NBC4's fourth Puppy with a Purpose arrives in Columbus
COLUMBUS (WCMH) – NBC4’s Puppy with a Purpose has arrived in Columbus!
Paris arrived just before 6 p.m. Thursday night after a cross country flight from California.
The labrador-golden retriever mix -- born on February 2nd – is a ball of energy with a curious mind. He will be NBC4’s fourth puppy with a purpose in partnership with Canine Companions -- a non-profit that trains assistance dogs to help children, adults, and veterans with disabilities — free of charge.
Upon arrival Paris wasted no time getting comfortable with his new puppy raiser, Elaine May, who he will be staying with during his journey of becoming a full-service assistance dog.
May says the job of a puppy raiser is to work on the basics so when he goes off to professional training he'll know about 30 commands.
"We set the groundwork for when they go off to professional training and then they'll learn to open and close doors, turn lights on and off, pick up dropped items, but it all starts with a puppy raiser,” May said.
There are also many volunteer opportunities with Canine Companions.
"Canine Companions is in need of more puppy raisers. If you'd like to get a little fella like Paris here and help raise him, contact Canine Companions and we'll get you fixed up!"
Paris, like his predecessors Brutus, Scarlet and Buckeye, will join the NBC4 studio every Friday beginning April 12 during the 6 a.m. broadcast of NBC4 Today.
Be sure to follow Paris’ journey by following NBC4pups on Facebook and Instagram! For more information on how you can support or assist Canine Companions’ cause, visit https://canine.org/get-involved/.