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Our Story

Built to close a gap
that shouldn't exist.

Shelters are full of dogs with the temperament, drive, and potential to do service work. Veterans are waiting 2–7 years for support. PawForward exists because those two facts don't have to coexist.

Why We Built This

Two problems. One solution.
Already within reach.

The traditional service dog pipeline is broken — not for lack of good dogs, but because it excludes millions of shelter animals that could pass a professional temperament evaluation today.

The wait is 2 to 7 years for a professionally trained service dog. Tens of thousands of veterans are in that queue. At the same time, shelters hold dogs with the exact temperament, drive, and potential to do the work — dogs that sit in kennels while veterans sit in waiting rooms.

PawForward was built to fix that. Tom, the founder, saw the gap between what veterans need and what the system provides — and built a platform to put proven evaluation and training tools directly in veterans' hands, not locked behind credentialing programs most people will never access.

That gap — unnecessary and fixable — is what PawForward exists to close.

"

Every shelter dog deserves a fair evaluation. Every veteran deserves a mission worth waking up for.

— PawForward

Why PawForward Exists

Capable dogs sitting in shelters.
Veterans waiting for years.

The traditional service dog pipeline is broken — not for lack of good dogs, but because the process excludes the millions of shelter animals that could pass a professional temperament evaluation today.

PawForward teaches veterans how to find, evaluate, and train those dogs — using the same assessment tools the pros use, adapted for real-world shelter conditions.

The 2–7 Year Wait

Most professionally trained service dogs take 2 to 7 years to receive. Many veterans can't wait that long. Many don't.

🏠 Shelters Are Full

Roughly 3 million dogs enter shelters every year in the US. A meaningful percentage have the temperament for service work. They just need someone who knows how to look.

🎓 Knowledge Is the Bridge

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test and disability-specific training tracks are proven tools. PawForward puts them in veterans' hands — not just professionals'.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏿 Two Lives Changed at Once

A veteran finds a partner. A shelter dog finds a purpose. That's not a workaround — that's the mission.

The Impact We're Building Toward

Saving lives at both ends of the leash

2–7yr
average wait for a traditionally trained service dog
3M+
dogs enter US shelters every year
$0
cost to evaluate a shelter dog with PawForward's tools

PawForward puts proven evaluation tools and training protocols directly in veterans' hands. The work doesn't wait. Neither should veterans.

Ready to start your search?

PawForward gives veterans everything they need to find a shelter dog, run a professional temperament evaluation, and begin training for their specific disability — without the years of waiting.