| PALS with Pawz, Inc. PO Box 387 South Pittsburg, TN 37380 |
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Two local non-profits have joined forces to help area children improve their reading skills. On Tuesday, November 25, 2008,
Educating Youth Ensures Success (E.Y.E.S.) and Reading Pawz hosted a book signing featuring the Premier Canine from
Reading Pawz, D'Artagnan, who "Pawtographed" books for each child participating in the E.Y.E.S. Program. READING Pawz
provides (2) books to each child twice a year. D'Artagnan and his friends, Turbo, Odie and Slinky will be visiting from 3p.m.
to 5 p.m. at Moore Park in South Pittsburg, Tennessee.
The day's events included refreshments, a drawing for a $100 cash prize, a holiday story and the book signing by
D'Artagnan.
have trouble reading an opportunity to improve their reading skills in a setting which has proven not only effective, but FUN.
There is generally a negative connotation for children who go to a "special" reading class. READING Pawz changes that,
because the children look forward to reading with their READING Buddies, while the other children are The Reading Pawz
RIF Program utilizes Therapy Dogs who have been trained with their handlers to offer children who sitting in the classroom.
READING Pawz also go into schools, libraries, etc. We are striving to turn a negative into a positive.
And that is what READING Pawz is about: Making Reading a PAWZATIVE Experience!
The E.Y.E.S. Program is an after-school tutoring program for at-risk children in South Pittsburg that strives to provide
educational and enrichment opportunities. This program has 2 components. First is Homework Help: Students are given
assistance with homework assignments. Special emphasis is placed on math and reading. We have come to believe that we
can make the most positive impact by concentrating on grades 1-3. We do have students in Kindergarten and 4th grade who
most definitely need the extra help we offer. The Second is Tutoring: Students in 4th grade and up meet with tutors on Wed
for 1 hour to work on specific subjects. Our intent is to address problem areas and get these students up to grade level.
Lorraine Powers said, "I am so glad that Christine approached me about adding this to our programs. We have seen
wonderful results in our children, and even their teachers are commenting on their progress."
For more information about the READING Pawz Program, you can contact them at (423) 837-6688 or http://www.
READINGPawz.org
South Pittsburg: Responsible dog ownership urged
Saturday, September 20, 2008
By:
Ben Benton (Contact)
SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — It’s all about dogs today at the River Park in South Pittsburg, said organizers of the first-ever
Responsible Dog Ownership Day.
The free event started Friday and continues from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT. The goal is to encourage pet owners to be
responsible while mixing in a bit of fun for the young, old and four-legged, said Christine Gutterman of the PALS with Pawz
Service Dogs Organization. Proceeds benefit Reading Is Fundamental’s READING Pawz program.
“We will have the Canine Good Citizen testing from AKC, we’ll have a $25 microchip clinic (and) we will have a groomer down
there that I believe will be doing toenails,” Ms. Gutterman said.
The READING Pawz program is “joined with Reading Is Fundamental where our therapy dogs go into classrooms and help
students with their reading problems,” she said.
Today’s River Park program includes children’s activities, best trick competition, best lapdog, cutest mutt, a dog parade and
demonstrations by service dogs and rescue dogs, Ms. Gutterman said.
The dog-centric day will coincide with the free Keeping It Safe Kids Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT downtown, she said.
Children ages 5 to 12 can enjoy inflatable slides and bounce houses, learn about fire safety and check out the fire hall,
firetrucks and police cars, said A.J. Fox, South Pittsburg parks and recreation director.
PALS with Pawz trains rescued and donated dogs as service dogs and therapy dogs, and provides educational programs
and private training classes, said Ms. Gutterman, who has a service dog of her own.
People attending Responsible Dog Ownership Day also can find a canine companion, organizers said.
Cindy Christian, a volunteer at the Paws of Love Dog Sanctuary in Jasper, said a handful of well-socialized dogs from the
sanctuary will be available for adoption.
The adoption fee is $75. All dogs are spayed or neutered and vaccinated, Ms. Christian said.
