and service dogs for people with visual impairments, veterans, and children. Comparable donor-funded service dog placement model and similar operational scale, with a strong focus on pediatric and veteran recipients.
• NEADS World Class Service Dogs: Nonprofit service dog organization placing dogs with veterans, children, and adults with disabilities, including hearing and service dogs. Comparable service dog training and placement model with similar correctional facility training partnerships.

Others

• Dog Scouts of America: National organization that provides post-placement engagement activities for dog owners. Paws & Effect runs a Dog Scouts troop for its service dog recipients, making this an operational partner and adjacent peer in the dog training community rather than a direct competitor.
• International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO): International professional organization Paws & Effect is affiliated with that promotes research and best practices in human-animal interaction. Not a direct competitor, but a peer organization in the broader human-animal bond ecosystem and a credibility signal for Paws & Effect's programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paws-and-effect

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PAWS AND EFFECT