What paws4people® foundation does

paws4people® Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 54-1948479) founded in 1999 by Kyria Henry Whisenhunt and headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, with its primary training campus ADDIE'S Way located in Castle Hayne, NC. The organization trains and places customized assistance dogs with individuals — primarily children with disabilities, veterans and service members with PTSD/TBI/mobility limitations, first responders, and civilians with trauma — at no cost to clients. Core programs include paws4people® (general disabilities), paws4vets™ (veterans/service members), paws4prisons® (inmate-based dog training at West Virginia correctional facilities), Facility Dog Training (for human services professionals), and the UNCW Assistance Dog Training Program (academic minor). The proprietary methodology centers on Intervention Transfer Training® (ITT), which teaches clients to use assistance dogs to Control, Regulate, and Mitigate® their symptoms, supported by a custom bloodline breeding program producing Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Goldadors with neurological conditioning from birth. The organization's "Bump Process" matches dogs to clients based on observed bonding behavior.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model: individual and corporate donations (with 97% of proceeds directed to programs), client training tuition and room/board during multi-week immersion programs at ADDIE'S Way, Pay-It-Forward (PIF) contributions of $10,000 minimum per client, and tiered corporate sponsorships (Top Dog, New Leash on Life, Leader of the Pack, Pawsitive Partner) anchored by Heroes First Foundation, Robert Irvine Foundation, Uniformed Services University, Iron Bow Technologies, Virginia Moose, and 4 Health/Tractor Supply. Dogs remain organization-owned throughout their working careers, enabling comprehensive insurance coverage and annual recertification. The organization holds ADI (Assistance Dog International) accreditation and has trained 1,600+ dogs forming 1,500+ teams with 350+ currently active across its 25+ year operating history.

Operational scale includes 11-50 employees across multiple departments (K9 Operations, Client Services, Client Training, Puppy Development, Accounting, IT), board governance with military specialty trustees, and multi-site training infrastructure across North Carolina and West Virginia. The most recent disclosed revenue benchmark is $1,254,205 in total organizational income for fiscal year ending June 30, 2016; no subsequent audited figures are publicly available in the source data.

Name

paws4people® foundation

Legal name

paws4people® Foundation

Website

https://paws4people.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

paws4people® Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that trains and places customized assistance dogs at no cost with children with disabilities, veterans and service members with PTSD/TBI, first responders, and civilians experiencing trauma, operating from its ADDIE'S Way campus in Castle Hayne, NC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Assistance Dog Training and Placement Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Assistance dog training
• Service dog placement
• Psychiatric service dogs
• Facility dog training
• Canine breeding program

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: 97% of proceeds go towards the program. Organization receives donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support assistance dog breeding, training, and placement at no cost to clients.
2. Client Training Tuition: Clients pay room, board, and tuition while training at ADDIE'S Way campus. Expenses can be fundraised or paid directly. Payment is spread across six milestones with dedicated point of contact for fundraising/payment support.
3. Pay-It-Forward Campaign Contributions: Minimum $10,000 PIF Goal 1 per client representing sweat equity contribution. Can be met through monetary contributions, non-cash credit for value-added activities (event representation, media interviews, volunteer positions), or fundraising.
4. Sponsorship and Grant Revenue: Corporate sponsors (Top Dog, New Leash on Life, Leader of the Pack, Pawsitive Partner tiers), food sponsors (4 Health/Tractor Supply), and grantors (Uniformed Services University, Heroes First Foundation, Robert Irvine Foundation).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

paws4people® Foundation breeds, trains, and places customized Assistance Dogs with civilians, children, and veterans living with physical, neurological, psychiatric, or emotional disabilities at no cost to the client. It also places Facility Dogs with human-services professionals and operates an academic training minor through the UNCW partnership, an inmate-led training program (paws4prisons®), and a Privately Owned Certification program.

