Our Mission
Paws-Ability, Inc. is dedicated to providing service dogs of exceptional quality with no cost to Veterans, First Responders, and Correctional Officers that have sacrificed for our country and community. Our mission is to empower these noble men and women with Traumatic Brain Injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, and mobile disabilities, to return to their everyday lives with confidence and dignity.
Our History
Paws-Ability, Inc. was founded in 2019 as a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization by Jim Day, John Wells and Natalie Faudree. Jim a Vietnam Army veteran, John a Vietnam Navy veteran, and Natalie the wife of Joseph Faudree, a Marine Corp veteran, developed this organization with the goal of transforming the lives of Military Veterans, First Responders and Correctional Officers with a program that provides trained service dog companions.
At Paws-Ability, we unleash the potential of dogs by transforming them into individually-trained, life-changing assistance dogs for those in need. Many of our service dogs are donated AKC certified labrador retriever puppies or dogs that are rescues and have been evaluated as being suitable for service dog work.
Paws-Ability has volunteer trainers and foster parents who partner to prepare our companions for service. The fosters handle every day care, basic training, healthcare and other necessary steps to raise a confident dog. Each dog completes their basic training by earning the AKC title of a “Canine Good Citizen”. Once this foundational training is complete, the dogs are partnered with their forever companion and the training to be certified for service begins.
Our Organization
Many of our board members have service dogs themselves and have experienced first hand the positive impact these service dogs can have on someone’s life.
Our Board consists of :
- Board President, John Wells (Cash)
- Secretary, Natalie Faudree
- Treasurer, Jennifer Draggoo
- Board Member, Jean Lee
- Board Member, Joe Faudree (Stewart)
- Board Member, Michaela Menefee
- Board Member, Lakin Pack
Our board is dedicated to supporting and making a positive impact on the lives of those that have devoted selflessly to our country and community.