LEND A PAW FAQ's

Who is New Leash On Life?
Founded in 1997 and located in Newhall, CA, New Leash On Life (NLOL) is a nonprofit animal rescue organization which rescues and rehabilitates dogs from local shelters. Upon rescue, all dogs are given any medical treatment needed, are spayed or neutered and then come to our Education, Rehabilitation and Adoption Center where they begin the rehabilitation process which includes obedience training. Once rehabilitated, all dogs are placed for adoption into forever homes. NLOL is a no-kill shelter.

What is the Lend A Paw Program?
Many of our adoptive dogs are given a basic obedience course. After careful evaluation, dogs that exhibit unique qualities and have the necessary temperament are chosen to enter the Lend A Paw Program where they are given extensive training to become Social/Therapy dogs. Social/Therapy dogs are certified and enter into our therapy program or are put up for adoption to a family in need or someone wishing to continue the dog’s therapy work.

What is a Social/Therapy Dog?
A Social/Therapy dog is considered a pet or companion and part of the family. Each dog is put through a rigorous training regiment and is certified as a Canine Good Citizen. These special dogs are trained to maintain focus and respond to direction despite distractions. These dogs can promote improvement in human physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning.

What is the difference between a Social/Therapy Dog and just a trained dog?
Our Social/Therapy dogs have not only completed an extensive training course, but have also passed their CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test, had a temperament evaluation and been certified for therapy work. Our trained dogs are completely obedience trained, but may possibly not have the exact temperament needed for therapy work (i.e. the dog is uncomfortable around wheelchairs). Both Social/Therapy dogs and trained dogs may be available for adoption.

How can I foster a Social/Therapy Dog?
Absolutely! We actually prefer that our LAP dogs go into a foster home instead of being kenneled at our facility. This gives the dog a better opportunity at being trained in a home environment and socialized both at home and in public. Contact Jeanette@nlol.org if you are interested in fostering.

How can I adopt a Social/Therapy Dog?
We are looking to place Social/Therapy dogs with a person wishing to be involved in our Lend a Paw program and continue the dog’s invaluable therapy work. For those wishing to adopt a trained dog but not wishing to be involved in Lend a Paw, we may have other trained dogs available for adoption that have not been certified for therapy work.

Individuals and families with special needs may also be good candidates for adopting a Social/Therapy dog or one of our obedience trained dogs, depending on the needs of the family. If you have a special circumstance and wish to inquire about adopting one of our trained dogs, contact jeanette@nlol.org.

How can Social/Therapy Dogs help individuals with disabilities?
There are many advantages for having a Social/Therapy dog. They are, but not limited to:

Building a Social Bridge-  People often approach an individual with a dog and it opens up opportunities for socialization.

Language Opportunities- Individuals are more likely to communicate information regarding what is important to them. Dogs provide a topic for conversation.

Teaching Responsibility- The individual can learn to be responsible for the health, safety, grooming, socialization and exercise of the dog.

Love- Dogs provide unconditional love and comfort. The dogs can also help to reduce anxiety and stress levels.

Can I use my own dog for therapy work?
Yes! We invite individuals who believe their dog has the right temperament for therapy work to get involved. If your dog has the right temperament but doesn’t have his basic obedience skills, you can take our 6 week course to prepare both of you for certification. Completion of our training program does not guarantee that your dog will pass certification.

If your dog has obedience and you believe is ready for therapy work, you can take the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test through us and have your dog evaluated for certification. If your dog was previously certified through another organization (Delta, Therapy Dogs International), we may require an initial evaluation but most likely, you and your dog will be invited to be part of our team.

What if I don't see any Social/Therapy dogs available for adoption on your web site?
There are times when we may not have any Social/Therapy dogs available for adoption. If you wish to adopt a dog and want to be involved in therapy work, contact us. We may have a dog for you to foster and/or adopt as well as help train for the Lend a Paw program. If you are an individual or family with special needs, contact us. Although we may not have a Social/Therapy dog ready for adoption, we might have a dog with a special temperament that has not been through training or a trained dog that might work for your family.

For More Information Contact:

Jeanette Beltran

LAP Coordinator and Trainer
jeanette@nlol.org

(661) 255-0097