Product overview

paws4people® Foundation operates a comprehensive suite of assistance dog programs centered around their core Assistance Dog Placement services. The main offerings include paws4people® for civilians with disabilities and paws4vets™ for veterans, supported by paws4prisons® which trains dogs through inmate handlers at West Virginia correctional facilities. The organization runs an internal Breeding Program using Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Goldadors to produce dogs from birth. Their UNCW ADTP partnership provides academic training through an interdisciplinary university minor. The Facility Dog Training program places dogs with professionals in therapeutic and educational settings, while the Privately Owned Certification Program certifies externally-owned dogs. Client training is delivered through the proprietary Intervention Transfer Training® methodology at their ADDIE'S Way campus, incorporating a four-block Immersion Client Training Program. The Moose Programs partnership extends services to veteran communities. Together, these programs form a vertical integration from breeding through training to placement and ongoing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• paws4vets™️: Assistance Dog Placement Program specifically for Veterans, Service Members, and their dependents with physical, neurological, psychiatric, or emotional disabilities
• paws4prisons®️
• UNCW ADTP
• Moose Programs
• ADDIE'S Way

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of proceeds go directly towards program operations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Pet PartnersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Relationship established in 2017 for therapy animal visitation registration. Refers interested therapy dog handlers to Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program for certification.
• University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2011Partnership establishing first-of-its-kind university Assistance Dog Training Program. UNCW School of Health and Applied Human Services offers interdisciplinary minor in Assistance Dog Training. First class began August 24, 2011 with 24 students. Program focuses on integration of assistance dogs into clinical and educational practice.
• West Virginia Department of Corrections (WVDOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerpaws4prisons program operates at Lakin Correctional Center (female facility) and St. Marys Correctional Center (male facility). Inmate trainers teach basic and advanced obedience to shelter-rescue dogs progressing to highly-trained Assistance Dogs knowing 100+ commands.
• Moose InternationalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMoose Programs partnership including Moosen puppy naming, convention participation, and client recognition. Dedicated to spreading awareness about Assistance Dogs through Moose Family network.
• The Lionheart SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroundbreaking relationship with Canine Assisted Education Facility Dog placements (LANGLEY and successor BURKE) in special education classroom setting.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• K9s For Warriors: Nonprofit that trains and provides service dogs exclusively to veterans with PTSD/TBI. Closest peer to paws4vets™ and shares the no-cost-to-client, trauma-focused mission.
• ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities): Nonprofit training service dogs for veterans and people with disabilities, including facility dogs; comparable mid-size scope, ADI accreditation, and no-cost placement.
• Guide Dogs for the Blind: Large ADI-accredited nonprofit providing guide and service dogs at no cost; comparable scale, breeding program, and client training campus model even though mission focuses on visual impairment.
• America's VetDogs: Affiliated with Guide Dogs for the Blind, provides service dogs to veterans with disabilities and partners with military/veteran organizations for placements — directly comparable to paws4vets.
• Paws With A Cause: Nonprofit that custom-trains service, hearing, and seizure response dogs for clients with disabilities; similar client-discovery, application, and no-cost placement process.
• NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services): ADI-accredited nonprofit providing service dogs for veterans, children, and professionals; similar multi-program structure including Facility Dogs and Prison Pup partnerships.
• Canine Companions for Independence: Large nonprofit assistance dog organization placing service dogs with individuals with disabilities, veterans, and professionals. Highly comparable in mission, ADI accreditation, and free placement model.
• Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs: Nonprofit providing medical alert and psychiatric service dogs to veterans and civilians at no cost; closely comparable in psychiatric/mobility service dog focus.
• Can Do Canines: Nonprofit assistance dog organization placing mobility, hearing, seizure, and diabetes alert dogs; comparable training pipeline and client placement approach.

Broad incumbents

• Bergin University of Canine Studies: Accredited institution offering academic programs in canine-assisted education and service dog training; founder Kyria Henry Whisenhunt earned certification here — comparable training methodology focus and academic-pipeline adjacency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paws4people
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/p4pfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/paws4people
• Instagraminstagram.com/paws4people
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paws4people

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 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 paws4people® foundation