Canine Companions and their puppies with a purpose in need of volunteers

NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) – Canine companions is an organization near and dear to us here at NBC4.

The organization trains and provides service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities to provide them with greater independence – and they couldn’t do that without the help of volunteers. And they need more!

Here is what some of those volunteer opportunities look like, and how you can help.

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“I get the puppies at 8-weeks-old and have them until they’re about 18-months-old,” volunteer Elaine May said.

Whether it’s puppy-raising a future service dog, like our past NBC4 puppies with a purpose, or something less intensive, like getting to spend a couple hours at a time with the puppies on campus, there’s opportunities for everyone, no matter how big or small.

“I’m always actively recruiting for puppy raisers,” said Melissa McCracken, a volunteer coordinator with Canine Companions in New Albany.  “We have probably 50-60 dogs that live on campus all of the time, so (volunteers) can help us clean kennels, and bathe dogs.”

Landscaping, working tables at events, office work – they need volunteers for all of it. Regardless of what you’re doing, it’s rewarding work.

“Give it a try, it’s a short-term commitment, it’s rewarding, and we’re a big community, so don’t be afraid, cause there’s lots of us out there, we’re willing to help each other,” said May, who has been volunteering for nearly a decade.

Watch Brutus, NBC4’s Puppy with a Purpose, begin his next phase of service training

Beyond that, May has been donating money to the organization for around two decades because it’s an organization she believes in.

“It’s just a sense of satisfaction, it’s a good feeling, I feel like I’m paying forward, and giving back,” she said.

Canine Companions is flexible to work with your schedule and if you decide you want to be a puppy raiser, they teach you all the skills. To learn more about volunteering with Canine Companions, visit their web site, fill out a volunteer form or call 614-699-5900.

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