PAWS-AID--People for the Awareness of Working with Service Animals for Invisible Disabilities--is a group of people in the Twin Cities who use or train service dogs and also of doctors, friends and family, and others who support service dog use for invisible disabilities—especially owner-raised service dogs.

• Do you use a service dog or know someone who does?
• Are you interested in learning about service dogs that can help with invisible disabilities?
• Do you have a legitimate invisible disability?
• Are you a doctor who wants to learn how a service dog can be incorporated into a patient's treatment plan?
• Are you a breeder of dogs, trainer, or puppy raiser of dogs for service duties?

All interested parties and those who currently use service dogs for invisible disabilities such as mental illness, MS, epilepsy, diabetes, chronic pain, etc., are welcome to join PAWS-AID for support, conversation, and friendship.

This fast-growing group, co-founded and led by Sara N. and Laura Schneider, formed in September 2008. PAWS-AID growth skyrocketed when it started its Meetup.com site at the end of May 2009, and the group already consists of 60 members, most of whom are users or future users of service dogs for invisible disabilities. Of these members, they have already created/facilitated six service-dog-in-training teams! Clearly PAWS-AID has found a population that is in need of representation and support: high-functioning individuals with severe, chronic invisible disabilities.

In addition to online communications, PAWS-AID gets together several times per month for discussion, education, training exercises, and camaraderie.