PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training Ltd

What PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training Ltd does

PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training Limited is a UK-based professional certification company founded in 2018 by Nici Maxwell, headquartered at 10-12 Barnes High Street, London (company number 14049336). The company certifies both the practitioner and their dog as a working therapy team for deployment in clinical and therapeutic settings, rather than training the dog alone. Its primary product is the PAWS Therapy Dog Certification Programme, a structured curriculum of four online learning modules (Introduction to Therapy Dog Handling; Advanced Handling & Skills; Dog Law & Legislation; Intervention Techniques & Strategies) delivered through an online learning portal with mobile app access, supplemented by weekly live video supervision clinics and a private practitioner community. The programme culminates in a nationwide workplace assessment in which PAWS assessors travel to each practitioner's actual clinical setting in the UK, and includes a clinical governance toolkit (risk assessments, policies, templates, physical welcome pack with dog jacket, settle mat, lead slip). The programme is CPD-accredited and is positioned for NHS, police, prison, and local authority workplace approval requirements.

The business model is a direct-to-professional sales motion with two pricing tiers: a £2,998 one-off payment or a £1,198 deposit plus six monthly £350 payments totalling £3,298, plus £225 biennial recertification fees and ancillary assessment/rescheduling charges. Customer segments span counsellors, psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, mental health nurses, health visitors, social workers, care home professionals, and probation/criminal justice staff. Named adoption signals include the NHS, Metropolitan Police, HM Prison & Probation Service, Mental Health Foundation, BACP, UKCP, and Birmingham City Council; 1,700+ therapy dog teams have been supported cumulatively and the company carries a 4.8/5 Trustpilot rating with BBC and ITV media features. A separate Dogs in Schools sub-brand extends the methodology into the educational vertical. PAWS has operated for 8+ years as a privately held UK limited company with no external funding rounds or headcount data disclosed.

Name

PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training Ltd

Legal name

PAWS Therapy Dog Training Limited

Website

https://paws-therapydogs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training Ltd is a UK-based certification company that trains and certifies healthcare professionals and their dogs as therapy teams for clinical settings, delivering online modules, live supervision, and nationwide workplace assessments, supported by a Dogs in Schools sub-brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal-Assisted Therapy Certification & Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy & Pain Management (AFAEANAL), Veterinary Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy Centers (HLAMACAK)

Keywords

• Therapy dog certification
• Animal-assisted therapy training
• Professional dog handler certification
• Clinical governance training
• CPD accredited dog training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Programme Certification Fees: One-time payment of £2,998 for full programme certification including all online learning modules, live supervision sessions, live lessons, in-person assessment, and clinical toolkit. Alternatively, a deposit of £1,198 plus 6 monthly payments of £350 totalling £3,298 for those spreading the cost.
2. Recertification Fees: Biennial recertification requires an in-person assessment to maintain certification currency. The fee for this reassessment is £225 inclusive of VAT every two years.
3. Additional Assessment Visits: If a dog requires more than one assessment visit to pass, additional visits are charged at £225 inclusive of VAT each.
4. Rescheduling Fees: Cancellation or rescheduling of in-person assessments with less than 48 hours notice incurs a £100 fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training Ltd certifies healthcare and therapeutic professionals and their dogs as working therapy dog teams through a structured programme that combines four online learning modules, weekly live supervision clinics, a clinical governance toolkit, and a nationwide in-person workplace assessment. The service is sold as a single certification programme with a pay-in-full option of £2,998 or a payment plan totalling £3,298, plus biennial recertification at £225 per assessment.

Product overview

PAWS offers a single unified certification programme — the PAWS Therapy Dog Certification Programme — which is a training and certification service for healthcare and therapeutic professionals seeking to bring certified therapy dogs into clinical and therapeutic practice. The programme comprises four online learning modules (Introduction to Therapy Dog Handling, Advanced Therapy Dog Handling & Skills, Dog Law & Legislation, and Intervention Techniques & Strategies), supplemented by live supervision sessions, a clinical toolkit with physical materials (settle mat, lead slip, dog jacket), and an in-person workplace assessment. A two-year recertification programme maintains practitioner and dog certification currency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dogs in Schools: A dedicated programme built for educational settings (schools and pre-schools), separate from the main clinical/therapeutic certification programme.