She said other rescue groups will bring dogs for adoption, as well.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
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SOUTH PITTSBURG
COMMUNITY HOME
Donations accepted for PALS with Pawz
Thursday, July 24, 2008
PALS with Pawz is a non-profit corporation located in South Pittsburg. Its programs consist of Service Dog Training, Therapy
Dog Training, Reading PALS to help promote literacy, Classroom PALS to help promote animal education and safety. They
also hold private training classes. Donations, scholarships and grants are needed at this time to keep costs down. For more
information, call (423) 837-6688 or visit www.PalswithPawz.org.
E-mail Steve Flynn at steveflynnc@aol.com
Rossville: A community unites
Monday, June 30, 2008
By:
Chloé Morrison (Contact)
Rossville resident Scott Meredith, 21, has two passions — bowling and a dog called Murray.
Scott has a rare genetic disorder, mitochondrial encephalopathy, that affects his learning, nervous system, eyes and
muscles.
He has seizures and he’s beginning to lose his eyesight. The condition will get progressively worse, said his father, Scott
Meredith Jr.
Scott needs a service dog, but it costs $3,000 to have Murray — the dog Scott already has fallen in love with — trained. So
friends of the Meredith family have started a fundraising campaign to help bring Scott and Murray together.
Shay Love , who is heading up the fundraising, said she will do whatever it takes for Scott to have the dog.
“I said, ‘You will get your dog if I have to put my fat body in a bikini and wash cars,’” she said.
helping hands and pals with pawz
Mrs. Love has known Scott and his family for years. She is a former waitress at Ringgold restaurant Aunt Effie’s where the
Merediths were regular customers. When she got a new job, she temporarily lost touch with the family, she said.
“I had not seen Scott for about a year now, and when I ran into Scott and his family I was shocked to see how the disease
has progressed,” she said.
Mr. Meredith knew that Mrs. Love was a foster parent in Catoosa County and that she often did fundraising events for the
county’s foster and adoptive parent association. He asked for her help.
WHOM TO CONTACT
To donate to Scott’s cause visit any local Gateway Bank & Trust. The account is listed as Pals with Pawz, The Scott Meredith
III Fund.
Contact Shay Love at (423) 593-4773.
Visit www.PalsWithPawz.org.
ABOUT THE DISORDER
The disorder affects a cell’s mitochondria, which are responsible for supplying energy needs. It causes the mitochondria to
malfunction, which can affect the nervous system, heart and muscles.
Mrs. Love said she’s sure the residents in the surrounding Northwest Georgia communities will support Scott’s cause.
“I said, ‘$3,000 is nothing,’” she said. “‘We will get $3,000.’”
Through networking, Mrs. Love got in touch with Pals with Pawz Inc., a nonprofit based in South Pittsburg, Tenn., that which
rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to aid people with disabilities.
Murray has only been out of the shelter for two weeks, said Christine Gutterman, executive director of Pals with Pawz. When
Scott visited Mrs. Gutterman’s dogs, Murray, an Irish setter-golden retriever mix, immediately seemed like a perfect match.
“The dog picks the person,” Mrs. Gutterman said.
Mr. Meredith said other dogs jumped on Scott, nearly knocking him over, but not Murray.
“Murray walked right up beside him and sat down, and they just sort of bonded immediately,” Mr. Meredith said.
Mrs. Gutterman said it will take six months to a year to finish training Murray. Eventually the dog will be able to help Scott
open doors, take off his shoes and socks and take his medicine. Murray also will be able to sense when Scott has a seizure
and can fetch help, Mrs. Gutterman said.
the family
Mr. Meredith and his wife, Linda, lost another child to the genetic disorder when he was about a year old. When Scott was
about 5, the Merediths realized he also had the disorder.
“He would go into blank stares — a form of seizures,” Mr. Meredith said.
Coping with the situation is hard, the family said. But their bond helps. Looking at Scott’s smile brings comfort, his parents
said.
Scott doesn’t talk much to people he doesn’t know, but he is a happy and kind person, Mrs. Meredith said. He loves bowling
and has made friends through the sport.
The family said the outpouring of community support brings them solace.
“How do I get by?” Mrs. Meredith said. “I take it one minute at a time.”
Comfort from Scott also helps her, she said.
“He will go, ‘Mama, it’s OK.’”
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