The more volunteers that are willing to help out, the more the trainers can work with the dogs, and the quicker they will be placed with a disabled person in need. PAALS is registered with Assistance Dogs International (ADI), and it takes about 2 years and $25,000 just to train one dog from start to finish! But because it is a non-profit organization, eligible people receive these dogs at no cost.
For more information about PAALS and assistance dogs, visit their website at http://paals.org/about . PAALS is experiencing a great demand for more service dogs, especially from returning veterans, but they need more funds and labor to meet this growing demand. That's why they asked us at USC to find caring people who will take some time to help out---and maybe play with a few puppies too! Cocky's Canine PAALS aims to create fundraisers both on and off campus, appear at USC and Columbia events, and help the pups in training to experience the world in a fun and safe way. Some benefits from joining the club are:
-Rides to and from PAALS
-Getting to know your fellow students
-Knowing that you are helping people with disabilities find a companion to assist them with the challenges they face.
-Have regular contact with dogs from 8 weeks- 2 years old
-Learn first hand the amazing things that these pups are able to do
-Learn helpful tricks on how to train your own pet
-Gain useful life, leadership, and team working experience that you can put on a resume
-Bring a pup to your home for a weekend
-And much more! Some of the responsibilities of volunteers include:
-Keeping the pup areas clean at PAALS
-Dog walking
-Pup-sitting
-Grooming
-Administrative
-Designing flyers
-Taking the pups in public
-Helping with club fundraisers
-Educating others about the methods and importance of training assistance dogs!
***Remember! Cocky's Canine PAALS is dedicated to providing both volunteers ad funds to PAALS, so if you can't commit to volunteering at PAALS regularly, we still encourage you to join the club and help out at your leisure with events that happen at USC campus and around Columbia. This could be as simple as holding a pup's leash while stressed out students are invited to pet the puppy! Also, this is not reserved for a specific major! We could use members of all disciplines in the club for various tasks, and you will be able to put it all on your resume too! Some specific majors that could benefit from this are psychology, biology, graphic designers, vet school, med school, engineers, criminal justice, English and writing majors, business, finance, and many more! Finally, joining this club is a way of giving back to your community and veterans, as well as giving you the warm-fuzzy-feeling that comes when a pup gives you kisses!
