To Kelsey Conley, puppies are more than just furry friends.
As the founder of the new club Cocky’s Canine Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS), Conley has seen the potential impact of service dogs.
“I just want people to realize what these dogs can do, and once they realize how important they are getting to cuddle with a fuzzy puppy becomes secondary,” Conley said. “The dogs are actually changing these people’s lives.”
According to Conley, most people think service dogs only help blind people. PAALS does not train guide dogs, but rather focuses on mobility dogs that help people who have standing and balance difficulties. Stability dogs aid people who struggle in getting around during their daily routine, and they can also help an individual who has fallen and can’t get up because the owner can put all of their weight on their service dog.
PAALS also trains dogs to help with autism or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as service dogs can be trained to depress a certain nerve in people who are having a panic attack or flashback to calm them down. One member that has gotten involved in the club has his own service dog to help him with his cerebral palsy and autism.
According to the PAALS website, some of their canines can turn lights on and off, open doors, retrieve dropped items and alert for help to aid individuals in wheelchairs.
Conley has always felt a desire to train dogs during her life.
“I am a complete animal lover, first of all, but I also study psychology and I knew I wanted to train dogs at some point in my life, that wasn’t a question,” Conley said.
She became even more confident that she wanted to work with service dogs for her career after someone she knew brought in assistance dogs. She said she was completely amazed at what the dogs were capable of, and realized that working with service animals gives her the “best of both worlds” of “helping animals every day” and “still seeing the smiles on people’s faces.”
Conley first became connected with PAALS during a Russell House volunteer fair, where she saw their booth and saw an immediate connection.
“I saw this and I was like ‘oh my god, I need to talk to these people right now,’” said Conley.
She started volunteering with PAALS in October, and within two weeks the owner asked her to start a club associated to PAALS at USC. She recruited her friend Kelly Fleming, who is listed as the organization’s president, to help her put together the club, which just became official this semester.
All members of Cocky’s Canine PAALS are expected to have a regular shift at the PAALS training facility. There are nine possible three-hour shifts each week, and members can sign up on their own terms.
Volunteers can also participating in “pup sitting,” during which they take home puppies on the weekends and walk them around campus. When PAALS does not have any volunteers to watch them, they take them to visit a local prison.
So far, the club has been working hard to assist PAALS. According to Conley, even the smallest activities with the canines are important.
“The angle at which you give a treat matters,” Conley said. “Every single thing we do with the dogs matters.”
Club members will also accompany PAALS on outings. They assist in putting the dogs in their capes and then take them to the mall, the movie theater, airports, or any other location where dogs generally aren’t allowed. Their main focus during these outings is to make the experience stress-free and calm for the dogs.
In addition to their connection with PAALS, the USC organization also has its own activities. Although they are still working on getting members and getting the club well-established, they do coordinate with the Student Health Center to provide students with pet therapy. Pet therapy happens once a month, usually in front of the Thomas Cooper Library, and gives students and faculty an opportunity to pet dogs and reduce stress.
Conley said that although she wishes every student on campus would get involved with Cocky’s Canine PAALS, her primary goal is to spread the word about the impact and potential of service dogs.
“I want the club to raise awareness,” Conley said. “People don’t understand what service dogs can actually do.”