The Pet Care Trust was pleased to award Pawsitive Works of Bonners Ferry, Idaho a grant of $2,500 to support a program that matches shelter dogs with at-risk youth and benefits both. The young people in the program train shelter dogs, making the dogs more adoptable and transforming themselves at the same time. The organization helps struggling youth identify and modify damaging behavior patterns through the care and training of behaviorally challenged dogs.
Pawsitive works currently serves two counties in Idaho, with plans to expand into Washington State, an additional county in Idaho and a Montana county in 2011, according to Karen Schumacher, founder and executive director of the program. The grant monies from the Pet Care Trust are earmarked for formatting and editing the programs curriculum and volunteer manual. Schumacher says that the written materials are vital for the potential expansion of the program into other geographic areas. This is a huge need for us, so this is what the grant is really going to help with, Schumacher says. We are really, really thrilled.
Schumacher explains that in addition to providing clear instructions for volunteers and program participants, the curriculum provides a way to link what the dog is learning with what the program wants the youths in the program to learn. It includes an introduction to the hands-on techniques used in the program, powerful stories that are able to reach the kids, daily rubrics for participants, and pre- and post-testing.
The shelter dogs selected for the program are typically those that would be overlooked by potential adopters, according to Schumacher. Pawsitive Works markets the adoptable program dogs on Petfinder.com, Facebook, other websites, and on posters throughout the community, and the program has developed a strong following. Schumacher says dogs are tracked for up to a year after completing the program. At this point, we are definitely seeing a trend of increased adoptions as a result of being in the program, she reports. Interested adopters are asked to wait until the dog completes the program to take their new pet home. Probably the happiest times in the program are when a dog is adopted during the program and the family comes to graduation and the youth gets to hand over the dog to the family, Schumacher says. Its really powerful.
In addition to geographic expansion, future plans for Pawsitive Works include expanding the program by incorporating mentorship, grooming demonstrations and presentations by veterinarians on pet care and careers available in animal care.
The grant money was awarded in October 2010 as part of the Pet Care Trusts annual grant program. As part of its mission the Trust provides funding to organizations that promote the human-companion animal bond and humane care for pets.
