You may already know this, but my service dog Sami came from Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS). The organization means a lot to me, but not for the obvious reason of Sami being the most amazing dog you will ever meet, or even the fact that he has literally changed my life. I learned a lot during the 2 years I knew PAALS before I got Sami. It was eye opening to see so many volunteers give so unselfishly to make a difference in MY life. And beyond that, PAALS existed in the Executive Director's home - she could have 20 dogs living in her home at any one time, and PAALS staff and volunteers always coming and going. It all seemed a little unbelievable to me at first, and then I began meeting people through PAALS who either already had a service dog or were on the waiting list to receive one. I met people who were ill, people who had lost limbs, people who had been in car accidents and were now in a wheel chair, and people who had served our country and were now basically homebound with PTSD, Then it all became very clear - why so many people were giving so much - and it inspired me to want to help others too.
Sami doesn't make me different, he makes me one of the girls.
PAALS finally moved out of the Roger's home and into a facility in late August. Ten days later, a sewer main downstream of the PAALS sewer connection clogged up and the new PAALS building was flooded throughout with 4 inches of raw sewage. The sewage company doesn’t feel responsible. The county doesn’t feel responsible. PAALS insurance has an exclusion for sewage backup. Now the PAALS building is closed and all of the PAALS service dogs in training are spread out into volunteer’s homes until it can reopen.
PAALS needs our help, and the bottom line is - YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. In dog terms, it takes a "pack" and all of us doing something will come together to be BIG. Getting PAALS back on their paws does more than give puppies back their home - it gives independence, mobility, and peace of mind to people who have some difficult circumstances in life. Wouldn't you want the same?
