Page 22 2024 Animal Stories Lincoln Daily News February 2024 By Lesleigh Bennett Paws Giving Independence (PGI) is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of students at Bradley University in Peoria in 2008. Bradley had a competition in the fall of 2008 called Project Springboard. Paws Giving Independence took third place in that competition and has been growing ever since. The founders realized after working with a group of service dogs in the Chicago area that Central Illinois could benefit from such an organization. Both founders had a background in service dog training and were well aware of the health benefits associated with service dog programs through work in the medical field. PGI exists to train service dogs to physically assist people with various disabilities. Many of the dogs that are trained within the program come from local rescues and organizations right here in Central Illinois. Dogs are taught to perform tasks for their owners, such as opening doors, turning on lights, picking up dropped items and other tasks that would be difficult for people with limited ability to perform without assistance. Pause to read about Paws Giving Independence The goal of Paws Giving Independence is to bring together the disabled and non-disabled communities. These dogs provide support, love, and a sense of independence for their owners. An incredible fact about Paws Giving Independence is that they place service dogs free of charge! Similar organizations charge in the tens of thousands for a well-trained service dog. Your donations, public endowments, and the generosity of Central Illinois and the surrounding areas keeps PGI going. The Founders Michelle Yuen, Director of Animal Intake and Care, co-founded Paws Giving Independence in 2008. She began training dogs in 2000 and her early work focused on behavior and training of shelter dogs. She has since trained dogs in agility, obedience, therapy work, and other service-related activities. She completed her internship with a Chicago based service dog program in 2006 and has continued her Continued --
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