Story BY: HANNAH BAIRD, STAFF WRITER
They say that a dog can be a man’s best friend or even the perfect household pet, but to some, a dog through 4 Paws for Ability gives them the aid and love that no other dog (a few of anything) can do.
The nonprofit organization, called 4 Paws for Ability is located in Xenia, Ohio, whose mission is to place service dogs with children with disabilities and veterans who have lost use of their limbs or hearing. Founded by Karen Shirk, her vision of being able to provide service dogs to anyone despite their age or severity of their disability came to life. After experiencing hands on the struggle of receiving a service dog because agencies found her too disabled, she knew something had to be done. “I wanted to make sure under-served populations within the service dog community could get their own service dogs,” explained Karen Shirk, founder of 4 Paws for Ability. In October 1998, 4 Paws for Ability started with two dogs in a one-bedroom apartment. Eventually her business soared and was growing as much as 300 percent in one year. Today, hundreds of dogs each year are placed as service dogs to families in need all across the country. However, these dogs aren’t trained overnight, if it wasn’t for the help of the hundreds of volunteers, nothing would be possible. “We are definitely fortunate to have a huge core of volunteers to make it all possible to happen,” explained Jennifer Lutes, Associate Director at 4 Paws for Ability. Every day kids and adults come into 4 Paws for Ability volunteering in various ways. From cleaning out kennels to bathing dogs to even playing with puppies, there’s something for everyone to do. Outside of the 4 Paws doors, even more volunteering is being done. Over 150 dogs are spread amongst 17 campuses within a three-hour radius of their Xenia location. On campus grounds students are teamed up to foster and socialize various dogs to get them ready for placement as a service dog. “It’s really good for college students to get involved,” said Megan Frazier, a senior at Wright State University who has been a part of the 4 Paws program on campus. “It provides structure and discipline to not only the dog's life, but the students life as well.” Whether fostering a dog or helping clean the facilities sounds enticing, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities available at 4 Paws for Ability. Any help that they receive is appreciative because at the end of the day it’s helping the dogs. “Seeing the differences that dogs can make in our lives is so encouraging,” stated Lutes. |
"4" MORE INFORMATION:4 PAWS FOR ABILITY HQ:
4 PAWS FOR ABILITY 253 DAYTON AVE. XENIA, OH 45385 Email: info@4PawsForAbility.org Phone: (937) 374-0385 |