Paws Giving Independence NFP

10/14/2026

LEVEL 1 PUBLIC ACCESS TEST ✅

Congratulations to Grover and his puppy raiser on passing their level 1 public access test!

Level 1 public access test allows Grover to begin to work in public settings in vest! We couldn’t be prouder of this hard working puppy raising team!

Go Grover ❤️🐾
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Grafelman Farms Rescue

10/13/2026

Freddy: Then vs Now

It’s Transformation Tuesday with Freddy! Freddy is a 1.5 year old doodle from Edwards English Doodles currently in our Helping Paws program. Freddy joined our program as a little puppy and is now all grown up and working hard on his advanced skills. We have loved watching him on his journey and are so proud of how far he’s come! One thing’s for sure, his smile hasn’t changed a bit! 🩵🐾
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10/12/2026

Puppy Yoga! 🧘‍♀️💗🐾

A huge thank you to The Yoga Studio in Bloomington, IL, for providing the space and guiding us through such a fun puppy yoga experience! Our service dogs in training had the best time enjoying the extra love, socialization, and puppy cuddles. We’re so grateful for your hospitality, instruction, and for helping make this experience so special for our future service dogs!

Dogs pictured:
Seeker, Subie, Otter, Flora, and Lottie
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10/11/2026

Willow’s Vacation Adventures! 🏝️🐾

Willow recently got to go on vacation with her handler! 🛳️🩵 From exploring new places to making memories together, she got to show off all the ways service dogs can be part of life’s adventures. We love seeing our dogs out in the world, supporting their handlers wherever life takes them!
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10/11/2026

We look forward to seeing the work Coco will do at the Pekin Police Department. Facility dogs can work in many different settings.

10/10/2026

Thank You, Pearle Vision of Crystal Lake! 🚗

A huge thank-you to Pearle Vision of Crystal Lake for inviting PGI to have a table at your 2nd Annual Car Show! We would also like to thank you for selecting PGI as one of the nonprofit organizations to receive donations. Your support means so much to us! 🐾

Griff and Cece loved meeting so many amazing people who were interested in learning more about the work PGI does and how our service dogs / facility dogs make a difference in people’s lives. They also had a great time checking out all the cool cars! 🐶❤️

Thank you again to Pearle Vision of Crystal Lake and everyone who stopped by, showed their support, and contributed to our mission. We are so grateful to be part of such a wonderful community!

Together, we can change lives, one paw at a time! 🐾❤️
Pearle Vision
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10/09/2026

Meet Mavis!

Mavis is a 8 month old doodle mix who was rescued from Peoria County Animal Protection Services and TAPS Pekin, IL! We want to give a huge shout out for all of their help and support. With their amazing work and gracious support, we are able to complete our mission of “saving a life to change a life!” We also would like to thank My Dog's Bakery, Daycare & Grooming for grooming Mavis and giving her a beautiful new haircut! We love working with rescues and helping save lives! Welcome Mavis! 💗🐾
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10/08/2026

Skill Check🐾

Here, Major is shown doing a sequence for narcolepsy alert! When his handler’s head falls you can see him alert her to wake her up. Then, his handler asks for medicine and Major retrieves the medicine, brings it to her, and takes it back when she is done! Great work Major!🐾❤️
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10/07/2026

Clover is one of our newer facility dogs who works in a school! Read about her new job!

Edwards English Doodles, Illinois Department of Corrections Wings Academy

Wings Academy adds four-legged staff member

Kim Johnson, administrator of Wings Academy, said when the development of the school began, she envisioned having a facility dog who would become a consistent, familiar and trusted member of the school community.

Learn more about the newest addition to the academy at the link.

MORE: https://kewaneevoice.com/wings-academy-adds-four-legged-staff-member/

10/06/2026

Solo: Then vs Now 🐾

It’s Transformation Tuesday with Solo! Solo is a 1.5 year old yellow Labrador Retriever in our Helping Paws program. Solo came into our program as a tiny baby and has grown into a big, handsome pup working on his advanced skills for his future recipient! We have loved watching him grow into a charming, goofy, and joyful pup! Keep up the amazing work, Solo! 🩵🐾
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