Support us

Well, that depends on where you are. In this English version, we will presume you are either an English speaker currently in Czech Republic (which means you might appreciate the translated text of our Czech version) or you are abroad (in which case you can help us many other ways - see below). In any case, please keep reading, because we sure do need your help!!!

Helping Paws are actually just a wide network of volunteers. We currently do not have any employees at all. Thanks to these devoted people, we were able to complete the initial "Pilot Program" in the worth of over half a million Czech Crowns ($14.000). We specifically point out the words "in worth of" because nobody has ever seen this money, on the contrary, we all actually keep putting money into Helping Paws from our own pockets. Just recently, the donations started to cover the necessary expenses of care for dogs and care for clients etc. If you want to help us, you can donate your time or money or both.

Absolutely EVERYBODY can help us and here is how:

IN CZECH REPUBLIC:

• Please read carefully all the information on this website and try to remember as much as possible, so that you could tell people about what we do.
• Write down the basic information about Helping Paws (website address, contact info, account number) someplace where you will not loose it - think about us, when you talk to people and have the information always on hand.
• If you have your own dog, which you walk every day and meet other dog owners, talk about Helping Paws with them. Tell them what you know and suggest they visit our site etc.
• Talk to your collegues or friends about Helping Paws and suggest a collection of a small donation. If all if you can give away some change, it will end up being a nice pile. Any amount is important to us.
• If you or your close people speak enough Czech, consider subscribing to our newsletter, which is free in it's e-mail version. Sorry, no English version availiable.
• If you have Czech speaking collegues and friends, suggest visiting our site and subscribing to our Newsletter to them. Or, is you are sure they would like it, you can give us their e-mail address (if they don't like it, they can always unsubscribe).
• If you know or have children, talk to them about Helping Paws and the role of assistance dogs. Use our website to show them how dogs help disabled people. (We also have some educational material availiable to schools, pre-schools and other educators. If time/money permits, we can come for a visit & lecture as well. Please contact us: info@pomocnetlapky.cz)
• If you are an owner of a shop, restaurant, hotel or other public space, or if you know such owners, please talk to them about Helping Paws. We would like the owners to visit our website, educate their staff about assistance dogs and regularly allow assistance dogs on their premises. This would be an enornous help to us.
• Please read through the following list of volunteers we are looking for - you might know the right person! We seek Czech speakers willing to help in the following fields:
  economy - planning, budgeting etc. translations - mainly from English, but also other languages
  psychology - creating a countrywide network of client care fundraising - writing grant applications, acquisition etc.
  canine therapy - creating of countrywide network of volunteers
• Would you like to do something else? Feel free to contact us with your own plan! We will definitely need people willing to help with presentations around the Czech Republic - from ensuring a space to handing out flyers. We always need cameramen and photographers. Maybe you could help us place a donation box in your city when the time comes. Perhaps we have a client nearby you who needs to be driven to our presentation every once in a while. LET US KNOW! Although we might not have work for you right away, you may soon play a key role in one of our activities.

HELP FROM ABROAD:

• Please read carefully all the information on this website and try to remember as much as possible, so that you could tell people about what we do.
• Write down the basic information about Helping Paws (website address, contact info, account number) someplace where you will not loose it - think about us, when you talk to people and have the information always on hand.
• If you have your own dog, which you walk every day and meet other dog owners, talk about Helping Paws with them. Tell them what you know and suggest they visit our site etc.
• Talk to your collegues or friends about Helping Paws and suggest a collection of a small donation. If all if you can give away some change, it will end up being a nice pile. Any amount is important to us. Remember, that any foreign currency is worth much more here. For better idea, here are some of our typical costs translated to dollars and EUR (appoximate):
   
  

  Item	Cost in US dollars	Cost in EUR
  1 kg (2 pounds) of dog treats	3.5	4
  collar and leash	6	6.5
  dog food stainless steel bowl	4	5
  bag of high quality dog food	35	40
  dog bed	28	33
  vet - shots	8.5	10
  vet - flea control per 1 year	23	26.6
  major vet costs such as overall exam or sterilization) - whole exam/operation	57	66.6
  special harness for pulling wheelchair	28	33
  transport crate for a large dog	170	200

• Give us subscription to newslestters and magazines focused on dogs (especially retrievers), assistance dogs, disabilities, canine therapy, international fundraising possibilities or anything else you think we should know about. We would like to not only be informed, but inform the Czech public about what's going on internationally. By no means can we afford such subscription and especially the postage to Czech Republic. These information sources can be in English, but also German, French and Esperanto.
  We are currently receiving the following magazines/newsletters for which we would like to thank:
  Partners Forum - IAADP / Excellent source, thank you!
• Send us books, manuals or videotapes regarding dogs (especially retrievers), assistance dogs, disabilities, canine therapy, international fundraising possibilities or anything else you think we should know about.

We have so far received or bought the following materials for which we would like to thank:
Partners in Independence plus video - Ed and Toni Eames, thanks so much
Step by Step manual - Myra Fourwinds
Canine Partners for Independence Video - CPI UK, thanks!!!
collection of client care forms - New Life Assistance Dogs - Absolutely invaluable! Thanks so much!
Therapeutic Interventions - (Delta Society) special thanks to Susan Freeman

All foreign materials should be sent directly to Hana, who will arrange translation and answer any qustions you might have via e-mail:

Pomocne tlapky o.p.s.
k rukam pani Pirnerove
V. Kratochvila 1073
332 02 Stary Plzenec

THANK YOU ALL WHO HAVE HELPED US ALREADY, THIS PROJECT WOULD HAVE NEVER STARTED WITHOUT YOUR GENEROSITY!!!