Glad I could help, oh, and Archer too.

While Archer's* puppy raisers were out of town I made sure he was with me everywhere and did everything that I did (he didn't do everything I did but he did go everywhere with me).

During the week I found that a friend of mine was having some troubles with her twins. They were scared to the dickens (not sure what that really means but they were freaked out) by dogs. They'd scream and melt down when they would be in close proximity.

I had a thought and it involved a trip to the ice cream store (a huge big deal for me) but it was neutral ground for the twins.

Needless to say Archer was the perfect dog for the job.

Check out their story here.

*Archer is a Paws & Effect service dog

What does it mean?

A couple weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to work with one of our service dogs while one of our puppy raisers was out of town. Archer got to go to work with me and I got to go to work with Archer.

He had a positive impact on my day and gave the same positive spin to some of my officemates.

Here is what they had to say about having Archer around the office.

 Archer is a great companion because he is mellow but affectionate.  He relieves stress because of his demeanor and good behavior. I think it is clear that Archer is happiest with a single owner who can spend lots of time with the dog. - Adam Faircloth

 Having Archer in the office was a huge treat for me. I grew up with dogs, but I don't have the time/money/space to have one of my own now, so it was really nice to be able to take Archer and hang out with him while I worked, and to see him walking around the office with his other new friends. I also think having him here was great for morale because he brought a smile to everyone's face. He brought my stress level down a notch or two, for sure! - Megan Lowe

 It was a very calming effect. Anytime I hung out with him he calmed me down, got me in relaxation mode which helps the ideas flow and made it easier to work. It also upped the fun and happiness levels. - Brian Hanson

Animals do have an impact on our world in so many positive ways.

Thanks Archer.

Admirable Service

While it's not a feature article it is still a plug for service dogs of all kinds. Midwest Living magazine was running an article on service dogs and needed some photography to enhance the story. The magazine reached out to one of this countries only service dog photographers, Steve Hirsch, in order to secure an image to run in the magazine. Steve have donated a great deal of photography time to Paws & Effect and we are so proud that his shot of Tag (short name for Partager - French word that means 'To share') made the cut.

Please take the time to take a look at Steve's photography. Quite amazing. Thanks Steve! and Thanks to Tag for taking time out of his service dog work to pose for the camera.

A service dog named Tag.

A day at the track.

Paws & Effect was invited to the Newton Speedway to raise money through the sales of their 50/50 raffle at their NASCAR Truck series race on Saturday. Our volunteers spanned from Wells Fargo, The Integer Group, Legion Riders, and a handful of dedicated Paws & Effect Puppy Raisers.

They worked the sale to the tune of $16,000. Nothing like a good the raffle winner taking home $8,000 and Paws & Effect taking home over $4,000.

Now our puppies can get their spay and neuters done soon.

Thank you Newton Speedway for inviting us back to the track and to our volunteers! We hugely appreciate your effort.

Dog attack separates veteran from his service dog.

One of Paws & Effect's successful service dogs was attacked on Saturday night. We wish both Mitch and Merritt the best. Merritt is currently back with his puppy raiser and Paws & Effect will work with him over the next few weeks to see if we can get him back on the road to a full recovery.

Watch the story on KCCI.

On Friday June 15, 2012, Jason Frankena presented a Pecha Kucha 20x20* on Paws & Effect. He's not new to public speaking but he'll also tell you that he'd rather be doing other, more exciting, things.

We applaud Jason's for choosing and appreciate his sincere belief in our program(s).

Jason at the 30-40 second mark (slide 2) of his presentation.

A snapshot of all 20 slides Jason presented taking only 20 seconds each.

* PechaKucha 20x20 (FAQ) is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images advance automatically and you talk along to the images.

Campus Closeup: Joe Holman

Campus Closeup article.

Pup Culture - Staying the Course

We'd like to thank Pup Culture magazine for publishing an article about Paws & Effect's agility/therapy program.

Read all about it!

PUPCULTURE 

Paws & Effect and one of their service dogs (and his recipient) were featured on Iowa Public Radio - River to River.

Click here to listen to the story.

See us in the Des Moines Register!

Here!