The Paws With A Cause facility on Division Street just north of Wayland is about to begin a $9.5 million renovation and expansion project.

A Paws spokesperson said the organization’s mission is to help people in need, but increasing demand for service dogs has resulted in plans for a new 4,500-square-foot building in back of the current facility.

Paws communications manager Sidney Baxter, in an interview with WOOD-TV Channel 8, said, “We do receive over 400 applicants a year for an assistance dog, but we’re only serving about 50 of them, so we want to double that placement.”

Besides upgrades to the training facility, the project will add a new housing center for dogs at the back of the property and a veterinary clinic with exam rooms and x-ray services.

“The K-9 Village is going to include housing,” Baxter said. “They’re going to have their own entrances and exits. It will be grouped together in pods so it will be a little bit calmer and reduce any kennel stress for the dogs while they’re here doing that final stage of assistance dog training.

The cost to train each service dog has been estimated at $35,000.

“We train service dogs for mobility,” Baxter said. “We train hearing dogs for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, we train seizure response dogs and we also train service dogs for children with autism.”

The Paws With A Cause program near Wayland serves clients from 20 countries.

The project thus far has raised $8.7 million of the $9.5 million goal.

The construction project is expected to to take a year.