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Gainesville PAWS Celebrates 1st Year Anniversary

GAINESVILLE, Texas – It’s hard to believe it has already been a year since PAWS (Pairing Achievement With Service) came to the Gainesville campus. The program, in place since June 2016, has done very well by both human and dog standards. Many dogs have been adopted, with one going on to do therapy work in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. PAWS also recently acquired a service dog in training from Service Dogs Inc. that will soon go to formal training at their Dripping Springs facility and be paired with a client in need.

Youth from the Gainesville facility did an incredible job building the one and only PAWS Dog Park for the program. Youth, along with the help and supervision of welding teachers Denver Foster and Dennis Westerlin, and Carl Motley, Director of Security, constructed, welded, and painted the dog park structure. “It was really a lot of hard work… and hot!” stated one youth who contributed his welding skills to the project.

Members from the Gainesville Student Support Council and Noah’s Ark board members and staff attended the event. Youth and staff gave guests a tour of the dorm, answered many questions, and showed off some of their K9 training skills. All the guests remarked about how impressed they were with the youth, what they have been able to do with their dogs, and the great job they have done building the dog park. Noah’s Ark staff were very impressed with the health and well-being of the dogs in the youth’s care and how much all the dogs have improved in their appearance and behavior since being in the program. Youth in PAWS care for and train their dogs to become more adoptable by training them in the American Kennel Club’s “Canine Good Citizen” (CGC) program. Dogs are housed with the youth in their rooms and are available for adoption once they pass the CGC test.

Guests were treated to lunch a of BBQ pork chops and chicken prepared by Gainesville Manager Ron Stewart and potato salad and baked beans prepared by Food Service Manager Doris Garner. Youth served the guests and enjoyed the delicious meal themselves. Staff and youth did an exceptional job decorating and setting up the luncheon in the gym. PAWS Administrator, Cris Burton, would like to recognize Manager Cathryn Hudspeth, PAWS Dorm Supervisor Varnard Oliver, PAWS Case Manager/JCO V Marsha Deeds, JCO V LaQuita Mitchell, and the rest of the PAWS dorm staff for all of their hard work and patience over the last year to make PAWS a success. Also a heartfelt thanks to the administration and support staff that have worked over the last year to create a great program for youth and dogs at Gainesville.

For a list and description of PAWS dogs available for adoption, visit: http://tjjdpaws.blogspot.com/

PAWS UP!!!

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