In conjunction with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Dog Therapy Awareness Month, ACS is excited to award 15 grantees $10,000 each as part of the ACS Pups Assisting with Support (PAWS) facility dog program. The program aims to expand access to specially trained facility dogs in pediatric oncology settings to improve the lives of children and teens with cancer, along with their families and care teams. Grant recipients must use the funds to launch a facility dog program or sustain and enhance an existing one. Funds may be used for expenses such as veterinary care, grooming, acquisition of a new facility dog, tools to enhance animal-assisted therapy visits, training for facility dog handlers, improving or maintaining dog facilities like respite areas, and more.The third cohort of ACS PAWS includes four previous grantees (indicated with an asterisk). The 2025 – 2026 ACS PAWS grantees are:Beacon Health System, South Bend, INChildren’s Hospital of Orange County*, Orange, CAChildren’s Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NYChildren’s National Medical Center*, Washington, D.C.Huntsville Hospital Health System, Huntsville, ALJames & Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center, Greenville, NCJohns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital*, St. Petersburg, FLM Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MNMemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Long Beach, CAOrlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, FLRady Children’s Hospital San Diego, San Diego, CAShawn Jenkin’s Children’s Hospital, Charleston, SCUNC Health, NC Basnight Cancer Hospital, Chapel Hill, NCUniversity of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IAUniversity of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics*, Madison, WIThe third cohort will begin on Monday, Sept.1, 2025, and will end on Aug. 31, 2026. Applications for the fourth cohort of ACS PAWS grants will open in Feb. 2026.Animal-assisted therapy for hospitalized children has been shown to decrease symptoms like anxiety, stress, depression, and pain, and increase quality of life indicators like feelings of joy and calmness, positive memories from hospitalization, and improved sense of well-being. Animal-assisted therapy has also been shown to decrease parenting stress and is considered a safe and desirable intervention for children with cancer.Since 2023, ACS PAWS has supported hospitals in providing more than 16,400 facility dog visits to children and teens with cancer, equating to over 6,600 hours of joy for patients and families.Learn more about supporting children through cancer treatment at cancer.org.(Pictured above, a PAWS facility dog working with the program earlier this year.)
