Mobility Assistance and Other Therapy Dogs
Mobility assistance dogs bring independence to people in wheelchairs and those who have trouble walking and standing. These dogs assist their owners by picking up dropped items, carrying groceries, and opening and closing doors. By helping people do what might be termed simple tasks, these dogs are giving them the ability to work, socialize, and have a life. “My dog Ben makes my disability invisible,” says Karen Shirk, founder and executive director of 4 Paws for Ability.
“Before I had Ben, no one would approach me to start up a conversation, and in stores people went out of their way to avoid me,” she says. “Now, with Ben at my side, it could take me an hour just to get milk, because of everyone stopping me to inquire about him.”
When Shirk became disabled, she found that she wasn't able to get an assistance dog because she uses a ventilator. “That was the excuse I was given,” she says. “So I founded 4 Paws for Ability.”
Most Seeing Eye and other assisted therapy nonprofits will not give dogs to children. According to Shirk, children are the largest underserved population. Ninety-eight percent of her placements are with children. She placed one of the first dogs to work with an autistic child.
Alert
Being an assisted therapy worker isn't a typical nine-to-five job. When training clients, some workers are on call and can work late into the night. Usually trainers know ahead of time if and when they are going to work late. As an assisted therapy animal trainer, you must be open to flexible hours.
Her dogs are trained with a reward system, similar to most training programs. However, the training is different because the dogs are supposed to be playful with the children and they have a variety of tasks to perform. “Training depends on the situation,” she says.
For instance, she trained a few dogs to work on tracking autistic children. In some severe cases, autistic children will wander away from home. One child with a dog from 4 Paws for Ability went outside on a cold Pennsylvania night. It was -20°F and the child was naked. The dog found the child in a neighbor's yard in less than three minutes. The dogs are trained to alert parents if a child wanders off, and to interact with children. Many children on the autism spectrum respond better to animals than to people.
Often the dogs are tethered to children, so the children can have some freedom without wandering far. These dogs are also used to snuggle with a child and to prevent autism meltdowns.
For children in wheelchairs, these dogs retrieve items, turn lights on and off, alert parents to the child's needs, and offer companionship. Companies like 4 Paws are in constant need of trainers — not because of job turnover, but because of the growing number of children and adults with disabilities.
Fact
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 out of every 150 children born in the United States will have some form of autism. In New Jersey, that number is 1 in 96. No one is sure why these figures are growing. Some theories state it is hereditary. Others say it is due to environmental factors. In any case, this population is in need of services.
Shirk started 4 Paws in 1998, and has a waiting list of families requesting dogs. She gets her dogs from shelters, and places them nationally. She is based in Ohio. She recommends that to become a trainer, you should have a background in social work and be well versed in issues affecting the disabled community. She also recommends taking assistance training classes, which can be found at a variety of websites.
As executive director of 4 Paws, Shirk has found business classes helpful. She also has a degree in social work, and handles grant writing for the organization. Shirk says that executive directors can earn about $65,000 annually. Trainers can earn $25,000 to $40,000, depending on experience.
