The Paws & Stripes® program started back in 2006 as a basic dog obedience program to help save the lives of dogs in our Brevard County Animal Shelter. Carefully selected and trained Jail inmates were paired with shelter dogs who train the dogs in both voice commands and hand signals. The dogs were housebroken, and learned basic obedience skills to include, heel, sit, down, stay, and come, all with the anticipation of getting the dog adopted into its Fur-ever home.
The Paws & Stripes® program has advanced into the “Paws and Stripes® College” and offers the basic tenants of the original program (now called the Comfort Dog Program) while serving as the foundation for the “College”.
Selected canine graduates of the original 8 week course now move into the advanced training program to serve as Law Enforcement & Multidiscipline Crimes Against Persons Therapy Dogs.
Paws and Stripes College Brochure
Our Comfort Dog Program is geared towards citizens that would benefit from the companionship of a K9 friend. The Comfort Dog Program helps:
CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL & EMOTIONAL DISABILITIES:
- Reduces anxiety & anger
- Increase communication
- Produces social interactions
- Positive mood stabilizer
- Helps with teaching responsibility
- Stimulates cognitive response
VETERANS:
- Decreases anxiety in public places
- Reduces symptoms of PTSD
- Increase in undisturbed sleeping
- Produces social interactions
- Stimulates cognitive response
- Higher test scores
- More likely to graduate
Potential owners must complete an (8) hour training course that is held over a period of 4 days and covers:
- Basic Obedience
- Rapport & K-9 Care
- Comfort Dog rules & regulations
- Adapting to a new home
- Additional Opportunities for advanced training
Comfort Dog Program
Paws and Stripes Comfort Dog Application
This service is provided at NO COST to the adopter!
The Law Enforcement & Multidiscipline Crimes Against Persons Therapy Dog Training (Reserved for our First Responder Partners) is an advanced 40 hour training course that consist of:
-Learning the Do’s & Don’ts of deploying a Therapy dog for child victims.
-Instructions & Practical Application include:
- Basic & Advanced Obedience
- Behavioral Observations
- Vehicle Ops
- Investigative Interview Technique
- Work place adjustments
- National Registration
-Home Adaptation (For those obtaining a K-9)
(This course prepares K-9 teams to complete the necessary requirements of becoming a Nationally Registered Therapy Dog Team.)
Regardless, if it is helping with the recovery of a child victim, helping veterans and first responders suffering from anxiety disorder, or a citizen of our community in need of animal-assisted comfort, this unique program has just the right pet to help just the right person and in the process, the program has saved hundreds of dogs that were at risk of being euthanized.
If you are interested in adopting a Paws & Stripes® College graduate, please fill out the application below and email to pawsandstripescollege@bcso.us
Paws and Stripes Law Enforcement Therapy Dog
Adopting from US I’m Bringing my own Dog
If you wish to have the comfort of a K9 Companion or participate in the Therapy Program Dog, the staff at the Paws and Stripes® College will gladly assist. pawsandstripescollege@bcso.us
If you’d like to make a donation to the Paws and Stripes® College, please send a check or money order to:
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Charity, Inc.
700 S. Park Ave
Titusville, Fl 32780
*Please write “Paws and Stripes” on the memo line.
