A doggy daycare in Saint Marys is going above and beyond their duties as dog watchers. The “Anything is Pawsible” program is how they’re making a big impact on others' lives.
At the St. Marys K9-to-5 Doggy Daycare, they believe that everything is better with a dog. That’s why they have started the “Anything is Pawsible” program, where they raise and train dogs to be service animals for those who don’t have the means to do it themselves.
Sandy Gerdeman, the owner of the daycare says, “Imagining someone who might need a service dog but can't afford that high cost that I consider to be—I mean I know they’re worth it don't get me wrong--but I felt like we could really offer something back by having these dogs be trained to certain individuals that needed our help.”
That means the dogs are trained and then are given to people that need them—completely free of cost to the new owner.
Over the past year, they have put 6 different dogs through the program that were then trained specifically for the person that they would be going home with. Emotional support, therapy, and service dog training is just some of the ways the dogs learn how to care for their human.
“It was such a heartwarming experience to see these people react to having a dog that is completely theirs and is there to help them with anything that they might need,” says Gerdeman.
Training these dogs takes around-the-clock work. The trainers at the daycare spend most of their time by the dog's side preparing them for their forever home.
Jessica Storer, a manager and one of the trainers at K9-to-5 Doggy Daycare says, “We may have a regular 9-to-5 job at the daycare, but these dogs go home with us girls and we work with them 24 hours a day.”
The assistant manager and one of the other trainers, Mackenzie Vorhees says, “What we love about our jobs really shows in the work that we do. I mean, we put our whole heart and literally all of our time into this.”
The program also allows for the dogs to venture out into the community and help in other ways.
“Dogs like Thea, for example, go to hospitals, nursing homes, they visit those who might not have visitors,” says Storer.
The trainers say that everyone deserves the comfort that a dog brings, no matter what the circumstances in their life are.
Vorhees says, “To have the option to have help from something that isn't a machine or another person, it gives them a little bit of independence and I think that’s really nice.”
Anything is Pawsible is able to offset the cost of the dog certifications and training with the help of the community. Many fundraisers throughout the year help pay for the services, and they welcome any kind of donation. For more information on K9-to-5 Doggy Daycare, head to their website at k9to5doggydaycare.com.
