Don’t be mistaken. Although Paws with Purpose (PWP) could be the name of a reality television show—PWP’s stories have all the elements of an engaging, dramatic, yet humorous and at times tear-jerking primetime series, complete with a cast of heroic canines, criminals, and everyday folks with an unstoppable passion for dogs – the actuality might even be better. In fact, you don’t have to go further than Meijer on Westport Road to witness PWP live and local, operating under the radar. Plus, there’s good news for dog-lovers and do-gooders seeking celebrity status: they’re casting new participants due to the ongoing success of the program.
Founded in 2003, Paws With Purpose is a non-profit organization based in Louisville that provides assistance dogs as partners to children and adults with physical disabilities or other special needs. According to PWP volunteers and service dog recipients, these special dogs provide comfort and companionship, help to break down social barriers, and perform many skilled tasks which help their partners lead more independent lives.
“[Having a PWP service dog,] it’s so much more than having a pet,” says Sharon Deatz, a retired Presbyterian Minister who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988. “He’s my steady companion,” says Deatz, referring to a yellow lab named Yeager who provides, among other things, help with the laundry, physical support, and assistance with balance and stability. Even over the phone, Deatz’s deep appreciation for both PWP and Yeager is almost tangible. She had looked into two other service dog programs before contacting PWP – one program had a 5-6 year waiting period and the other asks that recipients raise the $20,000 placement fee on their own. “I couldn’t ask people to pay so I could have a dog,” says Deatz.
Through a unique partnership with the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women (KCIW), PWP is committed to providing highly skilled service dogs at no charge to recipients living within a 30 mile radius of Louisville. PWP also relies on the assistance of generous donors, dedicated volunteers, and a hard-working board of directors who organize fundraisers like the upcoming trivia night on February 25th at St. Andrews Episcopal Church.
In 2004, when KCIW inmates – who were inspired by an actual television show – asked the facility warden if they could start a dog training program, the warden inquired with Kate Underwood, a past PWP board member who was then mentoring at KCIW, about a partnership between the two organizations. PWP responded that they would consider the idea, but maintained that in order to raise service dogs, able to help their disabled partners access all types of settings, both public and private, the puppies would have to somehow be given considerable exposure to the world beyond the institution’s campus.
Finally, it was decided the puppies would split their time between the prison and outside volunteers’ homes, and thus began the Puppy Prison Program, one of the only programs of its type in the region.
The Puppy Prison Program gives these women the opportunity to contribute to society while serving the remainder of their sentence and a dog to call their own. The women of KCIW hired by PWP to train the dogs must be a part of the prison’s honor program. They must also have a high school diploma or GED, and have committed no crimes against a child or animal. Currently, 12 women are qualified to participate, though only 8 are actively training dogs.
Puppies enter the program when they are about 8 weeks old. Typically labradors and golden retrievers, they come to PWP from breeders that breed dogs with specific traits deemed beneficial in service dogs; a consistent desire to work, good temperament, and good physical health are must-haves.
Throughout the week, the dogs stay at the prison and work one-on-one with the handlers who teach them basic skills (sit, down, stay) and advanced skills such as removing a shoe or sock and opening dresser drawers and doors. Though each dog is assigned to an individual, the women work as a team. They hold group training classes, work together to resolve behavioral issues, and groom the dogs daily.
On Fridays, the puppies leave the prison for the weekend with a volunteer trainer. Restless empty nester, outgoing young professional, childless couple, doting housewife, discerning attorney – the role of PWP trainer can’t be typecast, but they all share two things in common; a love for dogs and belief in the ability of service dogs to transform lives. Lee Anne Embry was stirred to become a trainer after witnessing the difference a guide dog made in her brother in-law’s life.
The weekend prison hiatus allows for socialization and exposure to cars, shopping, restaurants, movies, the grocery store, and many other important situations in public settings that a working service dog would encounter. As a group, volunteers and the puppies go to places such as Moochie & Co., a doggie boutique store at Mall St. Matthews, to show-off clothing and toys, or Meijer, where the dogs’ ability to focus is put to the test, as they’re asked to walk the aisles without pausing to sniff.
Both Embry and Deatz welcome discussion about the dogs, who through that force of attraction embodied in warm, gentle, furry living things, draw folks together from different walks of life, regardless of ability level or criminal history. “[Often] people are uncomfortable being around people with a disability,” says Deatz, “and the dog breaks the ice.”
Behind the scenes, PWP Applicant Coordinators Adrienne Gerdes and Cathy Gerrish, who contributes her expertise as a physical therapist, conduct phone interviews and physical evaluations to better understand the needs of applicants and match them with a dog. PWP currently has 8 applicants on its waiting list.
Once the puppy has completed 18-24 months of training, PWP begins the process of placing a service dog with a recipient. Placement can be a nerve wracking process for everyone. KCIW handlers and volunteer trainers wonder, “will the dog perform correctly?” and recipients, who may or may not have ever owned a dog worry, “will I be able to manage the dog?”
It may come as a surprise to learn that only 30-40% of the puppies-in-training are successfully placed with recipients. Deatz candidly shares that the first two PWP dogs she met “flunked.” Otis, a black lab, pulled too hard on the lead, and Adam, an otherwise phenomenal dog with an unfortunately high prey-drive took off running in pursuit of another dog.
Fortunately, there was Yeager, a precocious 15 month old puppy. During the five years the two have been together, Yeager has kept her from falling, inspired childrens’ sermons, even brought attention to a young boy struggling to stay afloat in the choppy waters of Muskegon Bay. For his bravery in service, Yeager was given the Humane Society’s Dog of Valor Award in 2007 and, in 2009, he was inducted into the Kentucky Veterinarian Hall of Fame.
“He was young, but they [PWP] took a chance,” says Deatz about the pairing, “and it’s been a beautiful relationship.”
Stay tuned. Next month,
The Paper covers the cast and crew of PWP at J.B. Atkinson Elementary school for the Ruff, Ruff, Read to the Dog program, with special guest Beth Fuller, recent recipient of the Kentucky Elementary School Teacher of the Year award. In the meantime, for more information about upcoming PWP events, applying for a dog or becoming a weekend trainer, check out PWP’s website, www.pawswithpurpose.org.
–Sarah Laster
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