PAWS FOR PURPLE HEARTS

CANINE-ASSISTED WARRIOR THERAPY®, MISSION, VALUES, HISTORY, AND MORE

CANINE-ASSISTED WARRIOR THERAPY®

Paws for Purple Hearts is the first organization of its kind to offer Canine-Assisted Warrior Therapy® (formerly referred to as Canine Assisted Therapeutic Intervention). We began in 2006 as a research program at the prestigious Bergin College of Canine Studies together with the Menlo Park Veterans Administration Medical Center. Paws for Purple Hearts has since evolved into a separate non-profit organization operating with its own 501(c)(3) status.

Paws for Purple Hearts is the world’s only service dog organization for wounded Service Members and Veterans that partners with Bergin College of Canine Studies. Bergin College is the first and only college in the world that focuses on training and learning about dogs. It was founded and continues to be led by the famous canine researcher and inventor of the service dog concept, Dr. Bonnie Bergin.

Through its unique mission to advance human-canine studies, it produces the some of the best service dog trainers and highest quality assistance dogs. Although Paws for Purple Hearts is now separate from Bergin College, all of our trainers are Bergin graduates.

Group of people, including women and children, standing on steps outside a building with a sign that says 'Franklin and Helen Dunbar Auditorium.' Several people are holding or sitting with dogs, mostly Labrador Retrievers and a few other breeds. The group appears to be part of a community event or organization, with some individuals wearing matching light blue shirts.

Giving Back To Those Who Gave So Much.

Giving Back To Those Who Gave So Much.

Paws for Purple Hearts improves the lives of America’s Warriors facing mobility challenges and trauma-related conditions such as PTSD and TBI by providing the highest quality Assistance Dogs and canine-assisted therapy programs; and by building public awareness about the important role dogs play in helping Warriors along the road to recovery.

Mission

OUR CORE VALUES

P.A.W.S.

  • A black service dog wearing a purple vest with a label that says 'In Training' and 'Paws for Purple Hearts' standing outdoors on a bridge with snow-capped mountains in the background.

    Professional

    We maintain the highest standards in all we do.

  • Adaptable

    We innovate and create to exceed the needs of America’s Warriors.

  • A man wearing a cream knit beanie and ripped black jeans sitting in a chair while hugging a black Labrador dog. The man is smiling and the dog is lying across his lap. The setting appears to be indoors with a white wall and some chairs and a table in the background.

    Warriors

    Our #1 focus: America’s Veterans and Service Members.

  • Service

    We eagerly get the job done for internal and external customers

ABOUT BONNIE BERGIN

An elderly woman with glasses smiling, resting her chin on her hand, sitting at a table with two other women in a well-lit room.

The distinguished Dr. Bergin has been honored with numerous awards including the prestigious Presidential Points of Light Award; Oprah Winfrey’s “Use Your Life Award”; “What Matters” HBO TV; Council on Disability Rights Individual Achievement Award; and Alumni of the Year Sonoma State University.

Group photo of people and dogs in front of a school building on steps.

Dr. Bonita (Bonnie) Bergin invented the concept of the Service Dog to assist people with mobility limitations in 1975. At that time, she founded Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), the first nonprofit to train and place Service Dogs.

After leaving CCI In 1991, Dr. Bergin founded the Assistance Dog Institute, which was formally designated a university in early 2004. Today, the growing Bergin College of Canine Studies is the only college dedicated to teaching service dog trainers in the world.

“As I sat there listening to suggestions like stainless steel on the walls of institutions being a better way to manage situations for people with disabilities, and nutritious meals, which did make sense, of course.

I kept going back to ‘Why aren’t these people out of the institutions and doing things for themselves? What can we do to change that? All of a sudden, I just went Dogs! Dogs could do it. Dogs could help them.”
— Bonnie Bergin
An elderly woman with long brown hair holding a black puppy close, smiling with eyes closed in a cozy indoor setting.

Logo with a purple paw print inside a medal shape and a gold ribbon, alongside purple text reading 'Paws for Purple Hearts' and gold text 'Warriors Helping Warriors'.

OUR LONG HISTORY

PPH PROGRAMS MOVE FROM PILOT TO PERMANENT

Paws for Purple Hearts is the first program of its kind to offer Canine Assisted Warrior Therapy, also known as Canine Assisted Therapeutic Intervention, to Veterans and Active-Duty Military personnel.

  • Logo of Oregon State University of Canine Studies featuring a stylized profile of a dog's head and a winding path, with purple, red, and white colors.

    2006

    Founding at the Bergin College of Canine Studies

    Bergin College of Canine Studies Program Being the only university of its kind in the world and renowned for their innovations of the Service & Assistance Dog Industry, the Bergin College of Canine Studies marked another milestone. Paws for Purple Hearts is conceived with the unique approach of having the Veterans participate in the training of future service dogs for themselves and fellow Service Members. The proof-of-concept is a resounding success with the Veteran community.

  • A person lying on the floor with a golden retriever puppy, gently petting and cuddling it.

    2008

    Canine Intervention Therapy Pilot Program

    The Canine Intervention Therapy pilot program is rolled out at Veterans Administration’s Palo Alto Health Care System, in Menlo Park, California. Patients immediately respond to idea of instructing the dogs as a form of therapy for themselves and report feeling a greater sense of purpose knowing they have a new mission that will help a comrade-in-arms when the dogs training is complete.

  • Four people, three men and one woman, smiling and posing near a large dog wearing a purple harness during an outdoor event.

    2009

    Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington D. C.

    2009 – With continued success, Paws for Purple Hearts expanded to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. The Patient Service-Dog Training Program was now garnering the attention of the Pentagon and political leadership of the country.

