PAALS RECIEVES $5,000 GRANT FROM CHRISTOPHER AND DANA REEVE FOUNDATION FOR S.HA.RE. PROGRAM (COLUMBIA, SC) (AUGUST 27, 2007) – PAALS, PALMETTO ANIMAL ASSISTED LIFE SERVICES, is proud to announce that it has received a $5,000 Quality of Life grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (CDRF). The award was one of nearly 100 grants totaling approximately $900,000 awarded by CDRF to nonprofit organizations that help people living with disabilities become more fully integrated members of society. PAALS will use the grant for the S.H.A.R.E. program which targets seniors and youth in the community to help raise and train service dogs to help someone with paralysis. Most of the puppies that start in the PAALS program will require up to two years of training before they can be matched to a person with a disability. Capital Senior Center in Columbia has partnered with PAALS to engage our senior population. Weekly training sessions at their center are conducted by service dog trainers to ensure the proper development of the dogs as senior citizens provide assistance with the training. Our eventual goal is to connect some of our at-risk youth in the community with our senior volunteers in a mentorship program to help use reward based training methods as a model for behavior modification. PAALS is extremely honored to receive the CDRF grant. PAALS is a new service dog organization in Columbia that is in great need of financial support. Service dogs usually take two years and close to $20,000 a piece to train. This grant will go toward veterinary services, food, training equipment, and facility rentals for one service dog who will be partnered with some with paralysis. The dog that this Quality of Life Grant will help raise will be able to turn on lights, open doors, and retrieve phones for someone living with paralysis. Most importantly, this service dog will be a lifelong companion and partner for someone in great need. “Across the country, countless organization are dedicated to improving the quality of life of people living with disabilities such as paralysis, and are essentially unsung heroes,” said Peter T. Wilderotter, president of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. “PAALS is one such organization who shares CDRF’s passion to enable people living with paralysis to overcome everyday challenges. We are honored to award PAALS with a Quality of Life grant that will help the organization ‘Go Forward’ and accomplish their critical mission.” Begun in 1999 by the late Dana Reeve, the CDRF Quality of Life grant program recognizes the unique and numerous needs of people with disabilities, primarily paralysis, and their families, and the importance of providing services and programs that enable them to participate in all areas of life. To date, CDRF has provided 1,262 Quality of Life grants totaling over $10 million to organization nationwide that help improve opportunities, access and day-to-day quality of life for these individuals and their families. About CDRF The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy. For more information, please visit our website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292. PAALS mission is to enrich and empower children and adults with physical disabilities and social needs by training service animals and providing animal assisted educational and recreational activities. PAALS is currently looking for foster families to help raise service dogs. To learn more about how you can become a part of this exciting organization click here or call us at (803) 788-7063.