Answers to your most important questions.

Yes. Paws For Purpose is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. You’ll receive a receipt for your records.

Because we breed, raise, and train every dog in-house at our 22,000 sq ft Batesville facility, our overhead is dramatically lower than peer programs. The vast majority of every dollar goes directly to dog care, training, and placement. See our IRS Form 990 on the About page for full transparency.

Vertical integration. We breed the dogs, raise them, train them, and place them all from one facility. No outsourcing, no markup. Combined with a robust volunteer program and nearly 15 years of refining our process, we can place a dog for roughly half the industry standard.

Yes. At our regional and statewide partner levels, you can choose the school district or region your gift supports. Individual donors can request to be matched with a specific placement when one becomes available.

Absolutely. Bequests, charitable trusts, and named legacy partnerships are all welcome. Contact Gary Sevier, our COO, at info@pawsforpurpose.net to discuss options.

We prioritize schools where the need is greatest and a dedicated handler is in place. Priority regions include Northeast Arkansas, the Arkansas Delta, the rural Ozarks, and Northwest Arkansas. Anyone can nominate a school using the form on the Therapy Dogs page.

Once a school is selected and a handler is identified, placement typically follows within 6–12 months. The dog is already a Wagology Doctorate graduate — specialized therapy training continues for the school environment, then handler training rounds out the process.

White English Labradors and English Cream Golden Retrievers are double-coated and shed seasonally, but we work with each school to plan integration carefully. Most schools find that allergy concerns can be managed with handler protocols, dedicated rest areas, and clear classroom expectations.

Each placement school identifies one primary handler — usually a counselor, teacher, librarian, or administrator. That handler trains with us in Batesville before placement, and we provide ongoing support for the dog’s full working life.

We track placement longevity, school feedback, handler check-ins, and student impact stories. Bear at Melbourne High and Timber at Wausau East are two examples — their schools share regular updates that demonstrate measurable improvements in student engagement and well-being.

Veterans, individuals with mobility challenges, families with children on the autism spectrum, and people managing PTSD, psychiatric conditions, or daily living needs. We place across four service-dog tracks depending on the recipient’s situation. Note: we do not currently train seizure-alert or seizure-response dogs.

We don’t commit to a fixed wait time. Each placement is matched individually based on the recipient’s needs and the dogs currently in training. Start an inquiry early — the form itself helps us understand your situation and lets us reach out as soon as a match becomes available.

Our placements are heavily subsidized by donors. Specific costs depend on the recipient’s situation and program; many recipients pay nothing out of pocket thanks to our donor and partner network.

Every placement includes hands-on handler training at our Batesville facility before the dog goes home. We also stay involved for the dog’s full 8–10 year working life with check-ins, refresher training, and any course corrections needed.

Every dog is a pedigree White English Labrador or English Cream Golden Retriever, selected for temperament, health, and working aptitude. We test for 140 genetic and personality markers per dog, and our Wagology Doctorate-level graduates come to us from Snowy Pines White Labs, our for-profit founding partner.

Our placements have a typical working life of 8–10 years. We support the dog and handler throughout, and help plan a graceful retirement when the time comes.

Yes — by appointment only. We host donors, partners, school administrators, and prospective volunteers regularly. Email info@pawsforpurpose.net to schedule.

On-site volunteer opportunities (facility helper, dog socializer, skilled professional) are described on the Volunteer page. The puppy raiser program is in development and will open applications soon.