  • A man with glasses and a bandana holding a black puppy inside a room.

    2010

    National Intrepid Center of Excellence

    Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) research and treatment mission begins at the newly-formed National Intrepid Center of Excellence, in Bethesda, MD where Paws for Purples Hearts provided a unique opportunity that demonstrated the effective use of Canine Therapeutic Intervention Therapy programs in treating PTSD and TBI.

  • A golden retriever puppy sleeping on a gray speckled floor.

    2011

    PPH as a 501(c)3

    Having grown from its humble begins just five years earlier at the Bergin College of Canine Studies, Paws for Purple Hearts establishes as itself as an independent non-profit recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) entity.

  • A man standing behind a wooden fence holding two green tennis balls in each hand, with four Golden Retrievers sitting on green grass looking up at him.

    2013

    First PPH Training Boot Camp

    Paws for Purple Hearts launches its First Training Boot Camp conducted to pair service dogs with impaired Warriors through a rigorous matching process. Veterans are given a comprehensive two-week training course on proper handling and commands of their new “Battle Buddy” service dog who will assist the Veteran to integrate back into society successfully.

  • A man in a wheelchair holding a yellow Labrador puppy with another man beside him, both smiling outdoors on a grassy area with a wooden fence.

    2014

    PAWS Research Project Final Report

    PAWS Research Project Final Report conducted by Kaiser Permanente and Dr. Bonnie Bergin is completed; it concluded that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and depression-related functioning are lower among those PTSD patients with dogs than those without. PTSD patients with service dogs had better overall mental health, less substance abuse, and rated their interpersonal relationships better than those without service dogs.

  • Three golden retriever puppies lying on artificial grass in a fenced outdoor area, smiling with tongues out.

    2015

    Fredericksburg, VA

    Paws for Purple Hearts opens a new facility in Northern Virginia to service the National Capital Region and Richmond areas. Being close to Fredericksburg, VA the converted warehouse expands the number of Veterans that can be helped in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

  • Two golden retriever puppies lying on a woven outdoor bench, with a sign behind them that reads 'Paws for Purple Hearts Helping Veterans'.

    2015

    New Paws For Purple Hearts Center opens in Fairbanks, AK near FT Wainwright

    2015 - Paws for Purple Hearts establishes operations in Fairbanks, Alaska. The new center is located in one of the highest Veteran populations in the United States and near Fort Wainwright Army Base and Eielson Air Force Base.

  • Five men standing outdoors holding puppies, some puppies are black and one is tan and white, background of trees and a fenced area.

    2016

    Two new PPH Centers open

    Paws for Purple Hearts expands to Veteran friendly San Antonio, Texas and San Diego, California. We begin serving the more than half-million active duty and Veterans in the combined area.

PAWS FOR PURPLE HEARTS SUCCESSES

13,147

Lives we’ve directly improved.

22,263

Therapy session participation.*

*(session slots filled)

Many Warriors attend multiple sessions.

159

Dogs we’ve deployed.

  • A man sitting on the floor next to a black Labrador puppy wearing a purple harness and leash, in a gym with blue bleachers in the background.
  • Two golden retriever service dogs sitting outdoors on dirt, wearing blue service vests, in front of a large green bush with white flowers.
  • Two women sitting on purple benches with two service dogs; a sign in the background reads 'Paws for Purple Hearts, Warriors Helping Warriors'.
  • Four guide dogs lying on a wooden floor with purple training vests, two black and two yellow, in an indoor setting.
  • A woman kneeling on gravel in front of a wooden bench, smiling and petting a black Labrador Retriever wearing a purple bandana and harness, with a lake and a retired boat with trophies and a bear sculpture in the background.
  • Group of people, including dog assistance animals and their handlers, posing outdoors in front of a building with a tree and landscaping, all wearing matching light purple T-shirts with a Texas-shaped logo and text related to assistance animal training.
  • Black dog wearing a blue party hat with stars, a rainbow-striped bandana, and beaded necklaces, sitting outdoors with yellow and purple flowers in the background, next to a colorful birthday bag and a chalkboard sign for a dog's birthday.
  • A service dog in training, a golden retriever, sniffing a puzzle toy on the floor while a person pets its head.
  • Black Labrador puppy sitting indoors with a friendly expression, wearing a harness, with an office setting in the background.
  • Two golden retriever puppies lying on a red blanket in a park with trees and grass in the background.

“You work as a team like in the military, all progressing with the same goal in mind - to make the dogs ready to be utilized by fellow Veterans. Every week you look forward to coming here and being a part of something bigger than yourself.”

-Scott, Chief Warrant Officer 5, Marine Corps, Canine-Assisted Warrior Therapy® participant

DONATION DOLLARS AT WORK

  • Adorable golden retriever puppy sitting on a wooden floor wearing a purple vest with the 'Paws for Purple Hearts' logo, in front of a purple wall with the same logo and the words 'Warriors Helping Warriors'.

    With a recurring gift of just $19 a month you will ensure a Service Dog has all of its vaccinations, training equipment and of course toys to get started in their life altering education.

  • A brown service dog wearing a vest with the words 'Paws for Heart Warriors' and 'In Training' standing against a purple wall.

    Intermediate

    Your gift of any amount will be a tremendous help to our Service Dogs in Training. It costs $52 a month in dog food for just one dog.

  • A woman with glasses and a dark cap sitting on a chair, holding a large black dog with a purple harness, inside a room with purple and beige walls, wood flooring, and various pet-related equipment.

    Advanced

    Paws for Purple Hearts Dog are trained to the most exacting certification because our Veterans deserve the best. Thanks to donors like you, they will never have to pay forany of our services. It costs more than $35,000 to raise just one dog to this high standard.

Donate now