Products and services

• PAWS Therapy Dog Certification Programme A comprehensive certification programme for healthcare and therapeutic professionals that trains and assesses both the practitioner and their dog as a working therapy team. Includes four online learning modules (Introduction to Therapy Dog Handling, Advanced Therapy Dog Handling & Skills, Dog Law & Legislation, Intervention Techniques & Strategies), weekly live supervision clinics, a clinical governance toolkit with physical tools (settle mat, lead slip, in-training dog jacket), and a nationwide in-person workplace assessment. Priced at £2,998 pay-in-full or £3,298 via payment plan.
• PAWS Therapy Dog Recertification Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows 0% of clients report reduced anxiety in their first AAT session (IAHAIO, 2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NHS is listed as a major client organisation where PAWS-certified therapy dog teams work. NHS teams use the PAWS certification programme to introduce therapy dogs into clinical settings. PAWS provides governance documentation and risk assessments that meet NHS scrutiny and regulatory requirements.
• Metropolitan PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan Police is listed as an organisation where PAWS-certified therapy dog teams work. Police settings require high standards of certification and governance, which PAWS provides.
• HM Prison & Probation ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHM Prison & Probation Service is listed as a key organisation where PAWS therapy dog teams work. Criminal justice settings have specific requirements for therapy animal programmes that PAWS certification addresses.
• Mental Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental Health Foundation is listed as a partner organisation where PAWS-certified therapy dog teams provide animal-assisted therapy. This partnership supports the evidence-based approach to mental health through animal-assisted interventions.
• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACP is listed as a professional association partner whose members use the PAWS programme. BACP members require certification that meets their professional code of conduct, which PAWS provides.
• UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUKCP is listed as a professional association partner whose members use the PAWS programme. Psychotherapists require certification that meets regulatory standards and professional codes.
• Birmingham City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirmingham City Council is listed as an organisation where PAWS therapy dog teams work, particularly in care homes and educational settings under local authority oversight.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pets As Therapy: UK charity providing therapeutic visits with temperament-assessed dogs across hospitals, hospices, schools and care homes. Most directly comparable as a UK therapy dog provider, though operating as a volunteer charity model rather than a paid certification programme.
• Dogs for Good: UK charity training assistance dogs and running community dog programmes for autism, disability and dementia support. Comparable in delivering professionally-credible dog-handler team certification across therapeutic use cases.
• Service Dogs UK: UK charity providing trained assistance dogs to veterans and first responders with PTSD. Comparable in delivering certified therapy/assistance dog teams into clinical and mental-health-adjacent UK settings.
• Support Dogs: UK charity training assistance dogs for epilepsy, autism and physical disability, with formal training, assessment and aftercare. Comparable in disciplined team-based training methodology, though oriented toward disability assistance.
• Medical Detection Dogs: UK charity training dogs to detect human disease and support medical conditions. Comparable as a UK organisation with rigorous, professionally-credible dog-handler team training, though with a medical-detection rather than AAT focus.
• Therapy Dogs UK: UK volunteer organisation training and screening therapy dog teams for visits to care homes, hospitals and schools. Comparable audience and mission, though with a free volunteer model rather than paid certification.
• Dog AID: UK charity training assistance dogs for owners with disabilities, using positive reinforcement methods and assessment. Comparable in applying professional, force-free training to certify owner-dog teams in the UK.
• Canine Partners: UK charity training assistance dogs for people with disabilities, with rigorous assessment and ongoing support. Comparable in mission depth and assessment rigour, but focused on physical disability assistance rather than clinical AAT.

Broad incumbents

• Hearing Dogs for Deaf People: UK charity training hearing assistance dogs, with established assessment methodology and ongoing client support. Comparable as a UK organisation running rigorous assistance-dog training, though specialised in hearing rather than therapy work.
• Guide Dogs for the Blind Association: UK incumbent providing mobility-assistance dog services at national scale. Comparable as a UK organisation with formal assessment, training infrastructure and public-sector reach, though far broader in scope than AAT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paws-therapy-and-assistance-dog-training-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Therapy & Assistance Dog Training Ltd