AUGIVS is a volunteer group that Ashland University has to allow students to help the school and the community. They give many opportunities for students, and one of those is the P.A.W. group.

P.A.W. is a dog walking group that goes to the Ashland County Dog Shelter every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“Last semester, I became a general member and I went to the dog shelter twice a week and I was like awe I want to see the dogs all the time, and then I fell in love with it.” Taylor Kaye, co-chair for P.A.W. said.

When the volunteers come to the shelter, there are a couple of rules that Kaye and/or her co-chair must go over before people start to take dogs outside for walks.

“If they have not walked dogs before, I explain to them the rules, which are don’t have the dogs in the same area, and only one dog in and out of the shelter at the time just so we don’t have any dog fights,” Kaye said.

Although usually the dogs are brought in from people who can no longer take care of them or no longer want them, there are some who are found as runaways.

“The shelter will advertise the dog showing that they had found a dog and hopefully the owner will see it and get their dog back” Jr. Shelby Starnes and past co-chair for P.A.W. said.

Some volunteers like Kaye and Starnes become close to the dogs that are living at the shelter and really care about the well being of the dogs.

“A lot of I really these dogs have been abandoned or have no home or have had a history of abuse so I really like to care for them and walk them and play with them,” Soph. Juliet Touma said. “It makes me feel like I am doing my part in helping save them again”

It is also heartwarming when a dog does get adopted from the shelter and has found their forever home.

A woman came in looking for a bulldog names Frankie she saw online after one of hers had passed away recently. She came in with her golden retriever so she could see if the dogs the shelter had would get along. After walking the two dogs together the woman adopted Frankie.

“It was so good that I could be a part of it (Frankie’s adoption process)” Kaye said, “It felt really good.”
If people are interested in becoming apart with P.A.W. or AUGIVS in general, you can go on the ashland.edu/augivs and sign up for a team through the links provided.

However, if people are not available to come on the days when P.A.W. will be there but still would like to help the shelter, there are other ways.

“Every time we go to the shelter, they have these little lists of things that you can donate, the shelter pretty much runs off of donations, and they’re always accepting them,” Kaye said.