Four-legged help could be on the way for physically challenged Butler County residents.

In January, a regional office of Paws With a Cause opened in Allegheny County. The office will also serve Butler County and others in Western Pennsylvania, said Penny Layne, the regional field instructor.

Since opening the local hub, Layne and her 2½-year-old black Labrador retriever, Fawn, have been promoting the program by demonstrating tasks possible with Paws With a Cause service dogs.

The tasks can include retrieving a telephone, picking up items as small as a dime, handing over money and credit cards, opening doors, pushing the handicapped access entrance button at malls or summoning an elevator.

Dogs are also trained to turn lights on or off, open the refrigerator, set off a life alert system if a client is unconscious or takes a fall, or pull up a blanket for a paraplegic.

Dogs for the hearing impaired can alert their owners to a variety of hazards. Seizure dogs will nudge their client's hand if they see the onset of a seizure, press an alarm button if the client falls and act as a brace if the client gets up.

Although the Michigan-based nonprofit group currently has dogs working in 38 states, regional hubs are located in Moon Township, as well as Chicago, Seattle, Florida and Michigan.

About 15 dogs have been placed in Pennsylvania in the last two years, said Mike Sapp, chief operating officer.

Since clients pay nothing to receive a dog, Paws With a Cause relies largely on donations from businesses and service clubs. Sponsorship runs about $18,000 per animal, Sapp said, but clubs are under no obligation to offer full sponsorship. Many Rotary groups, for instance, will sometimes combine funds to sponsor a dog, he said.

Although about 2,000 people apply to the program each year, only about 100 animals are placed, he said. About 500 people are currently on the waiting list.

Since all funding is used in the state where it is donated, waiting lists are shorter in areas where donors are most generous.

"If money comes from Pennsylvania, it goes back into Pennsylvania," he said.

Although service animals are not covered by insurance, Sapp said they can eliminate up to 66 percent of attendant care, which is often covered by insurance.

"A study (in 1996) did show that if you take the attendant care at $8 an hour, the dog is saving $16,000 a year in attendant care. …. That's $160,000 over a 10-year period," he said. When spread over eight or 10 years of a dog's service, the training cost of $18,000 is reasonable, he noted.

Layne said while Paws With a Cause breeds and trains most of the Labradors, papillons and other breeds at its facility in Wayland, Mich., dogs are also accepted from breeder associations and kennels.

Layne said puppies or young dogs are carefully screened for temperament and health before being accepted into the training program. She said the average service dog works for eight years, so the dogs must be mentally and physically up to the challenge.

She said all puppies must be "hip certified" so they will not develop the painful and expensive hip dysplasia many dogs suffer in their later adult years.

"A lot of money and time go into these dogs," said Layne, "and we want them to be able to work the full time they should and not be pulled from the program (because of an issue like hip dysplasia)."

Layne said potential service dogs are also tested carefully for trainability, attention span and the ability to accept any and all surroundings.

"They have to be able to ignore situations like pigeons in the street," said Layne. Paws With a Cause, said Layne, is the only service dog organization in the country that comes to a client's home to help the new duo bond and train, as well as to see if the dog is a good fit for the client's handicap and personality.

Once Layne receives an application from a potential client, she goes to the home and makes a videotape of the visit to send to headquarters in Michigan. She spends three hours at the home, assessing the client's needs, determining what tasks the dog would perform, looks at flooring surfaces and door widths, or the existence of handles for the dog to grab to open a door or refrigerator.

It is Paws With a Cause policy to not place service dogs in a home that already houses a dog 10 years old or younger, and certain age restrictions apply depending on the client's disability.

If the client's home meets Paws With a Cause requirements, the needs assessment and client services departments at headquarters in Michigan try to match a specific dog with the client's particular needs.

"If they do wheelchair sports, they get a higher-energy dog," said Layne. "If they go to bingo once a month, they'll get a lower-energy dog. Seeing-eye dogs are all trained pretty much the same. What we do is train dogs to be custom-made for our clients."

Once a dog is delivered to a home, Layne visits three times a week to promote bonding, adapt the dog and client to the specific service situation, and teach the client the proper commands and general treatment of the dog.

"My job is to teach the client how to work with their dog," said Layne.

She returns to the home every 18 months to ensure the dog is well cared for and sufficiently performing its duties. She will also visit the home anytime the client needs help.

Betty Scarnato, president of the Butler County Dog Training Association, said providing service dogs could open up a wonderful new life for Butler County residents with physical challenges who could then get out of their homes and take an active part in society.

"Think how much safer some of these people could be," said Scarnato, "and they could stay in their homes instead of entering a facility. I think well-trained assistance dogs are wonderful."

Layne said assistance dogs are covered under state and federal laws to enter grocery stores, restaurants, theaters and schools. The dogs are not allowed in operating rooms or on emergency medical helicopters. The animals always wear their "I'm working" jackets while on duty.

Layne said her Moon Township office currently has eight puppies in training staying at local foster homes, and seven more are on the way. She said she hopes to see some applications, as well as corporate sponsors, from Butler County in the near future.

"If we could get the word out and get corporate sponsorship, we would be able to make more people independent, get dogs to people faster, and possibly save lives," said Layne.

To schedule a presentation by Layne and Fawn or to inquire about corporate sponsorship, call Layne at 412-264-0366.