paws4people

This program provides academic credit and focuses on the integration of service dogs into clinical and educational practice in mitigating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and behavior disorders primarily in children and veterans, as well as people with physical disabilities.

The ADTP was implemented as a pilot program hosted by the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences in August 2011, with an inaugural class of 24 UNCW undergraduate students whose majors ranged from recreation therapy to accounting.

UNCW students have trained 198 dogs throughout the program history. As of spring 2024, more than 1,700 students have participated in the program coursework, and 400 students have completed the full program, earning their certificate as a certified paws4people Service Dog Public Access Trainer. Since the inception of the Assistance Dog Training Minor, 90 students have earned the minor. Collectively, students in the program have completed more than 182,000 documented volunteer hours within the Wilmington, N.C. community.

The introductory course has an enrollment of over 75 students, and all subsequent levels are at full registration capacity. The maximum number of paws4people service dogs are being trained by UNCW students each semester, allowing paws4people to place even more of life-saving partners within the community.

Successfully attending and completing the UNCW p4p ADTP does not signify that a person is a service-dog trainer or qualified to train or place service dogs. Assistance Dogs International has other specific standards one must meet in order to be a certified service and/or hearing dog trainer.

However, with continued learning and internship opportunities, many students remain active as volunteers providing help with training, educational awareness, attending and hosting events, and administrative support.