Helping Paws wasn’t built—it was salvaged. From the wreckage of two souls who had been told they were too broken to be whole again.
Moose came into Amanda’s life like a mirror. He was reactive, shut down, and carrying the kind of trauma that made people turn away. But Amanda wasn’t in much better shape. She was grieving, exhausted, and quietly unraveling under the weight of her own pain. They were both raw. Both guarded. Both aching for something they couldn’t name.
The first time Moose let his head rest in Amanda’s lap, it wasn’t trust—it was surrender. And Amanda understood it, because she’d felt that same kind of collapse in her own heart. That moment wasn’t just the beginning of his healing. It was the beginning of hers.
They didn’t fix each other. They found each other. Slowly, painfully, beautifully—they began to rebuild. One breath at a time. One breakthrough at a time. Amanda learned to listen without needing to fix. Moose learned to stay without needing to run. And together, they created something sacred: a bond built not on perfection, but on presence.
Helping Paws was born from that bond. It’s not just a training company—it’s a sanctuary for second chances. We specialize in trauma-informed, relationship-centered training because we’ve lived it. We don’t use fear. We don’t chase obedience. We build trust. Whether it’s a reactive rescue, a service dog in training, or a puppy just learning the ropes, we meet each dog where they are—with compassion, clarity, and respect.
Moose is now the soul of every session. He walks beside dogs who’ve been through hell and shows them, gently, that healing is possible. That love doesn’t hurt. That being chosen is real.
Helping Paws is for the ones who’ve been told they’re too much. Too damaged. Too far gone. We know better. Because we’ve been there. And we’re still here.
Because Moose taught us that broken doesn’t mean unworthy. It means ready—for something real.
“I thought I was saving Moose from the world. But he was saving me from myself. We didn’t just survive—we learned how to live again, together.”
—Amanda, Founder of Helping Paws
Helping Paws didn’t begin with polished branding or startup capital. It began in the quiet moments—on the floor beside a dog who didn’t know how to be held, and a woman who didn’t know if she could keep holding on.
Amanda was rebuilding her life when Moose came crashing into it. He was reactive, shut down, and labeled “too far gone.” But Amanda saw herself in his eyes—raw, guarded, aching. She wasn’t just rescuing him. She was rescuing herself. And together, they began to stitch their broken pieces into something whole.
The early days were hard. Amanda trained in dog psychology, behavior, and trauma-informed methods—not to build a business, but to understand Moose. To meet him in his pain. To earn his trust. What she didn’t expect was how many others began to show up: dogs with stories like his, people with hearts like hers. Word spread. Sessions grew. And Helping Paws quietly became a sanctuary.
From living room consults to full-scale training programs, from fostering rescues to organizing adoption events, Helping Paws evolved with purpose. Every step was built on integrity, empathy, and the belief that healing is a shared journey. Amanda partnered with local rescues, advocated for fair treatment, and poured her heart into every dog who crossed her path.
Today, Helping Paws is more than a training company. It’s a living testament to second chances. Moose still walks beside Amanda in every session—calm, wise, and deeply present. His journey from trauma to trust is etched into the DNA of everything we do.
Our history isn’t just about growth. It’s about grit. It’s about choosing love when fear feels easier. It’s about showing up—again and again—for the ones who’ve been told they’re too much. Because we know better. We’ve lived it.
