4 Paws for Ability
Walking
around campus, you might have noticed some furry friends accompanying your
fellow classmates. Naturally, your first
thought was probably, “why on earth is there a dog in my math class?” followed
by the even more instinctive, “I have to go pet it”. While talking to the owner of this puppy, you
realize that they are not actually an owner, but a volunteer. Your classmate is most likely working with
the 4 Paws for Ability foundation, founded in 1998 by Karen Shirk. The purpose of this foundation is to allow
volunteers to basic train puppies and allow them to interact in a community so
that they can be donated as a service dog to a child with disabilities.
The founder of this organization was suffering
from a disorder known as Myasthenia Gravis (MG) which is a neuromuscular
disease. She thought of the idea for the
business when her friend suggested getting a service dog to help with her
disease, but all agencies turned her away.
This motivated Shirk to create an industry that would guarantee service
dogs to those in need.
4 Paws is looking for new volunteers every day
to raise these puppies so that they can change the life of a small child. The big question every college student is
asking, though, is how to become one of these volunteers. The solution is simple: just reach out to the
organization! There, they will inform on
how to take care of the dog to make it the best puppy for the children. Cost is not an issue either. The organization provides all volunteers with
the proper food, grooming, and veterinary assistance the pup will need in order
for it to stay healthy. The dogs are not
the only ones benefiting from this service either. In addition to the children receiving the
service dogs, the volunteers who spend time with the puppies are also gaining a
lot from the experience. These students
learn the fundamentals of taking care of another body, which can then teach
numerous amounts of lessons.
The happiness of many lives is just
a phone call away!
Brittney,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your informative post. I've assumed it was some type of service dog training program, but never knew the specifics. One thing to think about in future posts is how to expand beyond the specific topic at hand. For instance, how might you link this organization to wider trends on college campuses?