Providing Service Dogs to Children Worldwide

4 Paws for Ability enriches the lives of children with disabilities by training and placing quality, task-trained service dogs. This provides increased independence for the children and assistance to their families. 4 Paws also works with veterans from recent conflicts who’ve lost the use of their limbs or their hearing while in active combat. In all cases, the results speak for themselves.

Karen Shirk; the founder of 4 Paws for Ability is alive today because of a service dog, Ben. Karen was home after an open-heart surgery when a deadly mix of meds left her barely conscious and fighting for life. The phone rang and rang. Ben finally picked it up and placed it beside her, then began to bark. It was her dad, and he rushed over and got the help she needed.

Elena Palagka, was trained and certified by 4 Paws for Ability after completing her practical work with the organization. Through the Nina Service Dogs organization, Elena Palagka trains and provides services dogs mainly to children and occasionally to teenagers/adults, using the methods, patterns and model of 4 Paws for Ability.

We; the Nina Service Dogs non profit organization, thank 4 Paws for Ability for all the help and support they provided in order to help children in need in this side of the Atlantic. We would like to thank Karen Shirk the founder of 4 Paws for Ability, for her generous and beautiful gift; our papillon Wall-e. The smart 4 Paws papillon, is now in Greece and is already part of the of Nina Service Dogs crew. We feel blessed and honored to have him here.

I would also like to personally thank Karen Shirk; the founder of 4 Paws, my mentor and training director Jerery Dulebohn, who taught me everything I know and the 4 Paws people, trainers, friends and all staff members for their support and kindness.

If you would like to find out more about 4 Paws for Ability, please visit their website 4pawsforability.org.

Some of our photo contents across our website, belong to 4 Paws for Ability. We thank the organization for all their support.